Fabrication of CMOS image sensors

Yacov Malinovich; Ephie Koltin; David Choen; Moshe Shkuri; Meir Ben-Simon

doi:10.1117/12.347076

27 April 1999 Fabrication of CMOS image sensors

Yacov Malinovich, Ephie Koltin, David Choen, Moshe Shkuri, Meir Ben-Simon

Proceedings Volume 3649, Sensors, Cameras, and Systems for Scientific/Industrial Applications; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.347076
Event: Electronic Imaging '99, 1999, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

In order to provide its customers with sub-micron CMOS fabrication solutions for imaging applications, Tower Semiconductor initiated a project to characterize the optical parameters of Tower's 0.5-micron process. A special characterization test chip was processed using the TS50 process. The results confirmed a high quality process for optical applications. Perhaps the most important result is the process' very low dark current, of 30-50 pA/cm², using the entire window of process. This very low dark current characteristic was confirmed for a variety of pixel architectures. Additionally, we have succeeded to reduce and virtually eliminate the white spots on large sensor arrays. As a foundry Tower needs to support fabrication of many different imaging products. Therefore we have developed a fabrication methodology that is adjusted to the special needs of optical applications. In order to establish in-line process monitoring of the optical parameters, Tower places a scribe line optical test chip that enables wafer level measurements of the most important parameters, ensuring the optical quality and repeatability of the process. We have developed complementary capabilities like in house deposition of color filter and fabrication of very large are dice using sub-micron CMOS technologies. Shellcase and Tower are currently developing a new CMOS image sensor optical package.

Citation Download Citation

Yacov Malinovich, Ephie Koltin, David Choen, Moshe Shkuri, and Meir Ben-Simon "Fabrication of CMOS image sensors", Proc. SPIE 3649, Sensors, Cameras, and Systems for Scientific/Industrial Applications, (27 April 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.347076

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