CMOS IMAGING DEVICE HAVING OPTIMIZED SHAPE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH A DEVICE BY MEANS OF PHOTOCOMPOSITION

摘要

An imaging device comprises a sensor of surface area of at least 10 cm2 and comprising: an image zone produced on a single substrate and comprising a group of pixels disposed in rows and columns, the number of pixels per column not being uniform for all the columns of pixels, each pixel collecting electric charges generated by a photosensitive element, row conductors linking the pixels row by row, column conductors linking the pixels column by column, row addressing blocks linked to the row conductors to address each row of pixels individually, and column reading blocks linked to the column conductors to read the electric charges collected by the pixels of the row selected by the row addressing blocks, the column reading blocks being situated at the periphery of the image zone; the row addressing blocks and the column reading blocks being produced on the same substrate as the image zone.

主权项

1. A method for producing by photolithography an imaging device on a semi-conducting wafer forming a substrate; the sensor comprising:
an image zone produced on the substrate and comprising a group of pixels disposed in rows and columns, the number of pixels per column not being uniform for all the columns of pixels, each pixel comprising a charge collector element collecting electric charges generated as a function of a photon radiation received by the imaging device, row conductors (Xi, XRAZi) linking the pixels row by row, column conductors (Yj) linking the pixels column by column, row addressing blocks linked to the row conductors (Xi, XRAZi) and making it possible to address each row of pixels individually, and column reading blocks linked to the column conductors (Yj) and making it possible to read the electric charges collected by the pixels of the row selected by the row addressing blocks, the column reading blocks being situated at the periphery of the image zone, the row addressing blocks and the column reading blocks being produced on the same substrate as the image zone;the method comprising a step in which a surface of the semi-conducting wafer is exposed zone by zone to a radiation through at least two sets of masks; each set of masks comprising several masks; each mask of one and the same set of masks including several regions, each region corresponding to a particular pattern; the at least two mask sets being configured to be able to produce, by photolithography, various patterns on the surface of the semi-conducting wafer; the image zone being obtained by the successive production of patterns, adjacent to one another, on the surface of the semi-conducting wafer; the image zone thus obtained exhibiting a surface area of greater than or equal to 10 cm2;
wherein the number of patterns implemented is strictly greater than 1 and less than 15.