Light sensing device having an array of photosensitive elements coincident with an array of lens formed on an optically transmissive material

• US 5,977,535 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rostoker, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, STEPHONE B
• Application Number:
  US08/863,372
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/208.2, 250/216, 250/578.1, 257/432, 257/436, 257/294, 345/50, 345/51, 358/482, 358/483, 359/565, 437/2-5, 437/904, 437/23
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

A camera comprising various arrangements for employing optical elements in association with photosensitive elements are described. In some of the arrangements, the optical elements are formed integrally with a substrate containing the photosensitive elements. In other arrangements, an optical element is mounted to a package, or the like, containing the substrate and photosensitive elements. In other arrangements, two or more optical elements are employed, including conventional refractive elements, refractive focusing elements, and refractive beam splitting elements. Utility as solid state image sensors is discussed. Utility for monochromatic and color imaging is discussed. Various devices based on such camera arrangements. and methods of making same are discussed.

Claims

1. A light sensing device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in an array of spaced rows and columns on the substrate, each element generating a response upon incidence of light, said response being indicative of one pixel of image information;

a planarized layer of optically-transmissive material overlaying said plurality of photosensitive elements; and

a plurality of lens elements arranged in another array of rows and columns in the layer of optically transmissive material for focusing incidence light at desired locations on said substrate to cause a specific portion of an image to be focused onto at least one desired individual one of the plurality of photosensitive elements.

2. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein:

each photosensitive element is a memory cell which discharges upon incidence of light.

3. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein;

the array of photosensitive elements is a CDD array.

4. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements is offset in one of two dimensions relative to said array of lens elements.

5. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements is offset in both planar dimensions relative to said array of lens elements.

6. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements has offset rows.

7. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements has offset columns.

8. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements are arranged in a square configuration of m rows by m columns.

9. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of photosensitive elements are arranged in a rectangular configuration of m rows by n columns.

10. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of lens elements cause other specific portion of said image to be focused onto the surface of the substrate in areas between individual ones of said photosensitive elements.

11. A light sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a planarized layer of optically opaque material sandwiched between said planarized layer of optically transmissive material and the array of photosensitive elements; and

a plurality of holes formed in said optically opaque material to permit incidence light to radiate onto a desired portion of the underlying substrate so selected ones of the photosensitive elements may be discharged.

12. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said layer of optically-transmissive material has a desired uniform thickness to space said lens elements from said photosensitive elements at a desired focal length.

13. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said array of lens elements includes refractive lens elements and diffractive lens elements.

14. A light sensing device according to claim 1, wherein each lens element is formed on a corresponding one to one basis with each photosensitive element to establish corresponding pairs.

15. A light sensing device according to claim 14, wherein the corresponding pairs are aligned in both planar directions relative to one another.

16. A light sensing device according to claim 14, wherein the corresponding pairs are offset in one planar directions relative to one another.

17. A light sensing device according to claim 14, wherein the corresponding pairs are offset in both planar direction relative to one another.

18. A light sensitive device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in an array of spaced rows and columns, each element generating a response to incidence of light indicative of one pixel of image information;

a planarized layer of optically transmissive material overlying said plurality of photosensitive elements; and

a single lens element formed in said layer of optically transmissive material for focusing light onto desired ones of the photosensitive elements in said array.

19. A light sensitive device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a housing for supporting said single lens from below spaced from said plurality of photosensitive elements.

20. A light sensitive device according to claim 18, wherein said single lens element is a refractive lens element.

21. A light sensitive device according to claim 20, further comprising

integral optics disposed on the front surface of said substrate between said single lens element and said array of photosensitive element to help eliminate spherical and chromatic aberrations.