Patent ID: 8247258

Claim:
A method for fabricating a CMOS image sensor device, the method comprising: providing a P-type semiconductor substrate having a P type impurity, the semiconductor substrate including a surface region; forming a first dielectric layer having a first thickness overlying a first region of the semiconductor substrate; providing an N type impurity region in a portion of the semiconductor substrate underneath the first dielectric layer to cause formation of a photodiode device region characterized by at least the N type impurity region and the P type semiconductor substrate; forming a second dielectric layer having a second thickness in a second region of the surface region, the second thickness being formed within a portion of the first region, the portion being within the first thickness of the first dielectric layer; and forming a gate layer overlying at least the second region to form a contact element coupled to the second region, the gate layer comprising a polysilicon material; wherein the contact element provides an interconnect member between the photodiode device region and a transistor of the CMOS image sensor device.