Patent ID: 7361542

Claim:
A method of fabricating a CMOS image sensor, comprising the steps of: forming an insulating layer on a first conductive type semiconductor substrate divided into a photodiode area and a transistor area; removing the insulating layer on a gate electrode forming area of the transistor area; forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode forming area of the semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming a gate electrode by planarizing the conductive layer to expose a surface of the insulating layer; selectively removing the insulating layer to expose the semiconductor substrate; forming a second conductive type lightly doped impurity region in the exposed semiconductor substrate; forming a spacer on a sidewall of the gate electrode; completely removing the insulating layer; and forming a second conductive type heavily doped impurity region on the transistor area of the semiconductor substrate by ion implantation using a mask.