PATENT ABSTRACT
More complete charge transfer is achieved in a CMOS or CCD imager by reducing the spacing in the gaps between gates in each pixel cell, and/or by providing a lightly doped region between adjacent gates in each pixel cell, and particularly at least between the charge collecting gate and the downstream to the charge collecting gate. To reduce the gaps between gates, an insulator cap with spacers on its sidewalls is formed for each gate over a conductive layer. The gates are then etched from the conductive layer using the insulator caps and spacers as hard masks, enabling the gates to be formed significantly closer together than previously possible, which, in turn increases charge transfer efficiency. By providing a lightly doped region on between adjacent gates, a more complete charge transfer is effected from the charge collecting gate.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to semiconductor imaging devices, in particular to silicon imaging devices which can be fabricated using standard CMOS processes, or alternatively, CCD fabrication processes. Particularly, the invention relates to CMOS and CCD imagers and a method of fabricating a CMOS and CCD imagers with improved charge transfer between gates, and furthermore with reduced image lag in CMOS imagers.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There are a number of different types of semiconductor-based imagers, including charge coupled devices (CCDs), complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices (CMOS), photodiode arrays, charge injection devices and hybrid focal plane arrays. Among these, CCDs and CMOS imagers are the most commonly used in digital applications such as, for example, in cameras, scanners, machine vision systems, vehicle navigation systems, video telephones, computer input devices, surveillance systems, auto focus systems, star trackers, motion detection systems, image stabilization systems and data compression systems for high-definition television. Each type of imaging device has advantages and disadvantages relative to the other.  
         [0003]     CCDs imagers have a greater sensitivity to light and have better dynamic range than CMOS imagers, and therefore yield superior quality images. CCDs are also capable of large formats with small pixel size, and produces less noise (visual artifacts). As a result of these advantages, CCDs are the preferred technology for high end imaging applications.  
         [0004]     However, CCD imagers also suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, they are susceptible to radiation damage, exhibit destructive read out over time, require good light shielding to avoid image smear, and have a high power dissipation for large arrays. Additionally, while offering high performance, CCD arrays are difficult to integrate with CMOS processing due in part to a different processing technology and to their high capacitances, which complicates the integration of on-chip drive and signal processing electronics with the CCD array. Further in this regard, CCDs must be manufactured at one of a small number of specialized fabrication facilities, thus greatly increasing production costs and limiting economies of scale. CCDs also must transfer an image by line charge transfers from pixel to pixel, requiring that the entire array be read out into a memory before individual pixels or groups of pixels can be accessed and processed. CCDs may also suffer from incomplete charge transfer from pixel to pixel during charge transfer, which results in image smear.  
         [0005]     On the other hand, CMOS imagers have the advantage of being compatible with integrated on-chip electronics (control logic and timing, image processing, and signal conditioning such as A/D conversion). On-chip integration of electronics provides the potential to perform many signal conditioning functions in the digital domain (versus analog signal processing) as well as to achieve a compact system size. CMOS imagers also allow random access to the image data, and have low fabrication costs as compared with CCD imagers since standard CMOS processing techniques can be used. Additionally, CMOS imagers have low voltage operation and low power consumption because only one row of pixels at a time needs to be active during readout and there is no charge transfer (and associated switching) from pixel to pixel during image acquisition.  
         [0006]     Both CCD and CMOS imagers perform the necessary functions of (1) photon to charge conversion; (2) accumulation of image charge; (3) transfer of the accumulated image charge; (4) converting the accumulated image charge to a voltage; and (5) output and amplification of the signal voltage representing the charge from each pixel in the imager. Both CCD and CMOS imagers include an array of pixels, each pixel having a substrate and a photosensitive area formed in or on the substrate and which converts photons from the incident light into charge, either electrons or holes. CCD and CMOS imagers differ, however, in their structure and manner of processing accumulated charges after photon to charge conversion.  
         [0007]     The basic structure of a pixel within a CCD imager is shown in  FIG. 1  and includes a silicon substrate  10 , a thin film of insulating material  11  such as silicon dioxide overlying the substrate surface, and a plurality of gate electrodes  12   a  formed of a conductive material, such as doped polysilicon, formed spaced apart from each other on top of the layer of insulating material  11 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , additional gate electrodes  12   b  are formed between and overlapping electrodes  12   a.  Gate electrodes  12   b  may also be formed of doped polysilicon. An insulator layer  9  is formed over the surface of electrodes  12   a  prior to forming the overlapping electrodes  12   b  to prevent shorting between electrodes  12   a  and  12   b.    
         [0008]     Substrate  10  includes a buried channel  8  formed in the substrate  10  under the electrodes  12   a,    12   b.  Typically in a CCD imager, the substrate is doped p-type, whereupon the buried channel is doped n-type. When a voltage is applied to gate electrode  12   b,  for example, photons from the incident light are converted to electrical charge in the buried channel  8  under the “activated” gate  12   b,  and a well  13  is formed in the substrate in which the charge is accumulated under the activated gate  12   b.  Charge is contained in the well by applying appropriate voltages to the gate electrodes  12   a  surrounding the activated gate to form zones of higher potential surrounding the well  13 , thus confining the accumulated charge in the well  13 .  
         [0009]     The accumulated charge is transferred out of the pixel by “moving” the well from one gate electrode  12  to another in the pixel by alternating the voltages applied to the different electrodes until the charge is moved out of the pixel. In this manner, the pixel charges are moved through the array  15  row by row ( FIG. 2 ). Movement of charge through each pixel and the array is controlled by a clock signal PCLK inputted to each pixel in the array. When the charges reach the last row  17  in the array  15 , the charges are moved horizontally through the row according to the serial clock signal SCLK. After each charge moves through the last pixel position in the last row  17  of the array  15 , the charge is passed through an output amplifier  21  to produce an analog voltage representing the amount of charge, and then is outputted from the pixel array  15 . Once each pixel signal exits the pixel array, the analog voltage signal is converted to a digital signal in analog-to-digital converter  23 . From there, the digital pixel signal is passed to the image processor  25  for compiling the pixel signals into a digital image.  
         [0010]     Depending on the number of gates in each pixel within a particular CCD architecture, a complete charge transfer cycle may be completed for each pixel in four phases, three phases or two phases, in accordance with the clock signal PCLK. For example, a timing diagram for a four phase CCD is shown in  FIG. 3 . In this pixel, integration time occurs at t 1  when the voltage on the Φ1 and Φ2 gates are held at a high level to form low potential zones while the voltages of the Φ3 and Φ4 gates are held at a low level to form high potential barriers. During this time, photo-induced charge is collected in a potential well which is formed under the Φ1 and Φ2 gates. The well is then moved under the Φ2 and Φ3 gates by applying a high voltage to the Φ2 and Φ3 gates and a low voltage to the Φ1 and Φ4 gates at time t 2 . At time t 3 , the well is similarly moved under the Φ3 and Φ4 gates, and eventually under the Φ1 and Φ2 gates of the next pixel. In this manner, all the collected charge in the pixel array during one integration period is moved through the array until outputted to output amplifier  21 .  
         [0011]     An exemplary CMOS imager is described below with reference to  FIG. 4 . The circuit described below, for example, includes a photogate for accumulating photogenerated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate. However, it should be understood that the photosensitive element of a CMOS imager pixel may alternatively be formed as a depleted p-n junction photodiode, a photoconductor, or other image-to-charge converting device, in lieu of a field induced depletion region beneath a photogate. It is noted that photodiodes may experience the disadvantage of image lag, which can be eliminated if the photodiode is completely depleted upon readout.  
         [0012]     Like a CCD imager, the CMOS imager includes a focal plane array of pixel cells. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a simplified circuit for a pixel of an exemplary CMOS imager includes a pixel photodetector circuit  14  and a readout circuit  60 . It should be understood that while  FIG. 4  shows the circuitry for operation of a single pixel, that in practical use there will be an M×N array of pixels arranged in rows and columns with the pixels of the array accessed using row and column select circuitry, as described in more detail below.  
         [0013]     The photodetector circuit  14  is shown in part as a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor substrate  16  formed typically of a p-type silicon, and having a surface well of p-type material  20 . An optional layer  18  of p-type material may be used if desired, but is not required. Substrate  16  may be formed of, for example, Si, SiGe, Ge, and GaAs. Typically the entire substrate  16  is a p-type doped silicon substrate and may contain a surface p-well  20  (with layer  18  omitted), but many other options are possible, such as, for example p on p− substrates, p on p+ substrates, p-wells in n-type substrates, or the like.  
         [0014]     An insulating layer  22  of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or other suitable material is formed on the upper surface of p-well  20 . A photogate  24  thin enough to pass radiant energy or of a material which passes radiant energy is formed on the insulating layer  22 . The photogate  24  receives an applied control signal PG which causes the initial accumulation of pixel charges underneath the photogate  24  and in n+ region  26 . The n+ type region  26 , adjacent one side of photogate  24 , is formed in the upper surface of p-well  20 .  
         [0015]     A transfer gate  28  is formed on insulating layer  22  between n+ type region  26  and a second n+ type region  30  formed in p-well  20 . The n+ regions  26  and  30  and transfer gate  28  form a charge transfer transistor  29  which is controlled by a transfer signal TX. When a transfer signal TX is applied to the transfer gate  28 , the charge accumulated in n+ region  26  is transferred into n+ region  30 . The n+ region  30  is typically called a floating diffusion node, and is also a node for passing charge accumulated thereat to the gate of a source follower transistor  36  described below.  
         [0016]     A reset gate  32  is also formed on insulating layer  22  adjacent and between n+ type node  30  and another n+ region  34  which is also formed in p-well  20 . The reset gate  32  and n+ regions  30  and  34  form a reset transistor  31  which is controlled by a reset signal RST. The n+ type region  34  is coupled to voltage source VDD. The transfer and reset transistors  29 ,  31  are n-channel transistors as described in this implementation of a CMOS imager circuit in a p-well. It should be understood that it is possible to implement a CMOS imager in an n-well, in which case each of the transistors would be p-channel transistors. It should also be noted that while  FIG. 4  shows the use of a transfer gate  28  and associated transistor  29 , this structure provides advantages, but is not required.  
         [0017]     Photodetector circuit  14  also includes two additional n-channel transistors, source follower transistor  36  and row select transistor  38 . Transistors  36  and  38  are coupled in series, source to drain, with the source of transistor  36  also coupled over lead  40  to voltage source VDD and the drain of transistor  38  coupled to a lead  42 . The gate of transistor  36  is coupled over lead  44  to n+ region  30 . Charge from the floating diffusion node at the n+ region  30  is typically converted to a pixel output voltage by the source follower output transistor  36 . The drain of row select transistor  38  is connected via conductor  42  to the drains of similar row select transistors for other pixels in a given pixel row. A load transistor  39  is also coupled between the drain of transistor  38  and a voltage source VSS. Transistor  39  is kept on by a signal VLN applied to its gate.  
         [0018]     The imager includes a readout circuit  60  which includes a signal sample and hold (S/H) circuit including a S/H n-channel field effect transistor  62  and a signal storage capacitor  64  connected to the source follower transistor  36  through row transistor  38 . The other side of the capacitor  64  is connected to a source voltage VSS. The upper side of the capacitor  64  is also connected to the gate of a p-channel output transistor  66 . The drain of the output transistor  66  is connected through a column select transistor  68  to a signal sample output node VOUTS and through a load transistor  70  to the voltage supply VDD. A sample and hold signal (SHS) briefly turns on the S/H transistor  62  after the charge accumulated beneath the photogate electrode  24  has been transferred to the floating diffusion node  30 , and from there, to the source follower transistor  36  and through row select transistor  38  to line  42 , so that the capacitor  64  stores a voltage representing the amount of charge previously accumulated beneath the photogate electrode  24 .  
         [0019]     The readout circuit  60  also includes a reset sample and hold (S/H) circuit including a S/H transistor  72  and a signal storage capacitor  74  connected through the S/H transistor  72  and through the row select transistor  38  to the source of the source follower transistor  36 . The bottom side of the capacitor  74  is connected to the source voltage VSS. The upper side of the capacitor  74  is also connected to the gate of a p-channel output transistor  76 . The drain of the output transistor  76  is connected through a p-channel column select transistor  78  to a reset sample output node VOUTR and through a load transistor  80  to the supply voltage VDD. A sample and hold reset signal (SHR) briefly turns on the S/H transistor  72  immediately after the reset signal RST has caused reset transistor  31  to turn on and reset the potential of the floating diffusion node  30 , so that the capacitor  74  stores the voltage to which the floating diffusion node  30  has been reset.  
         [0020]     The readout circuit  60  provides correlated sampling of the potential of the floating diffusion node  30 , first of the reset charge applied to node  30  by reset transistor  31  and then of the stored charge from the photogate  24 . The two samplings of the diffusion node  30  charges produce respective output voltages VOUTR and VOUTS of the readout circuit  60 . These voltages are then subtracted (VOUTS-VOUTR) by subtractor  82  to provide an output signal terminal  81  which is an image signal independent of pixel to pixel variations caused by fabrication variations in the reset voltage transistor  31  which might cause pixel to pixel variations in the output signal.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram for a CMOS imager having a pixel array  90  with each pixel cell being constructed in the manner shown by element  14  of  FIG. 4 . While pixel array  90  comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a predetermined number of columns and rows,  FIG. 6  shows a 2×2 portion of pixel array  90  for illustrative purposes in this discussion. The pixels of each row in array  90  are and turned on at the same time by a row select line, e.g., line  86 , and the pixels of each column are selectively output by a column select line, e.g., line  42 . A plurality of rows and column lines are provided for the entire array  90 . The row lines are selectively activated by the row driver  92  in response to row address decoder  94  and the column select lines are selectively activated by the column driver  96  in response to column address decoder  98 . Thus, a row and column address is provided for each pixel. The CMOS imager is operated by the control circuit  95  which controls address decoders  94 ,  98  for selecting the appropriate row and column lines for pixel readout, and row and column driver circuitry  92 ,  96  which apply driving voltage to the drive transistors of the selected row and column lines.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  shows a simplified timing diagram for the signals used to transfer charge out of photodetector circuit  14  of the  FIG. 4  CMOS imager. The photogate signal PG is nominally set to 5V and the reset signal RST is nominally set at 2.5V. As can be seen from the figure, the process is begun at time to by briefly pulsing reset voltage RST to 5V. The RST voltage, which is applied to the gate  32  of reset transistor  31 , causes transistor  31  to turn on and the floating diffusion node  30  to charge to the VDD voltage present at n+ region  34  (less the voltage drop Vth of transistor  31 ). This resets the floating diffusion node  30  to a predetermined voltage (VDD-Vth). The charge on floating diffusion node  30  is applied to the gate of the source follower transistor  36  to control the current passing through transistor  38 , which has been turned on by a row select (ROW) signal, and load transistor  39 . This current is translated into a voltage on line  42  which is next sampled by providing a SHR signal to the S/H transistor  72 , which charges capacitor  74  with the source follower transistor output voltage on line  42  representing the reset charge present at floating diffusion node  30 . The PG signal is next pulsed to 0 volts, causing charge to be collected in n+ region  26 .  
         [0023]     A transfer gate voltage pulse TX, similar to the reset pulse RST, is then applied to transfer gate  28  of transistor  29  to cause the charge in n+ region  26  to transfer to floating diffusion node  30 . It should be understood that for the case of a photogate, the transfer gate voltage TX may be pulsed or held to a fixed DC potential. For the implementation of a photodiode with a transfer gate, the transfer gate voltage TX must be pulsed. The new output voltage on line  42  generated by source follower transistor  36  current is then sampled onto capacitor  64  by enabling the sample and hold switch  62  with signal SHS. The column select signal is next applied to transistors  68  and  70  and the respective charges stored in capacitors  64  and  74  are subtracted in subtractor  82  to provide a pixel output signal at terminal  81 . It should also be understood that CMOS imagers may dispense with the transistor gate  28  and associated transistor  29 , or retain these structures while biasing the transfer transistor gate  28  to an always “on” state.  
         [0024]     Both CMOS and CCD imagers are susceptible to inefficient charge transfer between gates. In the CMOS imager shown in  FIG. 4 , the presence of an n+ region  26  is necessary to electrically couple the photogate  24  to the transfer gate  28  across the relatively wide gap, e.g., 0.25 microns, separating the transfer gate  28  and the photogate  24 . When a signal TX is applied to the transfer gate  28 , the n+ region  26  functions as a conducting channel to pass charges from the doped layer under the photogate into the channel region of the transfer transistor  29 , and then to the floating diffusion node  30 . Incorporation of the n+ region  26 , however, produces excess noise and incomplete charge transfer between gates. Similarly, in CCD imagers, it is known that the transfer of charge from gate to gate and pixel to pixel is never 100% efficient.  
         [0025]     In order to improve the charge transfer between gates in both CMOS and CCD imagers, the gates must be spaced as close together as possible. The gates are formed by depositing a single layer of polysilicon (or other suitable conductive material) on the substrate surface (over the insulating layer such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, etc.). The individual gates are then patterned from the blanket deposited layer by applying a layer of photoresist over the polysilicon (or other conductive) material, and exposing the photoresist through a reticle to develop the portions of the photoresist where the gates are to be formed. The undeveloped portions of the photoresist are then removed. Once the shaped photoresist layer has been obtained on the blanket deposited layer of conductive material, the gates are shaped by etching the layer of conductive material around the patterned photoresist layer.  
         [0026]     The smallest distance between semiconductor structures using known patterning methods such as that mentioned above is subject to the physical limitations of how thin a distinguishable line or gap can be formed in the photoresist layer by patterning with the reticle. Recent advances in technology enable lines and spaces between semiconductor structures to be 0.13 micrometers apart, i.e., about 1300 Angstroms. Even with these measurements, however, the resulting gaps between polysilicon gates still yield incomplete charge transfer.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     The present invention addresses the problem of incomplete and inefficient charge transfer between gates formed on a semiconductor substrate in a CMOS or CCD imager. In particular, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a plurality of single layer gates on a CMOS or CCD imager which significantly reduces the gaps between gates, to thereby reduce or eliminate the problem of incomplete charge transfer.  
         [0028]     The method includes blanket depositing the conductive material from which the gates will ultimately be formed, as is standard practice in the art, and then blanket depositing a layer of insulator material, such as an oxide or nitride material, and patterning the insulator material in a manner similar to that in which the conductive layers are patterned in the prior art to form the CMOS or CCD pixel gates. The patterned insulator structures are referred to as “caps.” Next, spacers are deposited on the sides of the patterned insulator material to decrease the width of the gaps between caps. Using the spacer-reduced gaps between the insulator caps on top of the conductive layer, the conductive layer is etched, resulting in gate structures which are approximately 300 Angstroms apart.  
         [0029]     A variation of this method includes blanket depositing a layer of the conductive material from which the gates are to be formed, and then depositing a layer of resist over the conductive material layer. The resist is patterned according to the desired gate arrangement, and the conductive layer is partially etched to form gate-like structures of the conductive material protruding above the remaining thickness of the conductive material layer. Next, spacers are formed along the sidewalls of the gate-like structures, and the remaining thickness of the conductive layer around the gate-like structures is etched away. During this second etch process, the portion of the conductive material between the spacers is also etched, leaving the resulting gate structures which spaced apart by approximately the distance between the spacers formed on the sidewalls of adjacent gates.  
         [0030]     A second aspect of the present invention may be used during the fabrication of CMOS imagers either separately or in conjunction with the method briefly described above, and includes providing a lightly doped region n− between the photogate and an adjacent gate, instead of standard heavily doped region n+.  
         [0031]     Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0032]      FIG. 1  is an illustration representative of a CCD imager pixel;  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a CCD imager circuit;  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary timing diagram of a four-phase charge transfer through a pixel in a CCD imager.  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is an illustrative diagram of a pixel in a CMOS imager circuit;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a CMOS imager circuit;  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a representative CMOS pixel layout showing a 2×2 portion of an array;  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a representative timing diagram for the CMOS imager;  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  illustrates an interim stage of a standard process for fabricating a CCD or CMOS imager;  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  illustrates a processing stage subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  illustrates a processing stage subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  illustrates a first example of an overlapping gate structure;  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  illustrates a second example of an overlapping gate structure;  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  illustrates an interim stage of processing for fabricating a semiconductor device according to a first aspect of the present invention;  
         [0045]      FIG. 14  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0046]      FIG. 15  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 14 ;  
         [0047]      FIG. 16  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0048]      FIG. 17  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 16 ;  
         [0049]      FIG. 18  illustrates a n interim stage of processing for fabricating a semiconductor device according to a variant of the first aspect of the present invention;  
         [0050]      FIG. 19  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 18 ;  
         [0051]      FIG. 20  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 19 ;  
         [0052]      FIG. 21  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 20 ;  
         [0053]      FIG. 22  illustrates a processing stage of the present invention subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 21 ;  
         [0054]      FIG. 23  illustrates a semiconductor device formed according to a second aspect of the present invention; and  
         [0055]      FIG. 24  illustrates a processor incorporating an imager fabricated according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0056]     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0057]     The terms “wafer” and “substrate” used in the description includes any semiconductor-based structure having an exposed surface on which to form the circuit structure used in the invention. “Wafer” and “substrate” are to be understood as including silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology, doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial layers of silicon supported by a base semiconductor foundation, and other semiconductor structures. Furthermore, when reference is made to a “wafer” or “substrate” in the following description, previous process steps may have been utilized to form regions and/or junctions in the base semiconductor structure or foundation. In addition, the semiconductor need not be silicon-based, but may be based on silicon-germanium, germanium, or gallium arsenide.  
         [0058]     To provide a foundation for understanding the present invention, an example of a prior art process for forming the transistor gates for an image sensor is described below with reference to  FIGS. 8-10 . As seen in  FIG. 8 , a substrate  202  is doped to a first conductivity type, which for exemplary purposes will be described as p-type. An insulating layer  204  is formed over the doped substrate  202  by thermal growth or chemical vapor deposition, or other means. The insulating layer  204  may be silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or other suitable insulating material. Next, a conductive layer  206  such as a doped polysilicon layer is deposited over the insulating layer  204 . To impart conductivity to the polysilicon layer  206 , the layer is doped either in situ or by subsequent implantation with a dopant after deposition.  
         [0059]     A layer of photoresist  208  is then applied over the conductive layer  206 , and the photoresist is developed by exposure to a light through a reticle to produce the desired pattern of the transistor gates. Upon removal of the undeveloped portions of the photoresist, the developed photoresist portions  208   a  remain on the conductive layer  206 , as shown in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0060]     Individual transistor gates  206   a  are then formed by etching the conductive layer  206  through to the insulating layer  204 . Conductive layer  206  may be directionally etched by a suitable process such as reactive ion etching, or any other method readily known in the art, including immersion or spray-type wet etching, and plasma, or ion milling. Subsequent to the formation of the transistor gates  206   a,  the patterned photoresist is then removed by wet etch or dry etch methods such as exposing the wafer to an oxygen-containing plasma, to obtain the structure shown in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0061]     The distance between transistor gates  206   a  is denoted in  FIG. 10  by the reference symbol “d.” The minimum distance “d” is determined by the patterned photoresist which defines the regions in the layers underneath to be exposed or unexposed. Since the photoresist is patterned by shining light through a reticle, the minimum thickness of a line in the pattern is subject to the physical limitations of how thin a line can be formed in the reticle. In the prior art process described above, the minimum achievable distance “d” is 1300 Angstroms, which still results in incomplete charge transfer between gates in both CCD and CMOS image sensors.  
         [0062]     To address the problem of incomplete charge transfer, the transistor gates may be formed as double polysilicon structures, such as that shown in  FIG. 11 . In the double polysilicon CMOS imager shown in  FIG. 11 , a photogate  230  and a reset gate  232  are formed using the same layer of polysilicon  238  (or other conductive material). After formation of spacers  240 , the top surfaces of all polysilicon gates are then oxidized to form an oxide insulation layer  242 , and then a transfer gate  236  is formed from a second layer of polysilicon that overlaps the photogate  230  to some degree. The oxide layer  242  electrically insulates the photogate  230  and the overlapping transfer gate  236 .  
         [0063]      FIG. 12  facilitates explanation of an alternative process for fabricating a double polysilicon structure. In this process, after depositing a first gate oxide layer  252  and a first polysilicon layer  254  on a substrate  250  and formation of the gates  256  from the first polysilicon layer, the portions of the gate oxide layer not covered by the polysilicon gates  256  are stripped away using any suitable means, whereupon a second oxide layer  258  is grown over the existing landscape before depositing the second polysilicon layer  260  and patterning the overlapping gates  262  therefrom. The second oxide layer eliminates the need to form spacers on the gates formed from the first polysilicon layer, and to separately oxidize the gates.  
         [0064]     Referring back to  FIG. 11 , since there is no need to couple the photogate  230  and the transfer gate  236  with a doped region between the gates to enable charge transfer, this more compact structure results in increased charge transfer efficiency of the accumulated charges generated by photogate  230  to the floating diffusion node  246 . However, there are significant processing difficulties in the fabrication methods used to create this semiconductor structure. The oxidation of the photogate stack  230  prior to transfer gate stack  236  formation results in asperities, points, and other defects in the oxide layer insulating the transfer gate from the photogate, resulting in low breakdown of the insulating gate oxide between these two overlying gate structures, improper electrical functioning, and poor processing yield. Additionally, the oxidation of the first polysilicon layer (or other suitable conductive layer), prior to the deposition of the second polysilicon (or other suitable conductive material) layer which will form the transfer gate  236 , forms the second gate oxide under the transfer gate. As device configurations have shrunk to improve performance and yield, the gate oxide must be grown thinner to maintain low threshold voltages and maintain performance in the more compact configurations. The thinning of the second gate oxide continues to cause degradation in the breakdown voltage between these two overlapping gate structures.  
         [0065]     Although no doped region is required to couple the photogate  230  with the transfer gate  236 , a doped region  244  may be formed under the photogate  230  to provide a well in which charges generated at photogate  230  can accumulate until transferred to the floating diffusion region  246 . The double polysilicon structure therefore requires careful alignment when performing the implanting of the doped region  244  to ensure that the doped region  244  does not extend across the area to be occupied by transfer gate  236  in a later processing step.  
         [0066]     This double polysilicon process also suffers from the fact that all transistors formed by the first polysilicon deposition, including the photogate  230  and the reset gate  232 , cannot be silicided gates, which would improve circuit speed and performance, for at least two reasons: (1) the top silicide layer cannot be oxidized to provide a reliable insulating oxide between the photogate  230  and the transfer gate  236 , and (2) a silicide layer on top of the photogate would block signal light from passing through the photogate into the signal storage region  244  below the photogate.  
         [0067]     The invention discussed below also addresses the problem of incomplete charge transfer but without any of the disadvantages discussed heretofore.  FIGS. 13-17  illustrate a process for forming transistor gates on a semiconductor substrate for either a CCD imager or a CMOS imager in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, while  FIG. 18  shows a semiconductor device formed according to a second aspect of the invention.  
         [0068]     As shown in  FIG. 13 , an insulating layer  104 , preferably made of an oxide material, is formed over a substrate  102 , and a conductive layer  106 , preferably a doped polysilicon layer or other transparent conductor, is formed over the insulating layer  104 . The conductive layer  106  may also suitably be formed as a silicide layer, a metal layer, a polysilicon/silicide layer, or a polysicon/metal layer. Substrate  102  is preferably doped to a first conductivity type, preferably p-type. Insulating layer  104  may be any suitable oxide, nitride, oxide nitride, nitride oxide, or metal oxide material, such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride, for example, and is formed over the substrate  102  by thermal growth or chemical vapor deposition, or other means to a thickness of in the range of approximately 2 to 100 nm. Conductive layer  106  may be formed to any suitable thickness, e.g., in the range of approximately 200 to 5000 Angstroms.  
         [0069]     Thus far, the process is similar to the prior art process illustrated in  FIG. 8  and discussed above. Instead of forming the transistor gates directly by applying a resist layer and developing the resist layer, however, the present invention next deposits an additional layer of an insulator material  108  over the conductive layer  106 . As with the insulator layer  104 , insulator layer  108  may be formed of an oxide or nitride material or other suitable insulator material.  
         [0070]     Next, a resist layer  110  is deposited on the insulator layer  108  and then patterned, whereby the undeveloped resist is removed to leave behind developed portions  110   a,  as shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0071]     Exposed portions of the insulator layer  108  are then etched away using a directional etch method such as reactive ion etching, or other suitable removal process such as immersion or spray-type wet etching, and plasma or ion milling, and the remaining resist portions  110   a  are removed by wet or dry etch methods to thereby form insulator caps  114  on the surface of conductive layer  106 , as seen in  FIG. 15 . As with the prior art, insulator caps  114  are spaced approximately 1300 Angstroms apart.  
         [0072]     Referring now to  FIG. 16 , after formation of the insulator caps  114 , spacers  116  are formed along the sidewalls of the insulator caps  114  by blanket depositing an insulator material, and then etching the deposited material using an anisotropic dry etch that removes the deposited insulator material from the horizontal surfaces of the insulator caps  114  and the polysilicon layer  106 . Preferably, the spacers  116  are formed to a thickness of about 500 Angstroms each, and the insulating material used to form the spacers  116  may be any suitable insulator material such as an oxide, nitride, oxide nitride, nitride oxide, or metal oxide.  
         [0073]     After forming the spacers  116  on the sidewalls of the insulator caps  114 , another etch process is performed to etch through the conductive layer  106 , using the insulator caps  114  and spacers  116  as hard masks, to yield the gate structures  118  as illustrated in  FIG. 17 .  
         [0074]     Using the process of the present invention, the distance between the conductive gate structures  118  is much smaller than previously achieved using a mask and resist alone. In the example described herein, the smallest achievable distance “z” between insulator caps  114  in  FIG. 15  is the same as the smallest achievable distance “d” in  FIG. 10  between transistor gates  206   a  in the prior art, as both are defined by the minimum spacing in the mask forming technology. Presently, the minimum distance of “d” and “z” achievable using masks is about 1300 Angstroms. By forming spacers on insulator caps  114 , the width of the insulator caps is increased by two times the width of the spacers. If the spacers each have a width of approximately 500 Angstroms, the resulting distance “y” ( FIG. 17 ) between gate structures  118  formed using the insulator caps  114  plus spacers  116  as hard masks is 300 Angstroms.  
         [0075]     An alternative method for forming gate structures in accordance with this aspect of the invention is shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 18-22 . This method is similar to the method described above and shown in  FIGS. 13-17  in that spacers are used to form the gate structures more closely together than can be achieved with masking techniques. As was the case in the process illustrated by  FIG. 13 , an insulating layer  124  is formed over a substrate  122 , and a conductive layer  126  is formed over the insulating layer  124 . The insulating layer  124  and conductive layer  126  may be made of any of the materials mentioned above as being suitable for insulating layer  104  and conductive layer  106 , and the thickness of the conductive layer  126  is comparable to the thickness of conductive layer  106 .  
         [0076]     Next, as can be seen in  FIG. 18 , a resist layer  128  is deposited on the conductive layer  126 , instead of forming another insulator layer on the conductive layer and then a resist layer on the second insulator layer as described above. The resist  128  is patterned according to the desired gate arrangement, resulting in resist portions  128   a  shown in  FIG. 19 .  
         [0077]     The conductive layer  126  is then partially etched, preferably to approximately half the thickness of the originally deposited conductive layer  126  in the regions not covered by the resist portions  128   a.  The resist is removed, leaving the structure shown in  FIG. 20  in which gate-like portions  126   a  formed of the conductive material protrudes above the surface of the thinned conductive layer  126 . Again, the smallest distance which can be formed between the gate-like portions  126   a  is “z,” which corresponds to the final distance between gate structures in the prior art, and the distance between insulator caps  114  shown in  FIG. 15  and produced in the method described above.  
         [0078]     Referring now to  FIG. 21 , spacers  130  are formed along the sidewalls of the gate-like portions  126   a  in a manner similar to the formation of spacers  116  in  FIG. 16 . The spacers  130  are made of any suitable insulator material such as those mentioned above with respect to the spacers  116 .  
         [0079]     After forming the spacers  130 , the conductive layer  126  is etched again. This time, the regions thinned in the previous etch process are removed completely, and the thickness of the gate-like portions  126   a  between the spacers  130  is thinned. As seen in  FIG. 22 , the width of the resulting gate structures  132  have a width corresponding approximately to the distance from the outside edge of one spacer  130  to the outside edge of the spacer on the opposite side of the respective gate-like portion  126   a,  with a distance of “y” between adjacent gate structures  132 .  
         [0080]     In addition to the processes described above with reference to  FIGS. 13-17  and  18 - 22 , the present invention also encompasses the all gate structures resulting in whole or in part from the disclosed process of manufacture. The process described above and the resulting structures of the present invention are applicable to both CCD image sensors and CMOS image sensors such as CMOS architectures having 3 T, 4 T, 5 T, 6 T and 7 T structures, for example. In both CCD and CMOS image sensors, the present invention enables the transistor gates to be formed in a single layer more closely together than previously possible in the prior art, to thereby enhance the efficiency of charge transfer from one gate to the next, and also to decrease the size of image sensors generally to accommodate the trend towards more compact yet more powerful electronic devices.  
         [0081]     In the conventional CMOS imager illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , doped regions  26  and  30  are both n+ type, or heavily doped. When electron charges are generated by photons transmitting through the photogate, the generated charges are attracted to and accumulate at region  26  until the transfer gate is activated to thereby transfer the accumulated charge to the floating diffusion node  30 . In the conventional arrangement, however, the n+ doped region  26  has a tendency to retain photogenerated electrons even during the charge transfer process. The result is an incomplete charge transfer to the floating diffusion node  30 , and loss of a portion of the light data obtained by the photogate.  
         [0082]     A second aspect of the present invention addresses this problem, and is applicable in connection with imagers having 3 T, 4 T, 5 T, 6 T or 7 T structure, such as the imager having a photogate, a transfer gate and a reset gate as described above with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , and an imager having a photogate adjacent to a storage gate and a floating diffusion node adjacent to the storage gate, which structure has heretofore not been found in prior art CMOS imagers.  
         [0083]     According to this aspect of the invention, gates  150 ,  152  and  154  are formed over a substrate  164 , as shown in  FIG. 23 , according to prior art methods or according to the processes described above with reference to  FIGS. 13-17  and  18 - 22 . In this example, it is assumed that gates  150 ,  152  and  154  are to function as n-channel gates in the finished semiconductor device, as are photogate  24 , transfer gate  28  and reset gate  32  in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . Instead of providing an n+ region between the gates  150  and  152  similar to region  26  in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the present invention provides an n− doped, or lightly doped, region  156  between the gates  150  and  152 .  
         [0084]     An n− doped region has a lesser affinity for holding onto electrons than an n+ doped region, resulting in more complete charge transfer out of the n− doped region. Thus, although the region  162  between gates  152  and  154  may be n+ doped as in the prior art CMOS imagers, it is preferably also n− doped. Similarly, the region between any two adjacent transistor gates in a CMOS imager may be lightly doped according to the present invention, wherein such gates may include the photogate, the transfer gate, the reset gate, the source follower gate, the row select gate, and/or the storage gate.  
         [0085]     This concept may also be implemented in a CCD imager by providing a lightly doped region between two transistor gates along the charge transfer path of a readout cycle. Preferably, a lightly doped region is formed between each pair of adjacent gates in the charge transfer path of a readout cycle.  
         [0086]     The depth and concentration density of the dopant ions implanted into each region  156 ,  162  is determined by the implant range and diffusion in the substrate, which in turn is impacted by the temperature during the implantation process and the time duration at that temperature. Generally, however, an n+ doped region has a concentration of about 5·10 14  ions/cm 2  to about 1·10 16  ions/cm 2 , with 1·10 15  ions/cm 2  to about 3·10 15  ions/cm 2  being typical. In the present invention, the n− doped region  156  has a concentration of about 3·10 11  ions/cm 2  to about 1·10 14  ions/cm 2 , with 1·10 12  ions/cm 2  to about being 1·10 13  ions/cm 2  being preferred. For a doped region having a depth of about 1 μ (10 −4  cm) and using a concentration of 1·10 12  ions/cm 2 , therefore, the n− doped region  156  has a concentration density of ρ=(1·10 12  ions/cm 2 )/(10 −4  cm)=1·10 16  ions/cu.cm.  
         [0087]     Any suitable doping process may be used to form the n− doped region  156  and the n+ doped region  162 . For example, the regions  156  and  162  may be formed by ion implantation, and may be performed in an ion implanter device by implanting appropriate n-type ions (e.g., arsenic, antimony, phosphorous, etc.) at an energy level of about 10 KeV to about 200 KeV into the substrate  164  to a depth of approximately 200-1000 Angstroms. A resist and mask may be used to shield areas of the substrate which are not to be doped. Since the gates  150  and  152  define the boundary along two sides of region  156 , and the gates  152  and  154  define the boundary along two sides of region  162 , the resist and mask need only define the boundaries of the regions to be doped along the sides not constrained by the gates. Optionally, the n− region  156  may be formed by blanket doping the exposed surfaces of the substrate.  
         [0088]     It should be noted that in many transistors, the source and drain are essentially interchangeable, and interconnections specified herein should not be interpreted as solely limited to those described. In addition, while the transistors have been described as n-type or n-channel, it is recognized by those skilled in the art that a p-type or p-channel transistor may also be used if the structures are uniformly oppositely doped from that described. For example, gates  150 ,  152  and  154  in  FIG. 23  may be p-channel gates instead of n-channel gates as described above, in which case region  156  (and optionally the region  162 ) are p-doped, or lightly doped p-type. The n and p designations are used in the common manner to designate donor and acceptor type impurities which promote electron and hole type carriers respectively as the majority carriers.  
         [0089]     Each pixel in the imaging array  15  of  FIG. 2  may be constructed according to the first and/or second aspect of the invention. Similarly, each pixel in the array  90  of  FIG. 5  may be constructed according to the first and/or second aspects of the invention. The operation of the imagers incorporating the present invention is the same as discussed hereinabove.  
         [0090]     The imagers of  FIGS. 2 and 5  having pixel structures fabricated according to the present invention can provide real-time or stored image output. A processor based system is exemplary of a system having digital circuits which could include semiconductor-based imager devices. A typical processor-based system, which includes a semiconductor-based imager  542  according to the present invention, is illustrated generally in  FIG. 24 . Without being limiting, such a system could include a computer system, camera system, scanner, machine vision system, vehicle navigation system, video telephone, surveillance system, auto focus system, star tracker system, motion detection system, image stabilization system, medical imaging devices, and data compression system for high-definition television, all of which can utilize the present invention.  
         [0091]      FIG. 24  illustrates an exemplary processor system  500  which includes or operates in cooperation with the imager  542 . The processor system  500 , such as a computer system, for example, generally comprises a central processing unit (CPU)  544  that communicates with an input/output (I/O) device  546  over a bus  552 . The imager  542  communicates with the system over bus  552  or a ported connection. The processor system  500  also includes random access memory (RAM)  548 , and, in the case of a computer system, may include peripheral devices such as a floppy disk drive  554  and a compact disk (CD) ROM drive  556  which also communicate with CPU  544  over the bus  552 .  
         [0092]     The processing system  500  illustrated in  FIG. 24  is only an exemplary processing system with which the invention may be used. While  FIG. 24  illustrates a processing architecture especially suitable for a general purpose computer, such as a personal computer or a workstation, it should be recognized that well known modifications can be made to configure the processing system  500  to become more suitable for use in a variety of applications. For example, the imagers of the present invention may be incorporated into many different types of electronic devices including, but not limited to audio/video processors and recorders, gaming consoles, digital television sets, wired or wireless telephones, navigation devices (including system based on the global positioning system (GPS) and/or inertial navigation), and digital cameras and/or recorders. The modifications may include, for example, elimination of unnecessary components, addition of specialized devices or circuits, and/or integration of a plurality of devices.  
         [0093]     The processes and devices described above illustrate preferred methods and typical devices of many that could be used and produced. The above description and drawings illustrate embodiments, which achieve the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention. However, it is not intended that the present invention be strictly limited to the above-described and illustrated embodiments. Any modifications, though presently unforeseeable, of the present invention that comes within the spirit and scope of the following claims should be considered part of the present invention.