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Samsung patents image sensor design with shared pixels and trench barriers

This patent describes a camera sensor layout where adjacent pixels share certain components to save space. It uses deep trenches in the silicon and additional barrier structures to electrically separate these shared pixels from one another.

Why it mattersThis is a specific engineering improvement for camera sensors that helps manage electrical interference between pixels, which is standard practice in advanced chip design.

In the filing’s own words

An image sensor includes a substrate and first and second shared pixels, which extend adjacent to each other in a first direction across the substrate. Each of the shared pixels includes: a plurality of floating diffusion regions at spaced apart locations within the substrate, and a plurality of spaced-apart source follower gates electrically connected to the plurality of floating diffusion regions. A deep trench isolation structure is provided, which extends within the substrate and at least partially partitions the first and second shared pixels from each other. A contact barrier structure is provided, which extends on the substrate, vertically overlaps the deep trench isolation structure, at least partially partitions the first and second shared pixels from each other, and is arranged with a long axis in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and between the source follower gate of the first shared pixel and the source follower gate of the second shared pixel.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An image sensor, comprising: a substrate; first and second shared pixels, which extend adjacent to each other in a first direction across the substrate, and respectively include: a plurality of floating diffusion regions at spaced apart locations within the substrate; and a plurality of spaced-apart source follower gates electrically connected to the plurality of floating diffusion regions; a deep trench isolation structure, which extends within the substrate and at least partially partitions the first and second shared pixels from each other; and a contact barrier structure, which extends on the substrate, vertically overlaps the deep trench isolation structure, at least partially partitions the first and second shared pixels from each other, and is arranged with a long axis in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and between one of the plurality of source follower gates of the first shared pixel and one of the plurality of source follower gates of the second shared pixel.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
Image sensors having shared pixels with deep trench isolations therebetween overlapped by contact barrier structures
Patent number
US12733283B2
Application number
18410884
Filed
Jan 11, 2024
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
20

Classified under

H10F 39/807 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/802 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/8023 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/8037 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/80373 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/811 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.