Patent ID: 7227199

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: a first semiconductor substrate; a first diffusion layer formed in the semiconductor substrate and doped with a first conductive dopant; a second diffusion layer doped with the first conductive dopant and formed in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the first diffusion layer and having a width wider than a width of the first diffusion layer; a third diffusion layer formed at an exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first diffusion layer; a gate electrode formed on the exposed surface and having a first edge adjacent to the third diffusion layer; a fourth diffusion layer formed at the exposed surface adjacent a second edge of the gate electrode, the fourth diffusion layer defining a gap with the second diffusion layer; and a fifth diffusion layer adjacent the second edge of the gate electrode and extending at least partially below the fourth diffusion layer, where a portion of the second diffusion layer is under the fifth diffusion layer.