Patent ID: 9406717
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for forming a back-illuminated image sensor, comprising: forming a lower doped hydrogenated crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate; forming a photodiode and component circuitry from the lower doped hydrogenated crystalline layer; forming metallization structures to make connections to and between components; removing the crystalline substrate to expose the photodiode and the component circuitry on the lower doped hydrogenated crystalline layer; epitaxially growing and patterning a higher doped hydrogenated crystalline layer, having between about five to about forty percent hydrogen, from silicon on an exposed surface of the photodiode and the component circuitry on the lower doped hydrogenated crystalline layer; and providing an optical component structure on the higher doped hydrogenated crystalline layer to receive light therein such that the higher doped hydrogenated crystalline layer provides a passivation layer for at least one of the photodiode and the component circuitry.