Radiation sensor

• US 9,006,636 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Findlay, Ewan
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US13/241,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120132788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/216, 250/214.R, 250/214.AL, 250/208.2, 250/239
• US Class Current: 250/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0219 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0271 Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0422 using light concentrators, collectors or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/06 Restricting the angle of incident light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0265 Handheld, portable ear thermometers G01J5/049
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/041 Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0896 using a light source, e.g. for illuminating a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/36 with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A radiation sensor is provided comprising: one or more first pixels and one or more second pixels. A first optical element is provided over the first and second pixels, having a first field of view. A second optical element is provided over the one or more second pixels, having a second field of view. The second optical element is positioned between the first optical element and the one or more second pixels, wherein the first field of view is substantially narrower than, and lies substantially within, the second field of view.

Claims

1. A radiation sensor comprising:

one or more first pixels and one or more second pixels;

a first optical element provided over both the first and second pixels and the one or more first pixels having a first field of view; and

a second optical element provided over the one or more second pixels and the one or more second pixels having a second field of view, the second optical element being positioned between the first optical element and the one or more second pixels,

wherein the first field of view is substantially narrower than, and lies substantially within, the second field of view.

2. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first optical element is positioned within the second field of view.

3. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first and second pixels are formed on a common substrate.

4. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first and second pixels are part of the same pixel array.

5. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein one or more first pixels are adjacent to one or more second pixels.

6. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second optical elements comprise one of a lens, a plurality of lenses and a diffractive optical element.

7. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein a shortest distance between the first optical element and the second optical element is substantially equal to a focal length of the first optical element.

8. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein a shortest distance between the second optical element and one of the one or more second pixels is less than a shortest distance between the first optical element and said second pixel.

9. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the one or more second pixels comprise sensing surfaces and the second optical element is formed on the sensing surfaces of the one or more second pixels.

10. The radiation sensor of claim 1 further comprising a radiation absorption filter between the second optical element and one or more second pixels.

11. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the second optical element comprises reflowed photoresist.

12. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the second optical element has an exposed convex surface.

13. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the second field of view has a half angle substantially between 25°

and 45°

.

14. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the second optical element comprises a microlens.

15. The radiation sensor of claim 1 comprising a plurality of first pixels.

16. The radiation sensor of claim 1 comprising a plurality of second pixels.

17. The radiation sensor of claim 16 wherein the second optical element comprises a plurality of lensing elements.

18. The radiation sensor of claim 17 wherein each lensing element is provided above a respective second pixel.

19. The radiation sensor of claim 18 wherein the principle optical axis of each respective lensing element is offset from the principle optical axis of each respective second pixel.

20. The radiation sensor of claim 17 wherein the lensing elements are microlenses.

21. The radiation sensor of claim 17 wherein the first field of view overlaps the second field of view.

22. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first optical element has an exposed convex surface.

23. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first optical element is mounted above the first and second pixels.

24. The radiation sensor of claim 1 wherein the first and second pixels are single photon avalanche detectors.

25. Apparatus comprising a radiation sensor comprising:

one or more first pixels and one or more second pixels, the first pixels associated with a proximity sensing function and the second pixels associated with a ambient light detection function;

a first optical element provided over the first and second pixels and the first pixels having a first field of view for proximity sensing; and

a second optical element provided over the one or more second pixels and the second pixels having a second field of view for ambient light sensing, the second optical element being positioned between the first optical element and the one or more second pixels,

wherein the first field of view is substantially narrower than, and lies substantially within, the second field of view.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the sensor further comprises a radiation source.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the radiation source is provided in a first sensor package compartment and the first and second pixels are provided in a second sensor package compartment optically isolated from the first sensor package compartment.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the apparatus is a mobile communications device.