Electronic serialization of image sensors

• US 20050073598A1
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Fabinski, Robert P., Lobel, Laurence J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/703 SSIS architectures incorporating pixels for producing signals other than image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/704 Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

An image sensor includes a substrate having a plurality of photosensitive sites for capturing an image and a plurality of additional photosensitive sites adjacent the image capturing photosensitive sites in which there is no image capture; and a digital signal embedded in one or more of the additional photosensitive sites for the purpose of identification.

Claims

1. An image sensor comprising:

(a) a substrate having a plurality of photosensitive sites for capturing an image and a plurality of additional photosensitive sites adjacent the image capturing photosensitive sites in which there is no image capture; and

(b) a digital signal embedded in one or more of the additional photosensitive sites for the purpose of identification.

2. The image sensor as in claim 1, wherein the digital signal identifies individually or in any combination particular manufacturer, lot, wafer, and/or position on the wafer during manufacture of the image sensor

3. The image sensor as in claim 1 wherein the embedded digital signal includes a watermark for electronic identification of the sensor without affecting any aspect of the image captured by the plurality of sites used to capture the image.

4. The image sensor as in claim 1 further comprising an electronic structure for preventing charge from passing to an amplifier for identifying the embedded digital signal.

5. A method for creating an image sensor comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a substrate having a plurality of photosensitive sites for capturing an image and a plurality of additional photosensitive sites adjacent the image capturing photosensitive sites in which there is no image capture; and

(b) embedding a digital signal in one or more of the additional photosensitive sites for the purpose of identification.

6. The method as in claim 5 wherein step (b) includes etching a protective metal spanning one or more of the additional photosensitive sites in a predefined sequence.

7. The method as in claim 5 where the predefined sequence is repeated in a predetermined manner to provide redundancy as a safeguard for problems which might affect the ability of the photoactive site from registering a signal.

8. The method as in claim 5 wherein the predefined sequence is used as a watermark for electronic identification.

9. The method as in claim 5 further comprising providing an electronic structure for preventing charge from passing to an amplifier for identifying the embedded digital signal.

10. An image capture device comprising:

(a) an image sensor comprising;

(a1) a substrate having a plurality of photosensitive sites for capturing an image and a plurality of additional photosensitive sites adjacent the image capturing photosensitive sites in which there is no image capture; and

(a2) a digital signal embedded in one or more of the additional photosensitive sites for the purpose of identification.

12. The image capture device as in claim 10, wherein the digital signal identifies individually or in any combination particular manufacturer, lot, wafer, and/or position on the wafer during manufacture of the image sensor

13. The image capture device as in claim 10, wherein the embedded digital signal includes a watermark for electronic identification of the sensor without affecting any aspect of the image captured by the plurality of sites used to capture the image.

14. The image capture device as in claim 10 further comprising an electronic structure for preventing charge from passing to an amplifier for identifying the embedded digital signal.