Curved sensor system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for capturing an image comprising the steps of:
- fabricating a plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments to form a wafer of sensor chips;
said wafer of sensor chips having a front side and a back side;
selected a flexible membrane which is sufficiently rigid to maintain a curved shape, but which is able to bend without breaking;
attaching said back side of said wafer of sensor chips to said flexible membrane;
bending said wafer of sensor chips slightly to form a curved surface;
etching a plurality of thin lines into said wafer of sensor chips facet, but not through said flexible membrane;
forming said wafer of sensor chips and said flexible membrane into a generally curved surface;
said plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments which are shaped into a generally curved surface;
each of said petal-shaped semiconductor segments being, connected at a common point which, after bending, generally forms the center of said generally curved surface;
forming a plurality of vias through said flexible membrane;
attaching said wafer of sensor chips to a backside wiring harness through said plurality of vias;
providing a signal processor;
connecting said signal processor to said backside wiring harness; and
generating a digital image from said signal processor.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for a Curved Sensor System are disclosed. The present invention includes a wide variety of generally curved, aspheric or non-planar arrangement of sensors and their equivalents. The curved surfaces, edges or boundaries that define the geometry of the present invention may be continuous, or may be collections or aggregations of many small linear, planar or other segments which are able to approximate a curved line or surface.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for capturing an image comprising the steps of:
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fabricating a plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments to form a wafer of sensor chips; said wafer of sensor chips having a front side and a back side; selected a flexible membrane which is sufficiently rigid to maintain a curved shape, but which is able to bend without breaking; attaching said back side of said wafer of sensor chips to said flexible membrane; bending said wafer of sensor chips slightly to form a curved surface; etching a plurality of thin lines into said wafer of sensor chips facet, but not through said flexible membrane; forming said wafer of sensor chips and said flexible membrane into a generally curved surface; said plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments which are shaped into a generally curved surface; each of said petal-shaped semiconductor segments being, connected at a common point which, after bending, generally forms the center of said generally curved surface; forming a plurality of vias through said flexible membrane; attaching said wafer of sensor chips to a backside wiring harness through said plurality of vias; providing a signal processor; connecting said signal processor to said backside wiring harness; and generating a digital image from said signal processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification