Method enabling a standard CMOS fab to produce an IC to sense three-dimensional information using augmented rules creating mask patterns not otherwise expressible with existing fab rules

摘要

CMOS implementable three-dimensional silicon sensors are fabricated using a standard fab but using augmented rules that create mask patterns not expressible with existing fab rules. Standard fab rules are not optimized to produce high quality three-dimensional silicon sensors. Accordingly, the normal set of rules does not permit creating the fab mask patterns necessary for high performance such sensors. However, the present invention can use the fab standard mask set with a rich set of fab instructions to express mask patterns from the mask set that would not otherwise be expressible. The resultant method enables high quality silicon sensors for three-dimensional sensing to be readily mass produced from a standard fab.