Single chip integrated cmos image sensor with dual-focus microlens array
Technical field
The present invention relates to lens arra and preparation method thereof, particularly relate to integrated bifocal lens array of monolithic and preparation method thereof and in complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) (Complementary Metal OxideSemiconductor, CMOS) application in the imageing sensor.
Background technology
10 years of past, because cmos image sensor and charge coupled device (Charge CoupledDevice, CCD) relatively, can under low voltage, work, reduce the energy consumption of portable use, have less support circuit, design simpler, provide super low energy consumption and chip integrated imageing sensor, therefore more and more paid close attention to.These transducers that past is made by CMOS technology (0.35 μ m and more than) generally have the pixel bigger than CCD, low resolution and lower performance.Recently because in the technology of the several fields that comprises silicon processing procedure (0.18 μ m and following) and the development of design, color filter array and lenticule are integrated, and packing microminiaturization and pixel and chip epigraph Design of Sensor are expected to enlarge the application of cmos image sensor and make its performance and effect even surpass CCD.
In the aiming and focusing of high divergencing laser two utmost points output, in the light of photodetector and imageing sensor is collected, comprise the application fields of high power and higher source luminance, optical-fibre communications, optical storage of data and light interconnection, all need to have limit divergence performance and high efficiency lenticule.And the dielectric layer of Semiconductor substrate and deposit not only provides high index of refraction, and single element lens laser and the integrated trend of single element lens transducer also are provided.
Up to the present electron beam lithography and ion etching has been applied to various semiconductor device, optics and surface acoustic wave device and ic manufacturing process.Ion beam etching be successfully applied on the InP substrate that is integrated in light-emitting diode (LEDs.) and InGaAs/InP pin photodiode array on lenticular making on.
Liau etc. transmit technology by quality and made lenticule on InP and GaAs substrates.This method uses photoetching and chemical etching forms multilayer platform shape structure, forms lenticule at last by heat treatment, and wherein the multilayer step minimizes as the quality transmission owing to surface energy, and becomes smooth.
Compare with above-mentioned quality transmission technology, reactive ion beam etching technique is simple more and convenient.It only is made of two step process: photoresist mask manufacture and reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), two steps all were fit to produce in batches.Yet by the quality transmission make lenticule need repeat photoetching and chemical etching with obtain ten grades of conical steps and also need wafer 870 ℃ of quality transmission to form lenticule.
People such as Pantelis adopt the photoresist microlens array that hot melt is produced to carry out reactive ion etching and are manufactured with organic polymer such as polyimide polymer lenticule (referring to Pantelis P, McCartrey DJ.Polymer microlens arrays.Pure.Appl.Opt., 1994,3:103~108).But it can only form single focus microlens, and because fusing point is lower, so moisture-resistant, high temperature resistance and radiation protection ability are poor in high-altitude and the space application, easily deformable aging, so quantum efficiency, light gathering efficiency and reliability are relatively poor.
Summary of the invention
For overcoming the above problem that prior art exists, the present invention is proposed.
The objective of the invention is to make inorganic bifocal Si oxide microlens array by the two-step reaction ion beam etching.
A further object of the invention is to make single chip integrated cmos sensor with dual-focus microlens array.
Single chip integrated cmos image sensor with dual-focus microlens array of the present invention comprises:
The standard CMOS logical circuit, it is integrated silicon pin photodiode;
Microlens array is integrated in the light absorption surface of cmos circuit active region correspondence;
Silicon nitride layer covers microlens array;
Filter is arranged at above the silicon nitride layer;
It is characterized in that microlens array is a dual-focus microlens array, integrated with the cmos circuit monolithic.
According to the present invention, described standard CMOS logical circuit also comprises silicon substrate, top-level metallic, silica cover layer.This oxide cover layer is that high density plasma deposition forms.
Dual-focus microlens array of the present invention is inorganic dual-focus microlens array, is preferably the Si oxide dual-focus microlens array.
Dual-focus microlens array of the present invention comprises: the first Si oxide lens, and it has first curvature radius; The second Si oxide lens, it has second curvature radius.
Dual-focus microlens array of the present invention is made, and comprises the steps:
Form silicon oxide layer or contain the oxide skin(coating) of Silicon-rich, its refractive index is 1.44~2.0;
The coating photoresist layer, photoetching, development form the photoresist pattern;
Photoresist backflow moulding;
Carry out the two-step reaction ion beam etching, form bifocal Si oxide lenticule;
According to the present invention, Si oxide be silicon rich oxide (Silicon Rich Oxide, SRO), or the Silicon-rich nitrogen oxide (Silicon Rich Oxynitride, SRON).Si oxide adopts plasma-reinforced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method to form.
According to the present invention, photoresist is the eurymeric photoresist, and its reflux temperature is generally 150~180 ℃ for being higher than 10~50 ℃ of its glass transition temperatures, and return time is 5~20min, and the size of institute's moulding photoetching glueballs is corresponding with its pixel size.
According to the present invention, reactive ion beam adopts the reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) that contains argon ion, and it is 500~800W that described reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) adopts the etching radio-frequency power, and silicon chip substrate biasing radio-frequency power is 500~800W, and incidence angle is 0~60 °.Described silicon substrate needs to be cooled to temperature less than 150 ℃ in the middle of the reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) process, silicon chip substrate is fixed on the interior electrostatic chuck of reaction cavity.Reacting gas and flow are: argon gas (Ar): 300~700sccm; Oxygen (O
2): 10~100sccm; Carbon tetrafluoride (CF
4): 10~100sccm; Fluoroform CHF
3): 5~50sccm; The pressure of reaction cavity is that 100~500m torr. etches away a half at photoresist, by change radio-frequency (RF) energy and (or) flow rate of reactive gas and (or) pressure of reaction cavity, keep invariable incident angle, up to the photoresist etching formation dual-focus microlens array that finishes.Microscope and sweep electron microscope are used to measure the surface configuration of the pattern that etching forms.The lenticule profile is measured by the surface profile determining instrument.
The present invention makes dual-focus microlens by the two-step reaction ion beam etching on the silicon rich oxide substrate.Calculating and experimental result show when the substrate that scribbles spherical photoresist mask is had the reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) of rational etching parameters, the shape of the lens of etching is still sphere and its radius of curvature R=Rr/k (wherein Rr is the radius of curvature of spherical photoresist mask, and k is the etching ratio of substrate to mask).Its etching ratio k depends on the pressure of reactive ion beam incidence angle, radio-frequency (RF) energy, flow rate of reactive gas and reaction cavity.Therefore by adjusting and the control etching condition, obtain the radius of curvature of the lens that need, and have the lens of hyperbolicity radius, i.e. bifocal lens.
Because the present invention finishes the FEOL of cmos image sensor, the complete processing procedure of the standard logic circuit that it comprises the pin photodiode integrated, carry out back-end process then, it comprises the formation filter, single chip integrated silicon rich oxide (SRO) or Silicon-rich nitrogen oxide (SRON) lenticule, and silicon nitride cover layer.Dual-focus microlens refractive index of the present invention is 1.44~2.0, is used for optical focus dual-focus microlens array preferably, improves light and collects and quantum efficiency.Compare with organic lens and to have high reliability.
The present invention has the making flow process and the technology of cmos image sensor and single chip integrated high-performance of dual-focus microlens array and high reliability.This process and technology can high-quality, high yield, low-cost production cmos image sensor.
Description of drawings
Introduce the present invention in detail below in conjunction with accompanying drawing.Yet it should be noted that these accompanying drawings just are used for exemplary embodiments of the present invention is described, and do not constitute any limitation of the invention, under the situation that does not deviate from design of the present invention, can have other how equivalent embodiment.And protection scope of the present invention is determined by claims.
Figure 1A is according to the present invention, finishes the schematic cross-section of an embodiment behind the cmos image sensor FEOL.
Figure 1B is according to the present invention, the schematic cross-section of an embodiment behind the formation photoresist pattern.
Fig. 1 C is according to the present invention, the schematic cross-section of an embodiment after the photoresist backflow moulding.
Fig. 1 D is according to the present invention, through the schematic cross-section of an embodiment behind the two steps ion beam etchings formation dual-focus microlens array.
Fig. 1 E is according to the present invention, and single chip integrated after covering silicon nitride layer and forming filter has the schematic cross-section of an embodiment of the cmos image sensor of dual-focus microlens.
Fig. 2 A~2E is the part according to an embodiment of dual-focus microlens forming process of the present invention, the schematic cross-section of a bifocal lens.
Fig. 3 is according to the present invention, the electron scanning micrograph of a part of dual-focus microlens array of an embodiment who is recorded by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Fig. 4 is the profile diagram of the dual-focus microlens of one embodiment of the present of invention.
Fig. 5 is scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photo of a dual-focus microlens of one embodiment of the present of invention.
Description of reference numerals
1 silicon substrate
2 cmos image sensor diodes
3 top-level metallics
4 high density plasma deposition silicon dioxide
5 plasma-reinforced chemical vapor deposition silicon rich oxides
6 photoresists
7 silicon nitrides
8 filter
9 incident lights
10 ion beams
11 ion beam incidence angles
51 first lens
52 second lens
53 curvature mutations point
54 curvature mutations point
Embodiment
Describe the present invention in detail below in conjunction with accompanying drawing.
Figure 1A~1E has illustrated integrated cmos image sensor and the manufacturing process schematic diagram thereof with bifocal lens array of monolithic of the present invention.
According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, single chip integrated cmos image sensor with dual-focus microlens array shown in Fig. 1 E, comprising:
The standard CMOS logical circuit, it is integrated pin photodiode 2 has top-level metallic 3, and insulating layer of silicon oxide 4;
Microlens array 5 is integrated in the cmos circuit active region, more particularly, and the light absorption surface of pixel cell correspondence;
Silicon nitride layer 7 covers microlens array 5;
Filter 8 is arranged at above the silicon nitride layer 7;
Wherein, dual-focus microlens array, integrated with the cmos circuit monolithic.
Its manufacturing process is that shown in Figure 1A, formation photodiode 2 forms insulating layer of silicon oxide 4 by the deposit of high-density plasma method thereon on the silicon substrate 1 with standard CMOS logical circuit (not shown), and forms top-level metallic 3.Shown in Figure 1B, using plasma strengthens gas-phase deposition method and forms silicon rich oxide layer 5 thereon then, and the refractive index of this oxide skin(coating) is 1.44~2.0; Form eurymeric photoresist layer AR89 again, by photoetching, the formation photoresist pattern 6 that develops, shown in Fig. 1 B.Forming the photoresist diameter according to conventional photoetching method is the photoresist pattern of 0.5~5 μ m, be higher than 10 ℃ of following bakings of its glass transition temperature (about 150 ℃) 10 minutes then, because capillary effect, the photoresist surface forms spheric profile, add the cementation between photoresist and the silicon rich oxide surface, surface tension and cohesive force reach balance, are the sphere of 1~4 μ m just form photoresist pattern center height, shown in Fig. 1 C.
Subsequently, silicon rich oxide layer 5 is carried out reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), it is 500~800W that reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) adopts the etching radio-frequency power, silicon chip substrate biasing radio-frequency power is 500~800W, and incidence angle θ is 0 ° (perpendicular to silicon chip surface), when photoresist etches away a half, by change radio-frequency (RF) energy and (or) flow rate of reactive gas and (or) pressure of reaction cavity, and the maintenance invariable incident angle, up to the photoresist etching formation dual-focus microlens array that finishes, shown in Fig. 1 D.
Then on bifocal lens, cover one deck silicon nitride layer 7, and form filter 8, shown in Fig. 1 E.Shine the light 9 on light absorption surface, behind filter,, enter photodiode, produce photogenerated current and make cmos image sensor work through the bifocal lens refraction.The advantage of bifocal lens is that it can be used for obtaining to observe needed dark Jiao of enlarged image of small part.Even under high x magnification, it can transmit whole colors clear and realistically.
Fig. 2 A~2E is the manufacturing process schematic diagram of an embodiment of bifocal lens of the present invention.
Shown in Fig. 2 A, on silicon rich oxide layer 5, form eurymeric photoresist layer AR89, by photoetching, the formation photoresist pattern 6 that develops, the photoresist diameter is 3 μ m;
Then, toasted 10 minutes down at about 160 ℃, because capillary effect, the photoresist surface forms spheric profile, add the cementation between photoresist and the silicon rich oxide surface, surface tension and cohesive force reach balance, are the sphere of 2.4 μ m just form photoresist pattern center height, shown in Fig. 2 B;
Silicon chip substrate is fixed on the interior electrostatic chuck of reaction cavity, silicon rich oxide layer 5 is carried out reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), the plasma etching machine that etching apparatus adopts company of Applied Materials to make, adopting the etching radio-frequency power is 550W, silicon chip substrate biasing radio-frequency power is 700W, incidence angle θ is 0 ° (perpendicular to silicon chip surface), perpendicular to the 5 surperficial incident of silicon rich oxide layer.Silicon substrate is cooled to temperature less than 150 ℃ in the middle of the reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) process, reacting gas and flow are: argon gas (Ar): 360sccm; Oxygen (O
2): 20sccm; Carbon tetrafluoride (CF
4): 45sccm; Fluoroform (CHF
3): 12sccm; The pressure of reaction cavity is 120m torr, shown in Fig. 2 C.
When photoresist etches away a half, shown in Fig. 2 D, radio-frequency (RF) energy increase by 10% and the reacting gas argon flow amount increase by 10% and the pressure of reaction cavity reduce 10%, keep incidence angle θ be 0 ° constant, obtained bifocal lens shown in Fig. 2 E after all etchings are finished at photoresist.Spherical photoresist mask changes the spherical silicon rich oxide substrate of bifocal into.
The lenticular result of part who detects the present embodiment obtain with scanning electron microscopy as shown in Figure 3, lens surface is very smooth as can be seen, and can be clear that the profile of focal length sudden change.
Fig. 4 is the microphoto of a dual-focus microlens section of the present embodiment that obtains by transmission electron microscope.Because the catastrophe point 53,54 of symmetry can clearly be seen that distinct two lens components on the curve.The first curvature radius of first lens 51 is 1.48 μ m, and the second curvature radius of second lens 52 is 0.7 μ m.
Fig. 5 is the microphoto of a dual-focus microlens of the present embodiment that obtains by scanning electron microscopy.
Though the above is at embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiment of the present invention can design not deviating under its base region, and its protection range is the scope decision by claims.