Advanced 1.1um pixel CMOS image sensor with 3D stacked architecture

Author

Liu, J.C. ; Yaung, D.N. ; Sze, J.J. ; Wang, Cheng C. ; Hung, Gene ; Wang, C.J. ; Hsu, T.H. ; Lin, R.J. ; Wang, T.J. ; Wang, W.D. ; Cheng, H.Y. ; Lin, J.S. ; Tsai, S.J. ; Tsai, S.T. ; Chuang, C.C. ; Hsu, W.I. ; Chen, Song Yan ; Huang, Kai C. ; Wu, W.H. ; T

Author_Institution

Taiwan Semicond. Manuf. Co., Hsinchu, Taiwan

fYear

2014

fDate

9-12 June 2014

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

2

Abstract

This paper demonstrates an advanced 1.1um pixel backside illuminated CMOS image sensor with a 3D stacked architecture. The carrier wafer in conventional BSI is replaced by ASIC wafer, which contains a part of periphery circuit and is connected to the sensor wafer through bonding technology. With proper layout design and process improvement, the impact of 3D connection (Through Via, TV) on the sensor performance can be significantly minimized. In addition, for the first time, the degradation of stacked pixel performance during the folded circuit operation under sensor array is found and improved. The final stacked sensor exhibits the comparable pixel performances to conventional BSI. Furthermore, stacked architecture provides the opportunity to enhance sensor performance by the separate process tuning for sensor wafers (without any effect on ASIC wafers), leading to a further improvement of dark performance.

Keywords

CMOS image sensors; application specific integrated circuits; integrated circuit design; 3D connection; 3D stacked architecture; ASIC wafer; backside illuminated CMOS image sensor; bonding technology; carrier wafer; sensor array; sensor wafers; Application specific integrated circuits; Arrays; Bonding; CMOS image sensors; Stress; TV; Three-dimensional displays; CMOS image sensor; pixel; stacked;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

VLSI Technology (VLSI-Technology): Digest of Technical Papers, 2014 Symposium on

Conference_Location

Honolulu, HI

ISSN

0743-1562

Print_ISBN

978-1-4799-3331-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/VLSIT.2014.6894429

Filename

6894429