Wire-bondable image sensor having integral contaminant shadowing reduction structure
First Claim
1. An image sensor, comprising:
- a substrate having a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area;
light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area;
bond pads exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires; and
a contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises organic material that has a thickness of at least 200 μ
m and is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, the organic material having dispersed therein at least one infrared light absorbing dye and being patterned so that the bond pads are free of any overlying portions of the organic material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wire-bondable image sensor having an integral contaminant shadowing reduction structure is described. In one aspect, an image sensor includes a substrate that has a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area. Light detectors are constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area. Bond pads are exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires. A contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area has an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 μm. The contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor. Methods of making the above-mentioned image sensor also are described.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An image sensor, comprising:
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a substrate having a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area; light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area; bond pads exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires; and a contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises organic material that has a thickness of at least 200 μ
m and is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, the organic material having dispersed therein at least one infrared light absorbing dye and being patterned so that the bond pads are free of any overlying portions of the organic material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8)
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4. An image sensor, comprising:
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a substrate having a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area; light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area; bond pads exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires; and a contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises a patterned, cross-linked photoresist layer having a thickness of at least 300 μ
m.
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5. An imaging sensor, comprising:
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a substrate having a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area; light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area; bond pads exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires; and a contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises a patterned, cured epoxy resin layer having a thickness of at least 300 μ
m.
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9. A method fabricating an image sensor, comprising:
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forming image sensor dice on a wafer, wherein each of the dice comprises light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through a respective imaging area and bond pads in a wirebonding area; forming on the dice a contaminant shadowing reduction structure having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging areas and separated from the imaging areas by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the forming of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises depositing on the imaging areas organic material that has a thickness of at least 200 μ
m and is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor and has dispersed therein at least one infrared light absorbing dye;removing regions of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure over the wirebonding areas of the dice to expose the bond pads; and separating the dice into respective image sensor chips. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 14, 15)
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12. A method fabricating an imaging sensor, comprising:
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forming image sensor dice on a wafer, wherein each of the dice comprises light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through a respective imaging area and bond pads in a wirebonding area; forming on the dice a contaminant shadowing reduction structure having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging areas and separated from the imaging areas by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, wherein the forming of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises forming a patterned, cross-linked photoresist layer having a thickness of at least 300 μ
m;removing regions of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure over the wirebonding areas of the dice to expose the bond pads; and separating the dice into respective image sensor chips.
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13. A method fabricating an image sensor, comprising:
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forming image sensor dice on a wafer, wherein each of the dice comprises light detectors constructed and arranged to receive light through a respective imaging area and bond pads in a wirebonding area; forming on the dice a contaminant shadowing reduction structure having an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging areas and separated from the imaging areas by a distance of at least 300 μ
m, wherein the contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor, wherein the forming of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure comprises forming a patterned, cured epoxy resin layer having a thickness of at least 300 μ
m;removing regions of the contaminant shadowing reduction structure over the wirebonding areas of the dice to expose the bond pads; and separating the dice into respective image sensor chips.
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Specification