Solid-state imaging device

Claim 2

In a solid-state imaging device having in one major surface region of a monolithic semiconductor body, photodiodes which are arrayed in two dimensions, vertical switching MOS transistors and horizontal switching MOS transistors which address the photodiodes, MOS transistors which constitute vertical and horizontal scanning circuits for turning "on" and "off" the switching MOS transistors, and MOS transistors which constitute other peripheral circuitry, the photodiodes being constructed of source regions of the vertical switching MOS transistors and the semiconductor body; a solid-state imaging device characterized in that the source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor has a surface impurity concentration lower than, and a junction depth deeper than, those of an impurity region of at least one of (1) a drain region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor, (2) a source or drain region of said each horizontal switching MOS transistor, (3) a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said horizontal scanning circuit, (4) a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said vertical scanning circuit, and (5) a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said other peripheral circuitry.

Claim 3

In a solid-state imaging device having in one major surface region of a monolithic semiconductor body, photodiodes which are arrayed in two dimensions, vertical switching MOS transistors and horizontal switching MOS transistors which address the photodiodes, MOS transistors which constitute vertical and horizontal scanning circuits for turning "on" and "off" the switching MOS transistors, and MOS transistors which constitute other peripheral circuitry, the photodiodes being constructed of source regions of the vertical switching MOS transistors and the semiconductor body; a solid-state imaging device characterized in that the source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor has a surface impurity concentration lower than, and a junction depth deeper than, those of an impurity region of at least one of a source or drain region of said each horizontal switching MOS transistor, a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said horizontal scanning circuit, a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said vertical scanning circuit, and a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said other peripheral circuitry, and further characterized in that said drain region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor is substantially equal to said source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor in the surface impurity concentration and the junction depth.

Claim 4

In a solid-state imaging device having in one major surface region of a monolithic semiconductor body, photodiodes which are arrayed in two dimensions, vertical switching MOS transistors and horizontal switching MOS transistors which address the photodiodes, MOS transistors which constitute vertical and horizontal scanning circuits for turning "on" and "off" the switching MOS transistors, and MOS transistors which constitute other peripheral circuitry, the photodiodes being constructed of source regions of the vertical switching MOS transistors and the semiconductor body; a solid-state imaging device characterized in that the source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor has a surface impurity concentration lower than, and a junction depth deeper than, those of an impurity region of at least one of a source or drain region of said each horizontal switching MOS transistor, a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said horizontal scanning circuit, a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said vertical scanning circuit, and a source or drain region of said each MOS transistor of said other peripheral circuitry, and further characterized in that said drain region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor is substantially equal to said source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor in the surface impurity concentration and the junction depth.

Claim 5

The solid-state imaging device as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor has a surface impurity concentration of at most 2×10 20 /cm 3 and a junction depth of at least 0.5 μm.

Claim 6

The solid-state imaging device as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the source and drain regions other than the source regions of said vertical switching MOS transistors have a surface impurity concentration of at least 2×10 20 /cm 3 and a junction depth of at most 0.5 μm.

Claim 7

The solid-state imaging device as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the junction depth of said source region of said each vertical switching MOS transistor lies in a range of from 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm.

Claim 8

A solid-state imaging device, comprising a semiconductor body containing a plurality of picture element regions, and signal coupling circuit regions associated therewith for selectively addressing the picture element regions so as to read out therefrom signals representative of radiation incident thereon, and wherein said picture element regions and said signal coupling regions are formed of semiconductor regions of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said semiconductor body, said semiconductor regions extending into said semiconductor body from a surface thereof, and wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions is greater than that of prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions.

Claim 9

A solid-state imaging device, comprising a semiconductor body containing a plurality of picture element regions, and signal coupling circuit regions associated therewith for selectively addressing the picture element regions so as to read out therefrom signals representative of radiation incident thereon, and wherein said picture element regions and said signal coupling regions are formed of semiconductor regions of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said semiconductor body, said semiconductor regions extending into said semiconductor body from a surface thereof, and wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions is greater than that of prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions.

Claim 10

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 6, wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions is at least 0.5 μm and the surface impurity concentration thereof is at most 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 11

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the depth of the prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions is at most 0.5 μm and the surface impurity concentration thereof is at least 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 12

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions lies in a range of 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm.

Claim 13

A solid-state imaging device, comprising a semiconductor body containing a plurality of picture element regions, and signal coupling circuit regions associated therewith for selectively addressing the picture element regions so as to read out therefrom signals representative of radiation incident thereon, and wherein said picture element regions and said signal coupling regions are formed of semiconductor regions of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said semiconductor body, said semiconductor regions extending into said semiconductor body from a surface thereof, and wherein the surface impurity concentration of the picture element regions is less than that of prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions.

Claim 14

A solid-state imaging device, comprising a semiconductor body containing a plurality of picture element regions, and signal coupling circuit regions associated therewith for selectively addressing the picture element regions so as to read out therefrom signals representative of radiation incident thereon, and wherein said picture element regions and said signal coupling regions are formed of semiconductor regions of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said semiconductor body, said semiconductor regions extending into said semiconductor body from a surface thereof, and wherein the surface impurity concentration of the picture element regions is less than that of prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions.

Claim 15

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions is greater than that of the prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions.

Claim 16

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the surface impurity concentration of the picture element semiconductor regions is at most 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 17

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the surface impurity concentration of the prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions is at least 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 18

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions is at least 0.5 μm and the surface impurity concentration thereof is at most 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 19

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the depth of the prescribed ones of the signal coupling semiconductor regions is at most 0.5 μm and the surface impurity concentration thereof is at least 2×10 20 cm -3 .

Claim 20

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the depth of the picture element semiconductor regions lies in a range of 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm.

Claim 21

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of picture elements are formed of an array of photodiodes which constitute one of the source and drain regions of first switching field effect transistors through which the photodiodes are selectively addressed for selectively reading out said signals representative of radiation incident thereon.

Claim 22

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 17, wherein said signal coupling circuit regions include source and drain regions of field effect transistors which constitute scanning circuits for turning said first switching field effect transistors on and off.

Claim 23

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 18, wherein said signal coupling circuit regions include source and drain regions of output switching field effect transistors coupled to said first switching field effect transistors and selectively turned on and off by said scanning circuits, for coupling the signals read out from said photodiodes to an output.

Claim 24

A solid-state imaging device according to one of claims 17 or 19, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the other of the source and drain regions of said first switching field effect transistors.

Claim 25

A solid-state imaging device according to one of claims 18 or 19, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the source or drain regions of scanning circuit field effect transistors.

Claim 26

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 19, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the source or drain regions of said output switching field effect transistors.

Claim 27

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 19, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise each of the other of the source and drain regions of said first switching field effect transistors, the source and drain regions of the scanning field effect transistors and the source and drain regions of the output switching field effect transistors.

Claim 28

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of picture elements are formed of an array of photodiodes which constitute one of the source and drain regions of first switching field effect transistors through which the photodiodes are selectively addressed for selectively reading out said signals representative of radiation incident thereon.

Claim 29

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 24, wherein said signal coupling circuit regions include source and drain regions of field effect transistors which constitute scanning circuits for turning said first switching field effect transistors on and off.

Claim 30

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 19, wherein said signal coupling circuit regions include source and drain regions of output switching field effect transistors coupled to said first switching field effect transistors and selectively turned on and off by said scanning circuits, for coupling the signals read out from said photodiodes to an output.

Claim 31

A solid-state imaging device according to one of claims 24 or 26 wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the other of the source and drain regions of said first switching field effect transistors.

Claim 32

A solid-state imaging device according to one of claims 25 or 26, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the source or drain regions of scanning circuit field effect transistors.

Claim 33

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise the source or drain regions of said output switching field effect transistors.

Claim 34

A solid-state imaging device according to claim 26, wherein said prescribed ones of said signal coupling circuit regions comprise each of the other of the source and drain regions of said first switching field effect transistors, the source and drain regions of the scanning field effect transistors and the source and drain regions of the output switching field effect transistors.