JPH11340447A - Manufacture of solid image pick-up device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently manufacturing a solid image pick-up device that has improved picture quality, heat resistance, and moisture resistance. SOLUTION: After a color filter layer 31 with a specific color is selectively formed on a specific light reception part 11 being arranged on a semiconductor substrate 10, a level-difference reduction layer 60 is selectively formed at a region where no color filter layer 31 is formed so that it is nearly flush with the surface of the color filter layer 31. After that, a color filter layer 32 with another color, a middle layer 40, and a micro lens array layer 50 are successively formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device having a plurality of color filter layers formed on a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of light receiving sections are arranged. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device suitable for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device of a field color difference sequential system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a solid-state imaging device having a plurality of color filter layers formed on a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of light-receiving portions are arranged, a solid-state imaging device of a field color difference sequential system is known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-157,009). "Field accumulation mode C
Single-panel colorization of CDs ”TV magazine, 37, 10, 85
Pages 5 to 862 (1983-10)).

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of a filter arrangement of a color filter array used in the field color difference sequential system. In the figure, “Ye” indicates yellow, “Cy” indicates cyan, “Mg” indicates magenta, and “Gr” indicates green, and the filter of each pixel constitutes a complementary color filter. A light receiving portion is formed below each filter so as to correspond one-to-one with the filter. In each of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the color filter array is configured by repeatedly arranging vertically, horizontally, and continuously using the illustrated arrangement as one unit.

A conventional method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device having such a color filter array will be described below.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views showing a conventional method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device having the color filter array shown in FIG. 6A in the order of steps. FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line II and viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

On a surface of a semiconductor substrate 10 made of silicon, light receiving portions 11 and light shielding portions 12 are arranged by a known method. Thereafter, a transparent polymer resin is applied and hardened to form a flattening layer 20 for flattening the surface. Next, a yellow filter layer 31 is selectively formed on a predetermined light receiving portion (FIGS. 7A and 8A). The yellow filter layer 31 is formed by applying a photosensitive resin material such as gelatin, casein, glue, or PVA on the flattening layer 20, exposing it to light, developing it, patterning it, and immersing it in a predetermined dyeing solution to dye it. Thereafter, a fixing process is performed with an aqueous solution of tannic acid and an aqueous solution of tartaric acid to be formed.

Next, similarly, the cyan filter layer 3
2 is selectively formed on a predetermined light receiving section (FIG. 7B,
FIG. 8 (B)).

Further, similarly, a magenta filter layer 33 is selectively formed on a predetermined light receiving portion (FIG. 7).
(C), FIG. 8 (C)).

Thereafter, a transparent polymer resin is applied to flatten the surface and cured to form an intermediate layer 40, on which a microlens array layer 50 is formed so as to correspond to each light receiving section 11. Thus, a solid-state imaging device having the color filter array shown in FIG. 6A is obtained (FIGS. 7D and 8D).

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the obtained solid-state imaging device having the filter arrangement shown in FIG. By laminating the yellow filter layer 31 and the cyan filter layer 32, a green filter layer 34 is formed as a whole. In the figure, reference numeral 81 denotes incident light that is vertically incident on the solid-state imaging device.

However, the solid-state imaging device having the color filter array obtained by the method shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 has the following problems.

That is, a step is formed on the element surface by forming a pattern of the yellow filter layer 31, and then a yellow filter layer 32 is formed in a concave portion of the element step which is a region where the yellow filter layer 31 is not formed. It is difficult to form the cyan filter layer 32 formed in the non-formed region of the filter layer 31 with a uniform thickness. That is, the thickness D1 of the cyan filter layer 32 formed in the non-formation region of the yellow filter layer 31 in FIG.
There is a tendency that the thickness of the cyan filter layer 32 formed in the region where the yellow filter layer 31 is not formed in FIG. This is because the width of the non-formation region of the yellow filter layer 31 in FIG. 7B is one pixel, and is smaller than the width (three pixels) of the non-formation region of the yellow filter layer 31 in FIG. 8B. caused by. As the thickness of the cyan filter layer 32 increases, the transmittance of light passing therethrough decreases. Therefore, a spectral difference occurs between a region where the film thickness is formed thick and a region where the film thickness is formed thin. As a result, a sensitivity difference occurs between the n-th line and the n + 1-th line in FIG. 6A, and this appears in the image as line shading, which causes deterioration in image quality.

As a method for solving the above problem by making the thickness of the color filter layer uniform, a solid-state imaging device having a color filter array layer having a laminated structure shown in FIG. 10 has been devised. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a solid-state imaging device including a color filter array having the arrangement of FIG. 6A, and FIG. 10A is viewed from the direction of the arrow along line II in FIG. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view as seen from the direction of the arrows along the line II-II in FIG. In FIG. 10, FIG.
Components having the same functions as those in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

The solid-state imaging device shown in FIG.
As in the solid-state imaging device shown in FIG.
0 is formed thereon, and the yellow filter layer 31 is selectively formed thereon. In the solid-state imaging device of FIG. 10, unlike FIGS. 7 to 9, a second planarization layer 21 made of a transparent polymer resin is applied and formed on the yellow filter layer 31 to planarize the surface. On this second flattening layer 21, a cyan filter layer 32 and a magenta filter layer 3
3 are selectively formed. Then, similarly to FIGS. 7 to 9, the intermediate layer 40 and the microlens array layer 50 are stacked to obtain a solid-state imaging device.

According to the solid-state imaging device of FIG. 10, since each of the color filter layers 31, 32, and 33 is formed on a flat surface, it can be formed with a substantially uniform thickness.
9 can be prevented from deteriorating due to the line sensitivity difference that the solid-state imaging device of FIGS.

However, in order to form the surface of the second flattening layer 21 on a good flat surface without unevenness, it is necessary to increase the stacking thickness of the second flattening layer 21. As a result, the problems shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 occur.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which vertical light is incident on the solid-state imaging device of FIG. 10.
It is sectional drawing seen from the arrow direction in a line. As shown in FIG. 11, by increasing the thickness of the second planarization layer 21, the distance between the microlens array layer 50 and the light receiving unit 11 changes, and the incident light perpendicularly enters the solid-state imaging device. The light 81 does not form a good image on the light receiving unit 11, and the light condensing effect of the microlens array layer 50 cannot be obtained.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which light is obliquely incident on the solid-state imaging device of FIG.
It is sectional drawing seen from the arrow direction in the III-III line. FIG.
As shown in the figure, by forming the lamination thickness of the second flattening layer 21 to be large, the incident light 82 obliquely incident on the solid-state imaging device does not form a good image in the light receiving unit 11 and the luminance is reduced. As a result, so-called luminance shading occurs. Also, a part of the light obliquely incident on the adjacent light receiving unit,
Color mixing may occur. For this reason, if the solid-state imaging device is used under conditions in which the incident angle of light is significantly different between the central portion and the peripheral portion, the color reproducibility differs between the central portion and the peripheral portion, and appears as color shading in the image. Causes deterioration. In particular, when such a solid-state imaging device is used for a camera equipped with a miniaturized lens having a short focal length, the incident angle of light is greatly different between a central portion and a peripheral portion of the solid-state imaging device. Become noticeable.

As another method for eliminating the step due to the yellow filter layer 31 included in the solid-state imaging device shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, an intermediate layer is first selectively formed on the flattening layer, and then the intermediate layer is formed. There is known a method in which a color filter layer is formed in a region where no layer is formed so as to have the same height as an intermediate layer (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-7128). FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a solid-state imaging device provided with the color filter array having the arrangement of FIG. 6A obtained as described above, and FIG. 13A is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the direction of the arrow in FIG.
It is sectional drawing seen from the arrow direction in a line. 13, components having the same functions as those in FIGS. 7 to 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13, a colorless and transparent intermediate layer 22 made of gelatin or the like is selectively formed on the flattening layer 20, and then a colored acrylic resin is applied on the entire surface and cured. Thereafter, the acrylic resin layer is dry-etched from the surface until the intermediate layer 22 is exposed, so that the yellow filter layer 31 is formed in a region where the intermediate layer is not formed.
Is formed with the same thickness as the intermediate layer 22. Then, FIG.
Similarly to the above, the cyan filter layer 32 and the magenta filter layer 33 are selectively formed, and the intermediate layer 40 and the microlens array layer 50 are laminated to obtain a solid-state imaging device.

However, the above method requires a special process called dry etching, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases the manufacturing cost. Further, since the intermediate layer 22 and the yellow filter layer 31 formed on the flattening layer 20 are formed of different types of resin materials, both have different coefficients of thermal expansion and moisture absorption. And poor moisture resistance. In severe cases, peeling or cracking may occur at the connection interface 91 between the intermediate layer 22 and the yellow filter layer 31. Therefore, a reliable solid-state imaging device cannot be obtained.

[0022]

As described above, according to the conventional method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device, it is difficult to efficiently manufacture a solid-state imaging device having good image quality and excellent heat resistance and moisture resistance. It was difficult.

The present invention solves the problems of the above-described conventional manufacturing methods, and provides a solid-state imaging device having good image quality, excellent heat resistance and moisture resistance, and high reliability. It is intended to provide a method of manufacturing.

[0024]

The present invention has the following configuration to achieve the above object.

That is, the method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to the present invention is a method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device by forming a color filter layer including a plurality of color groups on a light receiving portion arranged on a semiconductor substrate. And selectively forming a color filter layer of a specific color on a predetermined light receiving portion, and then selectively forming a step reduction layer in a region where the color filter layer of the specific color is not formed. Features.

According to the structure of the present invention, after a color filter layer of a specific color is selectively formed, a step reduction layer is selectively formed in a region where the color filter layer is not formed. When a color filter layer of another color is further selectively formed, a color filter layer having a uniform thickness can be easily formed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the line spectral difference caused by the thickness difference of the color filter layer. Therefore, a solid-state imaging device having no line shading can be obtained.

In the above structure, it is preferable that the step reduction layer is formed so as to have substantially the same surface height as the surface of the color filter layer of the specific color. According to such a preferred configuration, the surface of the selectively formed color filter layer and the surface of the step reduction layer formed in the non-formation region of the color filter layer have substantially the same height. Unlike the solid-state imaging device described above, it is possible to form a plane with few irregularities without increasing the distance between the microlens array layer and the light receiving section. As a result, a sufficient light-collecting effect by the microlens array layer can be obtained, and a solid-state imaging device with a large light-collection rate can be obtained. This effect is particularly great in a solid-state imaging device having a small unit pixel size. Further, since no luminance shading or color shading occurs even for obliquely incident light, a solid-state imaging device having uniform and good image quality over the entire screen area can be obtained.

In the above structure, the step reducing layer is formed through a step of applying a step reducing layer forming material, a step of exposing the applied step reducing layer forming material, and a step of developing. Is preferred. According to such a preferred configuration, the step reduction layer can be manufactured by the same forming process as that of the color filter layer, so that it is not necessary to largely change the step of forming the conventional color filter array layer. As a result, a solid-state imaging device having the above-described excellent effects can be efficiently manufactured using a conventional manufacturing apparatus without complicating the process.

In this case, it is preferable that the step difference reducing layer forming material is applied by using a reversal mask of the color filter layer of the specific color. According to such a preferred configuration, the step reduction layer can be easily formed selectively only in the non-formation region of the color filter layer so as to have the same surface height as the color filter layer.

In the above structure, it is preferable that the step reduction layer is formed using the same type of material as the color filter layer. According to such a preferred configuration, it is not necessary to prepare a new material for forming the step difference reducing layer in addition to the material used for forming the conventional color filter layer. As a result, it is much easier to manufacture the step reduction layer by the same forming process as the color filter layer. In addition, since the physical properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion and the moisture absorption of the step reduction layer and the color filter layer can be made the same, they are excellent in heat resistance and moisture resistance, and peeling or cracks may occur at the interface between them. Therefore, a solid-state imaging device with high reliability can be obtained. In the present invention, “the same type of material” refers to a material that can be manufactured by the same manufacturing process and that has substantially the same physical property values in terms of thermal expansion coefficient, moisture absorption, etc. . Therefore, even when the chemical compositions are slightly different, they may be recognized as the same type. For example, when both the step reduction layer and the color filter layer are made of an acrylic resin, and the former does not contain the coloring component contained in the latter, both are determined to be the same type of material.

In the above structure, it is preferable that the step reduction layer is made of a negative photosensitive acrylic resin. According to such a preferred configuration, the step-reducing layer is coated, exposed and exposed in the same manner as in the process of forming the color filter layer.
Since it can be formed through each step of development, a solid-state imaging device can be manufactured efficiently.

Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the solid-state imaging device is a solid-state imaging device of a field color difference sequential system. The field color difference sequential method is a method in which a color signal is obtained in the form of a color difference signal line by line for each scanning line. By applying the present invention to this type of solid-state imaging device, a solid-state imaging device in which a sensitivity difference does not occur between the n-th scanning line and the (n + 1) -th scanning line can be obtained.
The effects of the present invention are more remarkably exhibited, and a solid-state imaging device with good image quality without line shading can be obtained.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically described below.

(Embodiment 1) A method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device having a color filter array having the filter arrangement shown in FIG.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views showing a method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to the present embodiment in the order of steps.
1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 6A, as viewed from the direction of the arrow. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 6A.

On the surface of a semiconductor substrate 10 made of silicon, light receiving portions 11 and light shielding portions 12 are arranged by a known method. Thereafter, for planarization of the surface, a transparent polymer resin is applied by a spin coating method and cured to form a planarization layer 20. Next, the yellow filter layer 31
Is selectively formed on a predetermined light receiving portion. The yellow filter layer 31 is formed by applying a negative photosensitive acrylic resin on the flattening layer 20 by spin coating, exposing and developing, patterning, immersing in a predetermined dyeing solution, dyeing, and then tanning. It is formed by performing a fixing treatment with an aqueous acid solution and an aqueous tartaric acid solution. The steps so far are the same as those in FIGS. 7A and 8A described in the section of the related art.

Next, a step reduction layer 60 is formed in a region where the yellow filter layer 31 is not formed. First, apply the same type of material as the filter layer forming material,
Exposure is performed using a reversal mask of the yellow filter layer 31, and then a pattern is formed in a non-formed area of the yellow filter layer 31. Here, the mask is an original plate of a circuit pattern used in an exposure step, and a mask obtained by inverting an exposed area and a non-exposed area of the circuit pattern portion is called an inverted mask. At this time, the applied film thickness of the forming material is adjusted so that the thickness of the step reduction layer 60 becomes the same as that of the yellow filter layer 31. Thereafter, a fixing treatment (color mixture prevention treatment) is performed with an aqueous tannic acid solution and an aqueous tartaric acid solution to form a step difference reduction layer 6.
0 (FIGS. 1A and 2A).

Next, the cyan filter layer 32 is selectively formed in a region on a predetermined light receiving portion on the surfaces of the yellow filter layer 31 and the step reduction layer 60. The forming material and forming method of the cyan filter layer 32 are the same as those of the yellow filter layer 31 except that the dyeing material is different (FIGS. 1B and 2B).

Further, similarly, a magenta filter layer 33 is selectively formed in a region on a predetermined light receiving portion (FIGS. 1C and 2C).

Thereafter, in order to flatten the surface, a transparent polymer resin is applied by spin coating and cured to form an intermediate layer 40, on which a microlens array layer corresponding to each light receiving section 11 is formed. Forming 50, FIG.
(D) and (D) of FIG. 2 are obtained.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the obtained solid-state imaging device having the filter arrangement of FIG. By laminating the yellow filter layer 31 and the cyan filter layer 32, a green filter layer 34 is formed as a whole. In the figure, reference numeral 81 denotes incident light that is vertically incident on the solid-state imaging device.

(Embodiment 2) A method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device having a color filter array having the filter arrangement shown in FIG.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device according to the present embodiment in the order of steps.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 6A.

In this embodiment, the color filter layer is
Magenta filter layer 33, yellow filter layer 3
The first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a step reduction layer 60 and a cyan filter layer 32 are formed in this order. The details will be described below.

On a surface of a semiconductor substrate 10 made of silicon, light receiving portions 11 and light shielding portions 12 are arranged and formed by a known method. Thereafter, for planarization of the surface, a transparent polymer resin is applied by a spin coating method and cured to form a planarization layer 20. Next, the magenta filter layer 33
Is selectively formed in a region on a predetermined light receiving portion. The magenta filter layer 33 is formed by applying a negative photosensitive acrylic resin on the flattening layer 20 by spin coating, exposing and developing, patterning, immersing in a predetermined dyeing solution, dyeing, and then tanning. A fixing process is performed with an aqueous acid solution and an aqueous tartaric acid solution (FIGS. 4A and 5A).
(A)).

Next, the yellow filter layer 31 is selectively formed in a region on a predetermined light receiving portion in a region where the magenta filter layer 33 is not formed. The forming material and forming method of the yellow filter layer 31 are the same as those of the magenta filter layer 33 except that the dyeing material is different.
At this time, it is preferable that the yellow filter layer 31 be formed thicker than the magenta filter layer 33. In this way, the subsequent application of the step reduction layer material can be selectively performed by using the reversal mask of the yellow filter layer 31 (FIGS. 4B and 5).
(B)).

Next, a step reduction layer 60 is formed in a region where the yellow filter layer 31 is not formed. First, a material of the same type as the material for forming the filter layer is applied to a non-formation region of the yellow filter layer 31 using an inversion mask of the yellow filter layer 31, and exposure and development are performed. At this time, the applied film thickness of the forming material is adjusted so that the thickness of the step reduction layer 60 becomes the same as that of the yellow filter layer 31. Thereafter, a fixing process (color mixture prevention process) is performed with an aqueous tannic acid solution and an aqueous tartaric acid solution to form the step difference reduction layer 60 (FIGS. 4C and 5C).

Next, the cyan filter layer 32 is selectively formed in a region on a predetermined light receiving portion on the surfaces of the yellow filter layer 31 and the step reduction layer 60. The forming material and forming method of the cyan filter layer 32 are the same as those of the other filter layers 31 and 33 except that the dyeing material is different (FIGS. 4D and 5D).

Thereafter, in order to flatten the surface, a transparent polymer resin is applied by spin coating and cured to form an intermediate layer 40, on which a microlens array layer corresponding to each light receiving section 11 is formed. Forming 50, FIG.
(E) and (E) of FIG. 5 are obtained.

The solid-state imaging device obtained in the first and second embodiments has a step reduction layer having substantially the same surface height as the surface of the yellow filter layer 31 in a region where the yellow filter layer 31 is not formed. Since 60 is formed, the thickness of the cyan filter layer 32 formed on these surfaces can be formed uniformly. In addition, the step reduction layer 6
Since 0 is not formed on the yellow filter layer 31,
The distance between the microlens array layer 50 and the light receiving section 11 does not increase.

Further, the step-reducing layer 60 can be manufactured by the same forming process as that for the color filter layers 31, 32, and 33 in which a material for forming the step-reducing layer is applied, exposed, and developed.

Further, the step reduction layer 60 can be formed using the same type of material as the color filter layers 31, 32, 33.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment,
A solid-state imaging device having good image quality, excellent heat resistance and moisture resistance, and high reliability can be efficiently manufactured.

In the above embodiment, the method of coloring the color filter layers 31, 32, and 33 by dyeing has been described. However, a method using a well-known dye-containing resist resin may be used instead. Good.

In the above embodiment, the color filter layers 31, 32 and 33 and the step reduction layer 60 are all made of a negative photosensitive acrylic resin. For example, a photosensitive resin material such as gelatin, casein, glue, or PVA may be used.

[0056]

As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, a solid-state imaging device having good image quality, excellent heat resistance and moisture resistance, and high reliability can be efficiently manufactured.

That is, after a color filter layer of a specific color is selectively formed, a step difference reducing layer is selectively formed in a region where the color filter layer is not formed, so that another color filter layer is further formed thereon. When the color filter layer is selectively formed, a color filter layer having a uniform thickness can be easily formed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the line spectral difference caused by the thickness difference of the color filter layer. Therefore, a solid-state imaging device having no line shading can be obtained.

Further, by forming the step reduction layer so as to have substantially the same surface height as the surface of the color filter layer of the specific color, it is necessary to increase the distance between the microlens array layer and the light receiving section. As a result, the light-collecting effect of the microlens array layer can be sufficiently obtained, and a solid-state imaging device having a high light-collection rate can be obtained.

The step-reducing layer is formed through a step of applying a step-reducing-layer-forming material, a step of exposing the applied step-reducing-layer-forming material, and a step of developing. The layer can be efficiently manufactured by the same forming process as the color filter layer.

In this case, the step-reducing layer forming material is applied using an inversion mask of the color filter layer of the specific color so that the step-reducing layer is formed only in the non-formation region of the color filter layer. It can be easily formed to have the same surface height as the layer.

Further, by forming the step-reducing layer using the same kind of material as the color filter layer, it is much easier to manufacture the step-reducing layer by the same forming process as the color filter layer. . In addition, since the physical properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion and the moisture absorption of the step difference reducing layer and the color filter layer can be made the same, a solid-state imaging device having excellent heat resistance and moisture resistance and high reliability can be obtained.

Further, by forming the step-reducing layer by using a negative photosensitive acrylic resin, the step-reducing layer can be formed through coating, exposure and development steps in the same manner as the color filter layer forming process. It can be manufactured efficiently.

Further, by applying the present invention to the manufacture of a solid-state imaging device of the field color difference sequential system, a solid-state imaging device having good image quality without line shading can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to a first embodiment in the order of steps as a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a line II of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device according to the first embodiment as a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the solid-state imaging device obtained in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device according to the second embodiment in the order of steps as a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device according to the second embodiment as a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a filter array of a color filter array used in the field color difference sequential system.

FIG. 7 shows a conventional method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device,
It is the figure shown in order of a process as a schematic sectional view seen from the direction of an arrow in the II line of (A).

FIG. 8 shows a conventional method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device,
It is the figure shown in order of a process as a schematic sectional view seen from the direction of an arrow in line II-II of (A).

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a solid-state imaging device obtained by a conventional manufacturing method, as viewed from the direction of arrows along line III-III in FIG.

10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a solid-state imaging device obtained by another conventional manufacturing method, where FIG.
6B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 6A.

11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when vertical light is incident on the solid-state imaging device in FIG. 10 and viewed from the direction of the arrows along the line III-III in FIG. 6A.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when light is obliquely incident on the solid-state imaging device in FIG. 10 as viewed from the direction of the arrows along the line III-III in FIG. 6A.

13A and 13B are diagrams showing a configuration of a solid-state imaging device obtained by still another conventional manufacturing method, and FIG.
FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG.
FIG. 6B is a schematic sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Semiconductor substrate 11 Light receiving part 12 Light shielding part 20, 21 Flattening layer 22 Intermediate layer 31 Yellow filter layer 32 Cyan filter layer 33 Magenta filter layer 34 Green filter layer 40 Intermediate layer 50 Microlens array layer 60 Step difference reduction layer 81 Normally incident light 82 Oblique incident light 91 Connection interface

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 1, 1999

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0025

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0025] That is, the manufacturing method of the solid-state imaging device according to the first configuration of the present invention, <br/> of forming a color filter over layer comprising a plurality of color groups on the light receiving portions arranged on a semiconductor substrate a method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device, after selectively forming a specific color color filter layer on the predetermined light receiving portion, the step
Applying the reducing layer forming material, and then applying the applied step
By exposing and developing the reduction layer forming material , a step reduction layer is selectively formed in a region where the color filter layer of the specific color is not formed.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0026

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

According to the first configuration of the present invention, after the color filter layer of a specific color is selectively formed, the step reduction layer is selectively formed in a region where the color filter layer is not formed. When a color filter layer of another color is selectively formed thereon, a color filter layer having a uniform thickness can be easily formed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the line spectral difference caused by the thickness difference of the color filter layer. Therefore, a solid-state imaging device having no line shading can be obtained. In addition, the step is low.
The reducing layer includes a step of applying a step-reducing layer forming material and the coating step.
Exposing the spread step forming layer forming material and developing
Through the steps of According to this, the step reduction layer
Can be manufactured by the same forming process as the color filter layer.
Therefore, the conventional process of forming a color filter array layer is large.
No need to change to width. As a result, conventional manufacturing equipment
The above excellent effects can be used without complicating the process
Can efficiently manufacture a solid-state imaging device having
You.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0028

[Correction method] Deleted

[Procedure amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0029

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0029] In this case, after coating the step difference reduction layer forming material, the step difference reduction layer by exposure using a reversal mask of the specific color color filter layer
Is preferably formed . According to such a preferred configuration, the step reduction layer can be easily formed selectively only in the non-formation region of the color filter layer so as to have the same surface height as the color filter layer.

[Procedure amendment 6]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0032

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

A solid-state imaging device according to a second configuration of the present invention
Is a method of manufacturing a light receiving section arranged on a semiconductor substrate.
Solid-state imaging to form a color filter layer consisting of several color groups
A method of manufacturing an imaging device, comprising:
After selectively forming the color filter layer, the specific color
Negative type in areas where no color filter layer is formed
Selectively forming the step reduction layer made of photosensitive acrylic resin
It is characterized by the following. Furthermore, the first and second
In the above configuration, it is preferable that the solid-state imaging device is a solid-state imaging device of a field color difference sequential system. The field color difference sequential method is a method in which a color signal is obtained in the form of a color difference signal line by line for each scanning line. By applying the present invention to this type of solid-state imaging device, it is possible to obtain a solid-state imaging device in which there is no difference in sensitivity between the n-th scanning line and the (n + 1) -th scanning line. And a solid-state imaging device with good image quality without line shading can be obtained.

[Procedure amendment 7]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0060

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

In this case, after the step-reducing layer forming material is applied , the step-reducing layer is exposed by using an inversion mask of the color filter layer of the specific color.
By forming the layer, the step difference reduction layer can be easily formed only in the non-formation region of the color filter layer so as to have the same surface height as the color filter layer.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method for manufacturing a solid-state image pickup device by forming a color filter layer comprising a plurality of color groups on a light receiving portion arranged on a semiconductor substrate, wherein a color of a specific color is formed on a predetermined light receiving portion. A method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device, comprising: after selectively forming a filter layer, selectively forming a step reduction layer in a region where the color filter layer of the specific color is not formed. 2. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the step difference reducing layer is formed to have substantially the same surface height as the surface of the color filter layer of the specific color. 3. The step reducing layer is formed through a step of applying a step reducing layer forming material, a step of exposing the applied step reducing layer forming material, and a step of developing. 3. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to item 2. 4. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the step-reducing layer forming material is applied using an inversion mask of the color filter layer of the specific color. 5. The step difference reducing layer is formed using the same type of material as the color filter layer.
The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to any one of the above. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step reduction layer is made of a negative photosensitive acrylic resin. 7. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein said solid-state imaging device is a solid-state imaging device of a field color difference sequential system.