Patent ID: 8570418

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric converting units disposed in a semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of isolation portions disposed in the semiconductor substrate so as to isolate the plurality of photoelectric converting units from one another, wherein each of the plurality of photoelectric converting units includes: a first semiconductor region containing impurities of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region, disposed below the first semiconductor region, containing impurities of a second conductivity type that is an opposite conductivity type to the first conductivity type, a third semiconductor region, disposed below the second semiconductor region, containing impurities of the second conductivity type at a lower concentration than the second semiconductor region, and a fourth semiconductor region, disposed below the third semiconductor region, containing impurities of the first conductivity type, wherein each of the plurality of isolation portions includes: a fifth semiconductor region, disposed at a location that is deeper than a surface of the semiconductor substrate and extending laterally to at least the second semiconductor region, containing impurities of the first conductivity type, and a sixth semiconductor region, disposed below the fifth semiconductor region and extending laterally to at least the third semiconductor region, containing impurities of the first conductivity type, and wherein diffusion coefficients of the impurities contained in the first semiconductor region and in the fifth semiconductor region are lower than a diffusion coefficient of the impurities contained in the sixth semiconductor region.