Patent ID: 7655495

Claim:
A method for fabricating an image sensor array of pixels, each pixel comprising a top layer comprising a pixel microlens for receiving light, said method comprising the steps of: a) forming a light sensitive element in a semiconductor substrate for each array pixel, said light sensitive element adapted to receive light incident to a respective pixel microlens; b) forming a stack of interlevel dielectric layers atop said substrate, and between forming of adjacent interlevel dielectric layers of said stack, the steps of: forming a Cu metallization level including a Cu metal wire structure formed at locations between each pixel in said array and, forming a barrier material layer on top each said Cu metal wire structure; c) removing a portion of said stack of interlevel dielectric layers above said light sensitive element to define an optical path of a pixel; and, d) refilling said removed portion of said stack in said optical path with dielectric material between said top layer and said light sensitive element, wherein prior to said dielectric material refilling step d), a step of forming a color filter element atop said substrate above said light sensitive element in said optical path.