CMOS Image Sensor and Method of Manufacturing the Same

Abstract

Disclosed are a CMOS sensor and a method of fabricating the CMOS sensor. The method includes the steps of: forming a first USG layer on an entire surface of a semiconductor substrate including a cell area and a scribe area; masking the cell area, and then removing the first USG layer formed on the scribe area; forming a SiN layer on the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate; masking the cell area, and then removing the SiN layer formed on the scribe area; forming a second USG layer on the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate; and masking the scribe area, and then removing the second USG layer formed on the cell area. The USG layer is only formed on the scribe layer without the SiN layer, so that SiN particles do not drop onto the USG layer during the sintering process.

1 . A CMOS sensor comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate including a cell area and a scribe area;   a first oxide layer and a SiN layer thereon in the cell area of the semiconductor substrate; and a second oxide layer in the scribe area of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second oxide layer in the scribe area has a thickness about equal to a thickness of the combined SiN layer and first oxide layer in the cell area.   
   
   
       2 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising color filters on the SiN layer in the cell area. 
   
   
       3 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a metal interconnection at a lower portion of the first oxide layer in the cell area. 
   
   
       4 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a contact in the first oxide layer and the SiN layer, in contact with the metal interconnection. 
   
   
       5 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first oxide layer has a smaller thickness that the second oxide layer. 
   
   
       6 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first oxide layer comprises a first USG layer. 
   
   
       7 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the second oxide layer comprises a second USG layer. 
   
   
       8 . The CMOS sensor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second oxide layer comprises USG. 
   
   
       9 . A CMOS sensor comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate including a cell area and a scribe area;   a first oxide layer and a SiN layer in the cell area of the semiconductor substrate;   color filters on the SiN layer; and   a second oxide layer in the scribe area of the semiconductor substrate.