Controlling lens shape in a microlens array
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semi-conductor based imager includes a microlens array having microlenses with modified focal characteristics. The microlenses are made of a microlens material, the melting properties of which are selectively modified to obtain different shapes after a reflow process. Selected microlenses, or portions of each microlens, are modified, by exposure to ultraviolet light, for example, to control the microlens shape produced by reflow melting. Controlling the microlens shape allows for modification of the focal characteristics of selected microlenses in the microlens array.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1-51. -51. (canceled)
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52. An imager device comprising:
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a pixel array having pixel cells, each pixel cell having a photosensor; and
a microlens array above the pixel array, comprising;
a first set of bleached irradiation microlenses, each microlens of said first set having a first focal characteristic; and
a second set of bleached irradiation microlenses, each microlens of said second set having a second focal characteristic different from said first focal characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An imager device comprising:
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an imager array having pixel cells formed on a substrate, each pixel cell having a photosensor; and
a microlens array formed above the imager array, comprising;
first microlenses having a first shape; and
second microlenses having a second shape different than the first shape, wherein the first and second microlenses are formed from the same material, with an altered chemical structure of the material forming the first microlenses being different from an altered chemical structure of the material forming the second microlenses.
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61. A processor system, comprising:
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a processor; and
an imager device coupled to said processor, the imager device comprising;
a pixel cell array formed in a substrate, the pixel cell array having a plurality of pixel cells comprising a plurality of photosensors, and a microlens array over the plurality of photosensors, the microlens array comprising;
a first set of bleached irradiation microlenses having a first shape; and
a second set of bleached irradiation microlenses having a second shape different from the first shape.
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62. A method of forming an imager device comprising:
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providing a pixel cell array having a plurality of pixel cells, each pixel cell having a photosensor;
patterning a microlens material formed over the pixel cell array into a pre-reflow array;
irradiating the microlens material of the pre-reflow array through a pattern such that at least first and second portions of the microlens material are irradiated differently to produce at least a first and second set of pre-reflowed microlenses in an array; and
reflowing the pre-reflow array to form the microlens array having at least first and second sets of reflowed microlenses, the first set having different optical properties from the second set. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A microlens array, comprising:
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a first set of microlenses, each having a first focal length; and
a second set of microlenses, each having a second focal length different than the first focal length, wherein the focal length of the microlenses in each of the first and second sets of microlenses correspond to a color signal response of a photosensor associated with each respective microlens.
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Specification