A Review of Proximity Gettering Technology for CMOS Image Sensors Using Hydrocarbon Molecular Ion Implantation

We developed a high-gettering-capability silicon wafer for advanced CMOS image sensors using hydrocarbon molecular ion implantation. We found that this novel silicon wafer has an extremely high gettering capability for metal, oxygen, and hydrogen impurities during the CMOS device fabrication process. We also found that the white spot defect density of a hydrocarbon-molecular-ion-implanted CMOS image sensor was substantially lower than that of a CMOS image sensor without hydrocarbon molecular ion implantation. This indicates that the novel silicon wafer helped improve device performance parameters such as white spot defect density and dark current. We believe that this wafer will be beneficial in the design of silicon wafers for advanced CMOS image sensor fabrication.