Patent ID: 8723239

Claim:
A solid-state imaging element comprising: a photodiode formed in an upper portion of a semiconductor substrate to perform a photoelectric conversion; a transfer gate including a gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the photodiode; a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate to cover the photodiode; a second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and a part of the gate electrode and in contact with the first insulating film, wherein the second insulating film has a thinner portion smaller in thickness than at least an end portion of the second insulating film, the thinner portion of the second insulating film being entirely or partly over the photodiode; and a third insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and a part of the gate electrode and having an opening so that the third insulating film is absent above the entire regions of the thinner portion of the second insulating film, wherein the first insulating film is formed on a part of, but not an entirety of, a top of the gate electrode of the transfer gate.