LENS ARRAY FOR PARTITIONED IMAGE SENSOR HAVING COLOR FILTERS

• US 20140043507A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Deng, Jau-Jan, Hsu, Yun-Chiang, Wang, Chia-Ching
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/267
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• 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: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

An apparatus includes an image sensor including N image sensor regions arranged thereon. N lens structures are included in a lens array disposed proximate to the image sensor. Each one of the N lens structures is arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions. The N lens structures include a first lens structure having a red color filter, a second lens structure having a green color filter, and a third lens structure having a blue color filter. Each one of the N lens structures includes a glass wafer and a lens formed on the glass wafer. Each one of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor including N image sensor regions arranged thereon; and

N lens structures included in a lens array disposed proximate to the image sensor, each one of the N lens structures arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions, the N lens structures including a first lens structure having a red color filter, a second lens structure having a green color filter, and a third lens structure having a blue color filter, each one of the N lens structures including a glass wafer and a lens formed on the glass wafer, wherein each one of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a UV-IR-cut filter including multilayer dielectric coatings, wherein the UV-IR-cut filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first lens structure further includes an IR-cut filter including multilayer dielectric coatings, wherein the IR-cut filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter comprise photo-resist coatings.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter comprise multilayer dielectric coatings.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the N lens structures include a first lens structure having a first focal length and positioned the first focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, a second lens structure having a second focal length and positioned the second focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, and a third lens structure having a third focal length and positioned the third focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the first focal length, the second focal length and the third focal length are different, wherein the first focal length corresponds with light having a red color, wherein the second focal length corresponds with light having a green color and wherein the third focal length corresponds with light having a blue color.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a fourth focal length and positioned the fourth focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the fourth focal length is substantially equal to one of the first focal length, the second length and the third focal length.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the N lens structures include a first lens structure having a first radius of curvature and positioned a focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, a second lens structure having a second radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, and a third lens structure having a third radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the first radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature and the third radius of curvature are different, wherein the first radius of curvature corresponds with light having a red color, wherein the second radius of curvature corresponds with light having a green color and wherein the third radius of curvature corresponds with light having a blue color.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a fourth radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the fourth radius of curvature is substantially equal to one of the first radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature and the third radius of curvature.

10. An imaging system, comprising:

a pixel array including an image sensor having N image sensor regions arranged therein, wherein each one of the N image sensor regions has a plurality of pixels arranged therein;

N lens structures included in a lens array disposed proximate to the image sensor, each one of the N lens structures is arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions, the N lens structures include a first lens structure having a red color filter, a second lens structure having a green color filter, and a third lens structure having a blue color filter, each one of the N lens structures including a glass wafer and a lens formed on the glass wafer, wherein each one of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer;

control circuitry coupled to the pixel array to control operation of the pixel array; and

readout circuitry coupled to the pixel array to readout image data from the plurality of pixels.

11. The imaging system of claim 10 further comprising function logic coupled to the readout circuitry to store the single image data readout from each one of the N image sensor regions.

12. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a UV-IR-cut filter including multilayer dielectric coatings, wherein the UV-IR-cut filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

13. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the first lens structure further includes an IR-cut filter including multilayer dielectric coatings, wherein the IR-cut filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer;

and

14. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter comprise photo-resist coatings.

15. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter comprise multilayer dielectric coatings.

16. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the N lens structures include a first lens structure having a first focal length and positioned the first focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, a second lens structure having a second focal length and positioned the second focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, and a third lens structure having a third focal length and positioned the third focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the first focal length, the second focal length and the third focal length are different, wherein the first focal length corresponds with light having a red color, wherein the second focal length corresponds with light having a green color and wherein the third focal length corresponds with light having a blue color.

17. The imaging system of claim 16 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a fourth focal length and positioned the fourth focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the fourth focal length is substantially equal to one of the first focal length, the second length and the third focal length.

18. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the N lens structures include a first lens structure having a first radius of curvature and positioned a focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, a second lens structure having a second radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, and a third lens structure having a third radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the first, second and third radii of curvature are different, wherein the first radius of curvature corresponds with light having a red color, wherein the second radius of curvature corresponds with light having a green color and wherein the third radius of curvature corresponds with light having a blue color.

19. The imaging system of claim 10 wherein the N lens structures further include a fourth lens structure having a fourth radius of curvature and positioned the focal length away from the respective one of the N image sensor regions, wherein the fourth radius of curvature is substantially equal to one of the first radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature and the third radius of curvature.