Methods and applications of non-planar imaging arrays

• US 9,123,614 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medidata Solutions Incorporated (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Original Assignee: MC10, Inc.
• Inventors: Callsen, Gilman, Arora, William J., Ghaffari, Roozbeh, Graff, Bassel de
• Primary Examiner(s): NIKMANESH, SEAHVOSH J
• Application Number:
  US13/747,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/18 High density interconnect [HDI] connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82 by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14683 Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof not peculiar thereto H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3512 Cracking

Abstract

System, devices and methods are presented that provide an imaging array fabrication process method, comprising fabricating an array of semiconductor imaging elements, interconnecting the elements with stretchable interconnections, and transfer printing the array with a pre-strained elastomeric stamp to a secondary non-planar surface.

Claims

1. An imaging array, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor imaging elements;

at least one stretchable interconnect, the at least one stretchable interconnect coupling at least one semiconductor imaging element of the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements to another semiconductor imaging element; and

at least one micro-lens disposed over at least a portion of at least one semiconductor imaging element of the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements.

2. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are formed from a single-crystalline semiconductor.

3. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are formed from a non-single crystal silicon material used for photo-detection.

4. The imaging array of claim 3, wherein the non-single crystal silicon material comprises at least one of an amorphous silicon material and a polycrystalline silicon material.

5. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are formed from a conductive oxide material.

6. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are formed from an organic material.

7. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are formed from a carbon nanotube material.

8. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein at least one semiconductor imaging element of the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements comprise:

at least one imaging pixel; and

support electronics for controlling and reading out an image from the at least one imaging pixel.

9. The imaging array of claim 8, wherein the at least one imaging pixel is disposed on a front-side of the at least one semiconductor imaging element.

10. The imaging array of claim 8, wherein the at least one imaging pixel is disposed on a back-side of the at least one semiconductor imaging element.

11. The imaging array of claim 10, wherein the at least one semiconductor imaging element comprises at least one color filter, wherein the at least one color filter is disposed between the at least one micro-lens and the at least one imaging pixel.

12. The imaging array of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuating component; and

a stretchable surface,

wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are disposed on the stretchable surface, and

wherein actuation of the actuating component causes a force to be applied to the stretchable surface.

13. The imaging array of claim 12, wherein the applied force changes the curvature of a portion of the stretchable surface.

14. The imaging array of claim 1, further comprising a stretchable surface comprising a non-planar portion, wherein the plurality of semiconductor imaging elements are disposed on the stretchable surface, and wherein the non-planar portion of the stretchable surface is mounted in a curved imaging system imager packaging.

15. The imaging array of claim 14, wherein the packaging is a chip scale packaging or a ball grid array.

16. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein at least one semiconductor imaging element of the plurality of at least one semiconductor imaging elements is fabricated on at least one of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate and a rigid stack.

17. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of at least one semiconductor imaging elements are arranged as sensor islands.

18. The imaging array of claim 17, wherein the sensor islands comprise one pixel per sensor island, or more than one pixel per sensor island.

19. The imaging array of claim 17, wherein the sensor islands include support electronics.

20. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the imaging array is shaped in a symmetrical non-planar geometry.

21. The imaging array of claim 20, wherein the geometry is a paraboloid of revolution, a hemisphere, or an ellipsoid.

22. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the imaging array is mounted in or on a camera module.

23. The imaging array of claim 22, wherein the camera module comprises:

a lens barrel with at least one lens on a moveable mount; and

a circuit for image processing and transmission.

24. The imaging array of claim 22, wherein the camera module comprises a lens.

25. The imaging array of claim 24, wherein the lens is a plastic molded lens.

26. The imaging array of claim 25, further comprising an actuating component, wherein actuation of the actuating component causes a force to be applied to change the shape of the lens.

27. The imaging array of claim 26, wherein the actuating component is configured to apply a radial tension force or a radial compression force.

28. The imaging array of claim 1, wherein the imaging array is mounted in or on a security imager, an inspection imager, a metrology imager, a space-based imager, a manned vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, or an endoscopic imager.

29. An imaging array, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor imaging islands, wherein at least one semiconductor imaging island of the plurality of semiconductor imaging islands is formed from a single-crystal semiconductor substrate;

at least one stretchable interconnect, the at least one stretchable interconnect coupling at least one semiconductor imaging island of the plurality of semiconductor imaging islands to another semiconductor imaging island; and

at least one micro-lens disposed over at least a portion of at least one semiconductor imaging island of the plurality of semiconductor imaging islands.