Semiconductor and optoelectronic devices

• US 9,197,804 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monolithic 3D, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Monolithic 3D, Inc.
• Inventors: Or-Bach, Zvi, Lim, Paul, Sekar, Deepak C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US13/274,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 348/340, 348/345, 348/357, 348/337, 348/355, 250/208.1, 250/201.3, 250/201.6, 250/201.7, 250/201.2, 250/201.4, 257/204, 257/390, 396 79- 83, 396 89-152
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0756 Stacked arrangements of devices
• 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: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/585 with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/79 Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors

Abstract

A camera system including, a first image sensor array and a second image sensor array wherein the first image sensor array is designed for a first focal plane in front of the camera, and the second image sensor array is designed for a second focal plane in front of the camera, wherein the distance to the first focal plane is substantially different than the distance to the second focal plane.

Claims

1. A camera system, comprising:

a first image sensor array and a second image sensor array,

wherein said first image sensor array is designed for a first focal plane in front of the camera, and said second image sensor array is designed for a second focal plane in front of the camera,

wherein said first image sensor array provides a first image comprising a plurality of first pixels and first pixels values and said second image sensor array provides a second image comprising a plurality of second pixels and second pixels values;

a lens,

wherein a first distance from said lens to said first focal plane is substantially different than a second distance from said lens to said second focal plane; and

a processor,

wherein said processor calculates a third image comprising a plurality of third pixels and third pixel values,

wherein said plurality of third pixels and pixel values are calculated from said first pixels and first pixels values and said second pixels and second pixels values, and

wherein said third image represents a third focal plane.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a beam-splitter,

wherein said beam-splitter splits a before said beam-splitter optical path into a first optical path to said first image sensor array and a second optical path to said second image sensor array,

wherein said first optical path is substantially longer than said second optical path.

3. The camera system according to claim 1,

wherein said second image sensor array is bonded on top of said first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays, and

wherein said two substantially parallel planes are disposed less than 15 micro-meters apart.

4. The camera system according to claim 1,

wherein said second image sensor array is bonded on top of said first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays,

wherein said second image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer, and

wherein said mono-crystallized silicon layer thickness is less than 2 microns.

5. The camera system according to claim 1,

wherein said second image sensor array is bonded on top of said first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays,

wherein said second image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer, and

wherein said bonded leaves a re-useable base wafer used to hold said mono-crystallized silicon layer.

6. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct said third image data.

7. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct a distance to said third image data.

8. A camera system, comprising:

an image sensor subsystem and a memory subsystem and a control subsystem,

wherein the camera is designed wherein the image sensor can provide the memory at least a first image and a second image for a scene in front of the camera,

wherein said first image and said second image are of said scene,

wherein said first image is for a first focal plane in front of the camera, and said second image is for a second focal plane in front of the camera,

wherein said first image comprises a plurality of first pixels and first pixels values and said second image comprises a plurality of second pixels and second pixels values; and

a lens,

wherein a first distance from said lens to said first focal plane is substantially different than a second distance from said lens to said second focal plane, and

wherein said processor calculates a third image comprising a plurality of third pixels and third pixel values,

wherein said plurality of third pixels and pixel values are calculated from said first pixels and first pixels values and said second pixels and second pixels values, and

wherein said third image represents a third focal plane.

9. The camera system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a beam-splitter,

wherein said beam-splitter splits a before said beam-splitter optical path into a first optical path to said first image sensor array and a second optical path to said second image sensor array,

wherein said first optical path is substantially longer than said second optical path.

10. The camera system according to claim 8,

wherein a second image sensor array is bonded on top of a first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays, and

wherein said two substantially parallel planes are disposed less than 15 micro-meters apart.

11. The camera system according to claim 8,

wherein a second image sensor array is bonded on top of a first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays,

wherein said second image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer, and

wherein said mono-crystallized silicon layer thickness is less than 2 microns.

12. The camera system according to claim 8,

wherein a second image sensor array is bonded on top of a first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays,

wherein said second image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer, and

wherein said bonded leaves a re-useable base wafer used to hold said mono-crystallized silicon layer.

13. The camera system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a processor and a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct said third image data,

wherein said first image data is sourced from a first image sensor array, and said second image data is sourced from a second image sensor array.

14. The camera system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a processor and a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct a distance to said third image data,

wherein said first image data is sourced from a first image sensor array, and said second image data is sourced from a second image sensor array.

15. The camera system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a mono-crystallized silicon layer underlying said first image sensor array,

wherein said mono-crystallized silicon layer comprises pixel electronics (readout and control circuits).

16. The camera system according to claim 8,

wherein said apparatus comprises a piezoelectric element.

17. A camera system, comprising:

a first image sensor array and a second image sensor array,

wherein said first image sensor array is designed for a first focal plane in front of the camera, and said second image sensor array is designed for a second focal plane in front of the camera,

wherein said first image sensor array provides a first image and said second image sensor array provides a second image;

a lens,

wherein a first distance from said lens to said first focal plane is substantially different than a second distance from said lens to said second focal plane; and

a processor,

wherein said processor calculates a third image from said first image and said second image, and

wherein said third image represents a third focal plane,

wherein said second image sensor array is bonded on top of said first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays, and

wherein said two substantially parallel planes are disposed less than 15 micro-meters apart.

18. The camera system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a mono-crystallized silicon layer underlying said first image sensor array,

wherein said mono-crystallized silicon layer comprises pixel electronics (readout and control circuits).

19. The camera system according to claim 17,

wherein said bonded leaves a re-useable base wafer used to hold said second image sensor array.

20. The camera system according to claim 17,

wherein said first image sensor array is sensitive to a substantially different optical spectrum than said second image sensor array.

21. The camera system according to claim 17,

wherein said first image sensor array has a substantially different optical intensity saturation level than said second image sensor array.

22. The camera system according to claim 17,

wherein said first image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer of thickness less than 2 microns.

23. The camera system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct said third image data.

24. A camera system, comprising:

an image sensor subsystem and a memory subsystem and a control subsystem,

wherein the camera is designed wherein the image sensor can provide the memory at least a first image and a second image for a scene in front of the camera,

wherein said first image and said second image are of said scene,

wherein said first image is for a first focal plane in front of the camera, and said second image is for a second focal plane in front of the camera, wherein said first image and said second image; and

a lens,

wherein a first distance from said lens to said first focal plane is substantially different than a second distance from said lens to said second focal plane, and

wherein said first image and said second image are used for the calculation of a third image, and wherein said third image represents a third focal plane,

wherein a second image sensor array is bonded on top of a first image sensor array forming two substantially parallel planes of image sensor arrays, and wherein said two substantially parallel planes are disposed less than 15 micro-meters apart.

25. The camera system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a mono-crystallized silicon layer underlying said first image sensor array,

wherein said mono-crystallized silicon layer comprises pixel electronics (readout and control circuits).

26. The camera system according to claim 24,

wherein said bonded leaves a re-useable base wafer used to hold said second image sensor array.

27. The camera system according to claim 24,

wherein said first image sensor array is sensitive to a substantially different optical spectrum than said second image sensor array.

28. The camera system according to claim 24,

wherein said first image sensor array has a substantially different optical intensity saturation level than said second image sensor array.

29. The camera system according to claim 24,

wherein said first image sensor array comprises a mono-crystallized silicon layer of thickness less than 2 microns.

30. The camera system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a memory;

wherein said memory comprises instructions to process at least said first image data and said second image data to construct said third image data.