1. A backside illuminated image sensor, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a frontside and a backside;
a sensor element formed overlying the frontside of the semiconductor substrate, the sensor element comprising:
a transistor structure including a gate, a spacer, a source and a drain, and
a light sensing region disposed in the source, the light sensing region having a dopant type opposite a dopant type of the source, wherein the light sensing region extends beneath the spacer of the transistor structure; and
a capacitor formed overlying the sensor element, wherein the capacitor overlies an entirety of the light sensing region in one direction and the capacitor is electrically connected to the drain;
a plurality of dielectric layers overlying the sensor element; and
an interconnection structure formed in the plurality of dielectric layers;
wherein at least two metal layers of the interconnection structure and at least one of the plurality of dielectric layers between the at least two metal layers form the capacitor and an additional metal layer of the interconnect is electrically connected between the sensor element and the capacitor.
2. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.
3. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor.
4. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a pixel region, and the sensor element is formed in the pixel region.
5. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 4, wherein the capacitor is formed in the pixel region.
6. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 4, wherein the sensor element comprises a light-sensing region in the pixel region on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate.
7. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 4, wherein the sensor element comprises a transistor structure on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate.
8. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, wherein the capacitor is electrically coupled to the sensor element.
9. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one metal layer of the interconnect structure comprises copper.
10. A backside illuminated image sensor, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a frontside and a backside, wherein a pixel region is defined on the frontside;
a transistor structure in the pixel region overlying the frontside of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the transistor structure comprises a gate electrode formed on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate, a spacer, and sourcedrain regions formed in the frontside of the semiconductor substrate laterally adjacent the gate electrode;
a light-sensing element formed on the source region, the light-sensing element having a dopant type opposite a dopant type of the source region in which the light-sensing element is formed, wherein the light-sensing element extends beneath the spacer of the transistor structure;
a capacitor formed overlying an entirety of the light-sensing element in one direction and electrically coupled to the transistor structure in the drain region;
a plurality of dielectric layers overlying the transistor structure and the light-sensing element; and
an interconnection structure formed in the plurality of dielectric layers;
wherein at least two metal layers of the interconnection structure and at least one of the plurality of dielectric layers formed between the at least two metal layers form the capacitor and an additional metal layer of the interconnect is electrically connected between the sensor element and the capacitor.
11. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.
12. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, wherein the capacitor comprises a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor.
13. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, wherein the capacitor is formed in the pixel region.
14. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, wherein the capacitor comprises a bottom electrode, a top electrode and a capacitor dielectric layer formed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and at least one of the bottom electrode and the top electrode comprises copper.
15. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, wherein the light-sensing region is a photodiode region.
16. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, further comprising at least one color filter attached to the backside of the substrate.
17. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens disposed on the backside of the substrate.
18. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensor elements, each sensor element configured to correspond to a red light wavelength, a blue light wavelength or a green light wavelength.
19. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, further comprising at least one color filter attached to the backside of the substrate.
20. The backside illuminated image sensor of claim 10, further comprising at least one lens disposed on the backside of the substrate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A test fixture, comprising:
a communications device simulator;
an access point simulator; and
a controller coupled to the communications device simulator and the access point simulator.
2. The test fixture of claim 1 wherein the communications device simulator comprises a subscriber station simulator, and the access point simulator comprises a base station controller simulator.
3. The test fixture of claim 2 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile data communications device simulator.
4. The test fixture of claim 2 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile telephone simulator.
5. The test fixture of claim 1 further comprising a simulator board having the communications device simulator and the access point simulator thereon.
6. The test fixture of claim 1 wherein the access point simulator comprises an Ethernet port configured to communicate with a unit under test.
7. The test fixture of claim 1 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to communicate with a unit under test through a wireless link.
8. The test fixture of claim 7 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to communicate with the unit under test using code division multiple access
9. The test fixture of claim 8 wherein the communications device simulator is further configured to communicate with the unit under test using code and time division multiple access.
10. The test fixture of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to correlate in real time communications of both the communications device simulator and the access point simulator with a unit under test.
11. The test fixture of claim 1 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to establish a first communications link with a unit under test, and in response to the establishment of the first communications link, the access point simulator is configured to establish a second communications link with the unit under test for the communications device simulator.
12. A test fixture, comprising:
a communications device simulator;
an access point simulator; and
a simulator board having the communications device simulator and the access point simulator thereon.
13. The test fixture of claim 12 wherein the communications device simulator comprises a subscriber station simulator, and the access point simulator comprises a base station controller simulator.
14. The test fixture of claim 13 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile data communications device simulator.
15. The test fixture of claim 13 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile telephone simulator.
16. The test fixture of claim 12 wherein the access point simulator comprises an Ethernet port configured to communicate with a unit under test.
17. The test fixture of claim 12 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to communicate with a unit under test through a wireless link.
18. The test fixture of claim 17 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to communicate with the unit under test using code division multiple access
19. The test fixture of claim 18 wherein the communications device simulator is further configured to communicate with the unit under test using code and time division multiple access.
20. The test fixture of claim 12 further comprising a controller coupled to the communications device simulator and the network access simulator.
21. The test fixture of claim 20 wherein the controller is configured to correlate in real time communications of both the communications device simulator and the access point simulator with a unit under test.
22. The test fixture of claim 12 wherein the communications device simulator is configured to establish a first communications link with a unit under test, and in response to the establishment of the first communications link, the access point simulator is configured to establish a second communications link with the unit under test for the communications device simulator.
23. A method of testing a unit, comprising
simulating a communications device to communicate with a unit under test;
simulating an access point to communicate with the unit under test; and
correlating in real time the communications of the simulated communications device and the simulated access point.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the simulation of the communications device is configured to communicate with the unit under test using a wireless link.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the simulation of the communications device is further configured to communicate with the unit under test using code division multiple access to communicate with the unit under test.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein simulation of the communications device is further configured to communicate with the unit under test using code and time division multiple access to communicate with the unit under test.
27. The method of claim 23 wherein the simulation of the access point is configured to communicate with the unit under test using an Ethernet connection.
28. The method of claim 23 wherein the simulation of the communications device is configured to establish a first communications link with the unit under test, and the simulation of the access point is configured to attempt to establish a second communications link with the unit under test for the simulated communications device in response to the establishment of the first communications link.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the correlation of the communications of the simulated communications device and the simulated access point comprises declaring a fault if the second communications link is not established in response to the establishment of the first communication link.
30. The method of claim 23 wherein the simulation of the communications device comprises simulating a subscriber station to communicate with the unit under test, and the simulation of the access point comprises simulating a base station controller to communicate with the unit under test.
31. A method of testing a unit, comprising:
communicating between a communications device simulator and a unit under test;
communicating between an access point simulator and the unit under test;
generating data by each of the simulators in response to its respective communications; and
coupling the data from each of the simulators to a controller to evaluate the unit under test.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the controller evaluates the data from each of the simulators in real time.
33. The method of claim 31 wherein the communications between the communications device simulator and the unit under test is performed over a wireless link.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein the communications between the communications device simulator and the unit under test is performed using code division multiple access.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein the communications between the communications device simulator and the unit under test is performed using code and time division multiple access.
36. The method of claim 31 wherein the communications between the access point simulator and the unit under test is performed over an Ethernet network.
37. The method of claim 31 wherein the communications between the communications device simulator and the unit under test comprises establishing a first communications link, and the communications between the access point simulator and the unit under test comprises attempting to establish a second communications link for the simulated communications device in response to the establishment of the first communications link.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein the evaluation of the data by the controller comprises declaring a fault if the second communications link is not established in response to the establishment of the first communication link.
39. The method of claim 31 wherein the communications device simulator comprises a subscriber station simulator, and the access point simulator comprises a base station controller simulator.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile data communications device simulator.
41. The method of claim 39 wherein the subscriber station simulator comprises a mobile telephone simulator.
42. A test fixture, comprising:
first simulation means for simulating a communications device;
second simulation means for simulating an access point; and
controller means, coupled to the first and second means, for evaluating a unit under test.
43. The test fixture of claim 42 wherein the first simulation means comprises means for simulating a subscriber station, and the second simulation means comprises means for simulating a base station controller simulator.
44. The test fixture of claim 43 wherein the means for simulating a subscriber station comprises means for simulating a mobile data communications device.
45. The test fixture of claim 43 wherein the means for simulating a subscriber station comprises means for simulating a mobile telephone.
46. The test fixture of claim 42 further comprising a simulator board having the first and second simulation means thereon.
47 The test fixture of claim 42 wherein the second simulation means comprises means for communicating with the unit under test over an Ethernet network.
48. The test fixture of claim 42 further comprising means for interfacing the first simulation means with the unit under test over a wireless link.
49. The test fixture of claim 48 wherein first simulation means further comprises means for communicating with the unit under test using code division multiple access.
50. The test fixture of claim 49 wherein the first simulation means further comprises means for communicating with the unit under test using code and time division multiple access.
51. The test fixture of claim 42 wherein the controller means comprises means for for evaluating the unit under test in real time.
52. The test fixture of claim 42 wherein the first simulation means comprises means for establishing a first communications link with the unit under test, and the second simulation means comprises means for establishing a second communications link with the unit under test for the simulation means in response to the establishment of the first communications link.
53. Computer readable media embodying a method of testing a unit, the method comprising:
simulating a communications device to communicate with a unit under test;
simulating an access point to communicate with the unit under test; and
correlating in real time the communications of the simulated communications device and the simulated access point.
54. The computer readable media of claim 53 wherein the simulation of the communications device is configured to communicate with the unit under tests using a wireless link.
55. The computer readable media of claim 54 wherein the simulation of the communications device is further configured to communicate with the unit under test further comprises using code division multiple access.
56. The computer readable media of claim 55 wherein simulation of the communications device is further configured to communicate with the unit under test using code and time division multiple access.
57. The computer readable media of claim 53 wherein the simulation of the access point is configured to communicate with the unit under test using an Ethernet connection.
58. The computer readable media of claim 53 wherein the simulation of the communications device is configured to establish a first communications link with the unit under test, and the simulation of the access point is configured to attempt to establish a second communications link with the unit under test for the simulated communications device in response to the establishment of the first communications link.
59. The computer readable media of claim 58 wherein the correlation of the communications of the simulated communications device and the simulated access point comprises declaring a fault if the second communications link is not established in response to the establishment of the first communication link.
60. The computer readable media of claim 53 wherein the simulation of the communications device comprises simulating a subscriber station to communicate with the unit under test, and the simulation of the access point comprises simulating a base station controller to communicate with the unit under test.