OPTICAL SENSORS AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME

• US 20190319059A1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visera Technologies Company Limited (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visera Technologies Company Limited (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Inventors: WU, Ching-Chiang, LIN, Ho-Tai, SANO, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,770,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements

Abstract

An optical sensor includes an optical layer disposed on a substrate, and a light shielding layer disposed on the optical layer, wherein the light shielding layer includes a first opening that partially exposes the optical layer. The optical sensor also includes a polymer material layer that fills the first opening, wherein a top surface of the polymer material layer is higher than a top surface of the light shielding layer. The optical sensor further includes an adhesive layer disposed on the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer, and a surface component disposed on the adhesive layer.

Claims

1. An optical sensor, comprising:

an optical layer disposed on a substrate;

a light shielding layer disposed on the optical layer, wherein the light shielding layer comprises a first opening that partially exposes the optical layer;

a polymer material layer fills the first opening, wherein a top surface of the polymer material layer is higher than a top surface of the light shielding layer;

an adhesive layer disposed on the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer; and

a surface component disposed on the adhesive layer.

2. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the light shielding layer is covered by the polymer material layer, and the polymer material layer is surrounded by the adhesive layer and the light shielding layer.

3. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical layer is fully covered by the polymer material layer and the light shielding layer.

4. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer material layer has a rectangular shape or a circular shape from a top view.

5. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the polymer material layer is less than 1.5 times a thickness of the light shielding layer.

6. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the polymer material layer is higher than a bottom surface of the adhesive layer.

7. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a hydrophilic film covering the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer, wherein the adhesive layer is separated from the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer by the hydrophilic film.

8. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a photoelectric conversion region disposed in the substrate,

wherein the polymer material layer is made of an organic polymer, and the polymer material layer is aligned with the photoelectric conversion region, and

wherein the adhesive layer is transparent, and the surface component is partially transparent or fully transparent.

9. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the polymer material layer is made of a transparent organic polymer, a red color filter, a green color filter, a blue color filter, a cyan color filter, a magenta color filter, a yellow color filter, or an infrared pass filter.

10. An optical sensor, comprising:

an optical layer disposed on a substrate;

a light shielding layer disposed on the optical layer, wherein the light shielding layer comprises a first array of openings and a second array of openings that partially exposes the optical layer;

a first polymer material portion fills the first array of openings;

a second polymer material portion fills the second array of openings;

an adhesive layer disposed on the light shielding layer, the first polymer material portion and the second polymer material portion, wherein the adhesive layer extends between the first polymer material portion and the second polymer material portion; and

a surface component disposed on the adhesive layer.

11. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first polymer material portion is parallel to the second polymer material portion.

12. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first polymer material portion and the second polymer material portion are disposed along a direction of an edge of the substrate.

13. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first polymer material portion and the second polymer material portion extend on the light shielding layer, and

wherein the first polymer material portion has a first T-shaped cross-section, the second polymer material portion has a second T-shaped cross-section, and the first T-shaped cross-section is separated from the second T-shaped cross-section.

14. The optical sensor as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first T-shaped cross-section has a first center in a top view, the second T-shaped cross-section has a second center in the top view, and the first center and the second center have a first distance therebetween, and

wherein the first T-shaped cross-section and the second T-shaped cross-section have a second distance therebetween, and a ratio of the second distance to the first distance is in a range from 15% to 85%.

15. A method for forming an optical sensor, comprising:

forming an optical layer on a substrate;

forming a light shielding layer on the optical layer, wherein the light shielding layer comprises a first opening and a second opening that partially exposes the optical layer;

forming a polymer material layer on the optical layer, wherein the polymer material layer has a first portion that fills the first opening and a second portion that fills the second opening, the first portion and the second portion protrude from a top surface of the light shielding layer, and the first portion and the second portion have a space therebetween;

applying an adhesive layer on the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer; and

attaching a surface component to the polymer material layer with the adhesive layer.

16. The method for forming the optical sensor as claimed in claim 15, wherein the polymer material layer extends on the light shielding layer.

17. The method for forming the optical sensor as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

forming a hydrophilic film covering the light shielding layer and the polymer material layer before applying the adhesive layer.

18. The method for forming the optical sensor as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substrate has a photoelectric conversion region therein, and

wherein the polymer material layer is transparent for full-spectrum light or a light in a specific wavelength range, and the polymer material layer is aligned with the photoelectric conversion region.

19. The method for forming the optical sensor as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

applying a force to the surface component uniformly so that air bubbles trapped between the adhesive layer and the light shielding layer are removed through the space.

20. The method for forming the optical sensor as claimed in claim 15, wherein the adhesive layer is applied between the light shielding layer, the polymer material layer and the surface component from an edge of the substrate via capillary action, such that air bubbles trapped between the adhesive layer and the light shielding layer are removed through the space.