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Samsung patents image sensor layout with extra shielding contacts

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Samsung describes an image sensor design that adds a 'dummy' gate and a specific shielding contact alongside the standard wiring. These extra components are placed in parallel with the main connections to help manage electrical signals within the sensor's structure.

Why it mattersThis is a routine hardware refinement that aims to improve the stability of image sensors, which are found in phones and cameras.

In the filing’s own words

An image sensor includes a substrate including a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, a separation pattern between the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and separating the substrate, a plurality of active patterns on the substrate, a plurality of gate patterns overlapping the plurality of active patterns, a connection contact connected to the plurality of active patterns or the gate pattern, a dummy gate pattern overlapping the separation pattern, and a shield contact connected to the dummy gate pattern, wherein the shield contact and the connection contact are in parallel in a first direction.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An image sensor comprising a substrate comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions; a separation pattern between the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and separating the substrate; a plurality of active patterns on the substrate; a plurality of gate patterns overlapping the plurality of active patterns; a connection contact connected to the plurality of active patterns or the plurality of gate patterns; a dummy gate pattern overlapping the separation pattern; and a shield contact connected to the dummy gate pattern, wherein the shield contact and the connection contact are in parallel in a first direction.

Facts

Company
Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
Official title
IMAGE SENSOR
Publication number
US20260324112A1
Application number
19638773
Filed
Apr 3, 2026
Published
Oct 15, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

H10F 39/8057 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/802 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/8037 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/807 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/811 Electricity & electronics

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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.