Bryan L Howe

US Patent:

59693681, Oct 19, 1999

Filed:

Apr 27, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/067485

Inventors:

Dennis A. Thompson - Scottsville NY
Bryan L. Howe - Honeoye Falls NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

H01J 37304

US Classification:

2504923

Abstract:

A product and process for making backside thinned semiconductor image sensing devices employing neutral ion beams to reduce substrate volumes so that the image sensor can be illuminated from the backside, or side opposite etched circuitry. A neutral ion beam is contained in a vacuum chamber that has a fixture for holding a semiconductor image sensor, a control mechanism for controlling the neutral ion beam via the raster mechanism, and a map of the semiconductor image sensor. The image sensor is placed on the fixture within the vacuum chamber and the neutral ion beam removes a predetermined amount of substrate from the backside of the sensor. The result is an image sensor than can be backside thinned at the molecular level.

US Patent:

57862362, Jul 28, 1998

Filed:

Mar 29, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/625603

Inventors:

Dennis A. Thompson - Scottsville NY
Bryan L. Howe - Honeoye Falls NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

H01L 2100
H01L 21339
H01L 2130

US Classification:

438 60

Abstract:

A product and process for making backside inned semiconductor image sensing devices employing neutral ion beams to reduce substrate volumes so that the image sensor can be illuminated from the backside, or side opposite etched circuitry. A neutral ion beam is contained in a vacuum chamber that has a fixture for holding a semiconductor image sensor, a control mechanism for controlling the neutral ion beam via the raster mechanism, and a map of the semiconductor image sensor. The image sensor is placed on the fixture within the vacuum chamber and the neutral ion beam removes a predetermined amount of substrate from the backside of the sensor. The result is an image sensor than can be backside thinned at the molecular level.