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Image sensor features anti-reflective coating for UV light

5th November 2014
Siobhan O'Gorman
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A Backside-Illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensor chip featuring an Anti-Reflective Coating (ARC) for UV light will be presented by imec at VISION 2014, which started today and will finish on 6th November. The chip, which was developed using the company’s customised 200mm CMOS fab, is suitable for imaging solutions in markets such as life sciences.

Compared to those with Front Side Illumination (FSI), BSI image sensors provide enhanced light sensitivity, making them particularly suitable for CMOS image sensors. BSI sensors, which are widely used in consumer applications such as smart phones, are expected to enter higher-end application spaces such as industrial inspection.

In relation to fill factor for the pixel area, angular response and the complete avoidance of absorption or scattering losses in the metal interconnect layers, BSI image sensors have an advantage. However, they require extra process complexity for the backside fabrication and can experience electrical and optical losses at the backside silicon interface. Therefore, for the development of high performance BSI image sensors, the engineering of the backside layers and interfaces are particularly important.

Imec is addressing these challenges to take advantage of the benefits of BSI sensors provide for highly specialised customised imagers for space applications, high speed cameras, semiconductor inspection and medical applications. Specific ARCs have been developed for various applications targeting different regions of the light spectrum, to minimise reflection losses and maximise transmission of light to the sensor. As part of the BSI process flow, the coatings are applied at wafer level.

Featuring quantum efficiency values above 50% over the entire spectral range from 260 to 400nm wavelength, the ARC demonstrates high performance at near UV wavelengths.

“This is an important milestone for imec’s customised 200mm CMOS process line, demonstrating our expertise and capability to design, prototype and manufacture high-end CMOS image sensors,” said Rudi Cartuyvels, Senior Vice President, Smart Systems & Energy Technologies, imec. “The development widens our portfolio towards new markets, offering solutions for both visible and UV imaging in semiconductor equipment applications, such as advance lithography and wafer and mask inspection.”

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