Patent ID: 7344937

Claim:
A method of forming an imager: forming at least one pixel cell having a photosensor in an array region of a substrate; forming circuitry in a peripheral region of said substrate and electrically connected to said at least one pixel cell; and forming at least one silicided transistor gate stack over a surface of a substrate in either said array or said peripheral region, wherein the act of forming comprises: forming at least one gate stack over said substrate surface; covering said photosensor with an etch stop layer; depositing a non-reactive layer over the photosensor and over said at least one gate stack; planarizing said etch stop layer and said non-reactive layer such that top surfaces of said at least one gate stack are exposed; depositing a metal layer over said non-reactive layer; and annealing said metal to form a silicide on the top surfaces of said at least one gate stack.