JP2008288603A - Solid state imaging element, and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing a solid state imaging apparatus which can be miniaturized, is readily manufactured, and is reliable. <P>SOLUTION: This manufacturing method includes the steps of: forming a plurality of solid state imaging elements on a semiconductor substrate surface; joining a spacer 203S to an optical member 220 with a light-condensing function; joining the optical member 220 with the light-condensing function joined with the spacer 203S to the semiconductor substrate surface so as to face each light-receiving region of the solid state imaging elements with an air gap; separating a joined body obtained in the joining steps for every solid state imaging elements; forming a through hole in the spacer 203S and forming a conductor layer in the through hole in advance of the step of joining the spacer 203S; and separating the joined body so that wiring 221 is formed in a side wall of the spacer 203S by dividing the joined body with a dicing line including the through hole. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a chip size package (CSP) type solid-state imaging device in which a microlens is integrated on a chip.

A solid-state imaging device including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is required to be downsized due to the necessity of application to a mobile phone, a digital camera, and the like.
As one of them, a solid-state imaging device in which a microlens is provided in a light receiving area of a semiconductor chip has been proposed. In such a case, for example, by integrally mounting a solid-state imaging device having a microlens in the light-receiving area so as to have an airtight sealing portion between the light-receiving area of the solid-state imaging device and the microlens, A solid-state imaging device designed to be miniaturized has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

According to such a configuration, the mounting area can be reduced, and optical components such as a filter, a lens, and a prism can be bonded to the surface of the hermetic sealing portion, and the light collecting ability of the microlens can be improved. It is possible to reduce the mounting size without causing a decrease.
JP-A-7-202152)

However, when mounting such a solid-state imaging device, it is necessary to mount the signal on the support substrate on which the solid-state imaging device is mounted, to make electrical connection and to perform sealing by a method such as bonding, when taking out the signal to the outside. There is. As described above, since the number of man-hours is large, there is a problem that a lot of time is required for mounting.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a solid-state imaging device manufacturing method that is easy to manufacture and highly reliable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging device that can be easily connected to the main body.

  Therefore, in the present invention, a semiconductor substrate formed with a solid-state image sensor, a spacer bonded to the semiconductor substrate via a first bonding surface, and a gap facing the light receiving region of the solid-state image sensor. A translucent member that is joined via a second joint surface opposite to the first joint surface and connected so that a peripheral edge thereof coincides with the semiconductor substrate, the translucent member comprising: An optical member having a condensing function is configured, and a wiring made of a conductor layer is formed on the side wall of the spacer.

  According to such a configuration, since the optical member having a condensing function and / or an imaging function such as a lens is integrated, there is no need to mount the optical member, and the device is small and highly reliable. In addition, it is easy to mount and easy to assemble to the apparatus, and the entire apparatus can be miniaturized. In addition, since the translucent member is connected to the semiconductor substrate so as to face the light receiving region of the solid-state imaging element, it is possible to provide a solid-state imaging device that is small and has good light collecting properties. .

  Further, by connecting the translucent member to the semiconductor substrate via a spacer, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy of the air gap and to obtain a solid-state imaging device with good optical characteristics at low cost. It becomes.

  Desirably, if the spacer is made of the same material as the translucent member, it does not cause distortion due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient with respect to a temperature change with respect to the translucent member. It is possible to extend the service life.

  Desirably, if the spacer is made of the same material as that of the semiconductor substrate, the lifetime of the semiconductor substrate can be extended without causing distortion due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient even with respect to a temperature change. It becomes possible.

  Desirably, the spacer may be made of a resin material. This resin material may be filled between the solid-state imaging device substrate and the translucent substrate, or may be constituted by a sheet-like resin material. If the spacer is formed by filling a resin material between the translucent member and the semiconductor substrate, the stress is absorbed by elasticity, resulting in a difference in thermal expansion coefficient even with respect to a temperature change. It is possible to extend the life without causing distortion.

  Preferably, if the spacer is made of 42 alloy or silicon, the cost is low, and there is no distortion caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient with respect to the temperature change with respect to the semiconductor substrate. It is possible to extend the service life. Other metals, ceramics, inorganic materials, etc. may be used without being limited to 42 alloys.

  Therefore, the method of the present invention includes a step of forming a plurality of solid-state imaging elements on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, a step of bonding a spacer to an optical member having a condensing function, and facing each light receiving region of the solid-state imaging element. A step of bonding an optical member having a light collecting function bonded to the spacer to the surface of the semiconductor substrate so as to have a gap, and a bonded body obtained by the bonding step are separated for each solid-state imaging device. And a step of forming a through hole in the spacer and forming a conductor layer in the through hole prior to the step of bonding the spacer, and dividing the bonded body by a dicing line including the through hole. And a step of separating so as to form a wiring on the side wall of the spacer.

  According to such a configuration, the solid-state image pickup device substrate and the optical member having a condensing function are positioned at the wafer level and integrated by mounting in a lump, and then separated for each solid-state image pickup device. Therefore, it is possible to form a solid-state imaging device that is extremely easy to manufacture and highly reliable.

  Further, the bonding step is characterized in that a gap is formed between the semiconductor substrate and the optical member via a spacer disposed so as to surround the light receiving region.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to easily provide a highly reliable solid-state imaging device by simply sandwiching the spacer.

As described above, according to the solid-state imaging device of the present invention, wiring can be formed on the side wall of the spacer. Further, since a light-transmitting substrate with an optical member such as a lens is used, there is no need to mount an optical member, and the device is small and highly reliable.
According to the method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device of the present invention, a through hole is formed in a spacer, a conductor layer is formed in the through hole, a semiconductor substrate and an optical member having a condensing function are bonded together, and then the through hole By dividing by a dicing line including, wiring on the spacer side wall can be easily performed. In addition, the solid-state imaging device substrate is positioned at the wafer level with respect to the translucent substrate with an optical member such as a lens, and integrated by mounting in a lump including the formation of the electrode terminal for external extraction, Since the imaging elements are separated, it is possible to form a solid-state imaging device that is easy to manufacture and highly reliable.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
This solid-state imaging device has a condensing and imaging function on the sealing cover glass itself, as shown in a sectional view in FIG. 1A and an enlarged sectional view in FIG. By configuring, the size can be further reduced.
The sealing cover glass 220 is formed by a method such as forming a lens region having a different refractive index by ion transfer on the surface of a mold, etching or translucent polycarbonate resin. As the optical member through the spacer 203S, the surface of the solid-state image pickup device substrate 100 including the silicon substrate 101 as the semiconductor substrate on which the solid-state image pickup device 102 is formed has a gap C corresponding to the light receiving region of the silicon substrate 101. The lens-attached glass substrate 220 is bonded, and the periphery of the silicon substrate 101 is individually separated by dicing, and is connected to an external circuit (not shown) via a bonding pad BP formed on the surface of the silicon substrate 101. An electrical connection is configured to be achieved.

  In this example, the bonding pad BP is formed so as to be exposed from the spacer in a part of the region not shown, and constitutes a signal extraction terminal and a current supply terminal. Here, the spacer 203S has a height of 10 to 500 μm, preferably 80 to 120 μm.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1B, an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the solid-state image pickup device substrate is a silicon on which the solid-state image pickup devices are arranged and the RGB color filter 46 and the microlens 50 are formed. A substrate 101 is used.

  This solid-state imaging device is formed by forming a channel stopper 28 in a p-well 101b formed on the surface of an n-type silicon substrate 101a, and forming a photodiode 14 and a charge transfer device 33 across the channel stopper. Is. Here, the n-type impurity region 14b is formed in the p + channel region 14a, and the photodiode 14 is formed. In addition, a vertical charge transfer channel 20 made of an n-type impurity region having a depth of about 0.3 μm is formed in the p + channel region 14a, and the gate insulating film 30 made of a silicon oxide film is formed thereon. A vertical charge transfer electrode 32 made of a polycrystalline silicon layer is formed to constitute a charge transfer element 33. A read gate channel 26 formed of a p-type impurity region is formed between the vertical charge transfer channel 20 and the photodiode 14 on the side from which signal charges are read out.

  The n-type impurity region 14b is exposed along the readout gate channel 26 on the surface of the silicon substrate 101, and the signal charge generated in the photodiode 14 is temporarily accumulated in the n-type impurity region 14b. The data is read out through the read gate channel 26.

  On the other hand, a channel stopper 28 made of a p + -type impurity region exists between the vertical charge transfer channel 20 and the other photodiodes 14, whereby the photodiodes 14 and the vertical charge transfer channels 20 are electrically separated. In addition, the vertical charge transfer channels 20 are separated from each other so as not to contact each other.

  Further, the vertical charge transfer electrode 32 is formed so as to cover the readout gate channel 26, expose the n-type impurity region 14b, and expose a part of the channel stopper 28. Signal charges are transferred from the readout gate channel 26 below the electrode to which the readout signal is applied among the vertical charge transfer electrodes 32.

  The vertical charge transfer electrode 32 and the vertical charge transfer channel 20 constitute a vertical charge transfer device (VCCD) 33 that transfers the signal charge generated at the pn junction of the photodiode 14 in the vertical direction. The surface of the substrate on which the vertical charge transfer electrode 32 is formed is covered with a surface protective film 36, and a light shielding film made of tungsten is formed thereon, and only the light receiving region 40 of the photodiode is opened, and the other regions are shielded from light. It is configured as follows.

  Further, the upper layer of the vertical charge transfer electrode 32 is covered with a planarizing insulating film 43 for planarizing the surface and a translucent resin film 44 formed on the upper layer, and a filter layer 46 is further formed on the upper layer. Yes. In the filter layer 46, a red filter layer 46R, a green filter layer 46G, and a blue filter layer 46B are sequentially arranged so as to form a predetermined pattern corresponding to each photodiode 14.

  Further, this upper layer is melted after patterning a transmissive resin containing a photosensitive resin having a refractive index of 1.3 to 2.0 through the planarization insulating film 48 by photolithography, and after being rounded by the surface tension, is cooled. This is covered with a microlens array formed by the microlenses 50.

  Next, the manufacturing process of this solid-state imaging device is shown in FIGS. 2 (a1) to 2 (d) and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c).

As shown in FIG. 2A1, a lens array is formed by an ion transfer method, and a sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array is formed. Here, the sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array can be formed by molding, etching, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2 (a2), an adhesive layer 202 is formed on the spacer silicon substrate 203 and integrated as shown in FIG. 2 (c).
Etching was then performed using a resist pattern formed by an etching method using photolithography as a mask to form spacers 203 as shown in FIG.
Thereafter, an adhesive layer 207 is formed on the surface of the spacer 203S of the sealing cover glass with lens array 220 formed in the step shown in FIG. 3D (shown in FIG. 3A).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, a solid-state imaging device substrate 100 formed with a reinforcing plate 701 is prepared. When forming the element substrate, as shown in FIG. 3B, a silicon substrate 101 (here, a 4 to 8 inch wafer is used) is prepared. (Although only one unit is shown in the drawing, a plurality of solid-state image sensors are continuously formed on a single wafer.) Here, on the surface of the silicon substrate 101, a part for dividing each solid-state image sensor. The separation after mounting may be facilitated by a method of forming a cutting groove in a region corresponding to the disconnection by a method such as etching.
Then, by using a normal silicon process, a channel stopper layer is formed, a channel region is formed, and an element region 102 such as a charge transfer electrode is formed. Further, a wiring layer is formed on the surface, and a bonding pad BP made of a gold layer is formed for external connection.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, alignment is performed using alignment marks formed on the peripheral edge of each substrate, and spacers 203S are formed on the solid-state imaging device substrate 100 in which the element regions are formed as described above. The sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array to which is adhered is placed and heated, and both are integrated by the adhesive layer 207. This step is preferably performed in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas.

  Further, a modification of the manufacturing process of the spacer and the sealing cover glass with lens array 220 will be described in the following embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), a sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array is prepared, and a recess 225 is formed on the back side by etching to form a spacer 223S integrally. It is characterized by. Other portions are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

  According to such a configuration, the sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array that can be easily formed with good workability and is highly integrated and has no distortion can be obtained.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, in this embodiment, a glass substrate 220 with a lens array is prepared as shown in FIG.
And as shown in FIG.5 (b), photocurable resin is formed in the surface of this glass substrate 220 with a lens array by the optical modeling method, and the spacer 223S is formed.
Thus, it is possible to easily obtain a sealing cover glass having a spacer and a through hole.
After that, the mounting process shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C is executed in the same manner as described in the above embodiment, bonded to the solid-state imaging device substrate, and then dicing is performed. It is possible to obtain the solid-state imaging device shown in 3 (c).

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first embodiment, a silicon substrate is bonded to the sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array and patterned, but in this example, it is shown in FIGS. 6 (a1) to (d). Similarly, the spacer 203S formed by the etching method may be attached to the sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array. Here again, in the mounting process, a solid-state imaging device can be obtained by pasting together with a solid-state imaging device substrate and dicing, as in the third embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7, the sealing cover glass 220 with lens array, the spacer 203S, and the solid-state imaging device substrate 100 with the reinforcing plate 701 may be fixed together.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, the sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array is also applied to a solid-state imaging device in which the peripheral circuit board 901 is laminated via the anisotropic conductive film 115. Is also possible. Other portions are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.
In addition, for the connection of the peripheral circuit board 901, diffusion bonding using ultrasonic waves, solder bonding, and eutectic bonding by thermocompression bonding are also effective. Furthermore, you may make it underfill with resin.
Instead of the sealing cover glass 200 made of a plate-shaped body, a sealing cover glass 220 with a lens array may be used.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the solid-state imaging device substrate 100, the peripheral circuit substrate 901, and the reinforcing plate 701 may be laminated in this order. Other portions are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

(Eighth embodiment)
Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 10, it is also effective to form a wiring 221 on the side wall of the spacer.
In manufacturing, a through hole is formed in a spacer, a conductor layer is formed in the through hole, a solid-state image pickup device substrate and a sealing cover glass 220 with a lens are bonded together, and then divided by a dicing line including the through hole. Therefore, the side wall wiring can be easily performed. Other portions are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the method of bonding the glass substrate and the spacer constituting the sealing cover glass and the spacer and bonding the solid-state imaging device substrate and the sealing cover glass using the adhesive layer has been described. However, in all the embodiments, when the spacer and the surface of the solid-state imaging device substrate are made of Si, metal, or inorganic compound, they can be appropriately joined by surface activated room temperature bonding without using an adhesive. When the cover glass is Pyrex (registered trademark) and the spacer is silicon, anodic bonding can also be used. When an adhesive layer is used, not only a UV adhesive but also a thermosetting adhesive, a semi-curable adhesive, and a thermosetting combined UV curable adhesive may be used as the adhesive layer.

  Further, in all the embodiments, as the spacer, in addition to the silicon substrate, 42 alloy, metal, glass, photosensitive polyimide, polycarbonate resin, and the like can be appropriately selected.

  In addition, when the solid-state imaging device substrate and the sealing cover glass are joined using the adhesive layer, it is preferable that the melted adhesive layer does not flow out by forming a liquid reservoir. The same applies to the joint between the spacer and the solid-state imaging device substrate or the sealing cover glass. The melted adhesive layer flows out by forming a concave or convex portion in the joint and forming a liquid reservoir. Do not do it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the element formed with the cut groove is separated into individual elements by CMP up to the position of the cut groove. However, grinding, polishing, whole surface etching, or the like can also be used.

  In the above embodiment, when the reinforcing plate (701) is used, as a material, if necessary, a polyimide resin, ceramic, crystallized glass, a front surface and a back surface are formed of an oxidized silicon substrate, The role of a heat insulating substrate can be given. Further, it may be formed of a moisture-proof sealing material or a light shielding material.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, when bonding of a glass substrate and a spacer is required, you may be made to carry out by ultraviolet curing resin, thermosetting resin, these combination, or semi-hardened adhesive application | coating. However, when the adhesive is formed, it is possible to appropriately select supply using a dispenser, screen printing, stamp transfer, and the like.

  In addition, the examples described in the embodiments can be mutually modified within a range applicable to all forms.

In the first embodiment, the wiring layer including the bonding pad is a gold layer. However, the wiring layer is not limited to the gold layer, and may be another metal such as aluminum or another conductor layer such as silicide. Needless to say.
The microlens array can also be formed by forming a transparent resin film on the surface of the substrate and forming a lens layer having a refractive index gradient at a predetermined depth by ion transfer from the surface.

1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a solid-state imaging device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the solid-state imaging device of the 8th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Solid-state image sensor substrate 101 Silicon substrate 102 Solid-state image sensor 220 Cover glass 221 for sealing Glass substrate 203S Spacer

Claims (6)

A semiconductor substrate formed with a solid-state image sensor;
A spacer bonded to the semiconductor substrate via a first bonding surface;
The transparent substrate is bonded via a second bonding surface facing the first bonding surface so as to have a gap facing the light receiving region of the solid-state imaging device, and connected so that the periphery of the semiconductor substrate coincides with the first bonding surface. Comprising a light member,
The translucent member constitutes an optical member having a condensing function, and a wiring made of a conductor layer is formed on a side wall of the spacer.   The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is made of the same material as the translucent member.   The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is made of the same material as the semiconductor substrate.   The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is a resin material.   The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is made of 42 alloy or silicon. Forming a plurality of solid-state imaging elements on a semiconductor substrate surface;
A step of bonding a spacer to an optical member having a light collecting function;
Bonding an optical member having a condensing function to which the spacer is bonded to the surface of the semiconductor substrate so as to have a gap facing each light receiving region of the solid-state imaging device;
And including the step of separating the joined body obtained in the step of joining for each solid-state imaging device,
Prior to the step of bonding the spacer, forming a through hole in the spacer and forming a conductor layer in the through hole;
And a step of separating the joined body by a dicing line including the through hole so as to form a wiring on the side wall of the spacer.

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