OPTICAL MEMBER, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20110221022A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Toda, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/432
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/188 Plurality of such optical elements formed in or on a supporting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

Abstract

An optical member including high refractive index layers having a great refractive index and low refractive index layers having a small refractive index, which are each relatively thin as compared with an optical length, disposed alternately in the lateral direction as to an optical axis. Each width of the high refractive index layers and the low refractive index layers is equal to or smaller than the wavelength order of incident light.

Claims

1. A solid state imaging device comprising:

a first layer containing a photodiode;

a second layer over the first layer, the second layer comprised of a single material layer through which incident light can pass and having one or more equiphase layers with a refractive index of n0, the second layer having an equiphase wave surface through which the incident light is received and a back surface through which the light exists, the second layer having an optical axis along the direction of the light passing therethrough; and

an alternate placement layer within the second layer, the alternate placement layer being comprised of separate high refractive index layers having a great refractive index n1 and separate low refractive index layers having a small refractive index n0, which refractive index layers are each relatively thin in a lateral direction relative to the optical axis as compared with an optical length of the optical member, the high and low refractive index layers being disposed alternately in the lateral direction,

wherein,

the alternate placement layer is effective as a condensing lens for light passing therethrough,

the refractive index n0 is less than the refractive index n1,

a high refractive index layer is positioned at the mechanical center of the member with the optical axis extending therethrough.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said high refractive index layers are each disposed symmetrically so as to be disposed densely at the mechanical center of said member along said lateral direction, and disposed non-densely along said lateral direction farther away from said center.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein:

said high refractive index layers are disposed such that each width of said high refractive index layers increases gradually toward the mechanical center of said member; and

said low refractive index layers are disposed such that each width of said low refractive index layers decreases gradually toward the mechanical center of said member.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the high and low refractive index layers are rectangular in cross section.