Dielectric mirror based multispectral filter array

• US 9,960,199 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ockenfuss, Georg J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, NGAN V
• Application Number:
  US15/388,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20170186794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2806 Array and filter array
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2826 Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/285 comprising deposited thin solid films G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/288 comprising at least one thin film resonant cavity, e.g. in bandpass filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14868 CCD or CID colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14875 Infrared CCD or CID imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair

Abstract

An optical sensor device may include a set of optical sensors. The optical sensor device may include a substrate. The optical sensor device may include a multispectral filter array disposed on the substrate. The multispectral filter array may include a first dielectric mirror disposed on the substrate. The multispectral filter array may include a spacer disposed on the first dielectric mirror. The spacer may include a set of layers. The multispectral filter array may include a second dielectric mirror disposed on the spacer. The second dielectric mirror may be aligned with two or more sensor elements of a set of sensor elements.

Claims

1. An optical sensor device, comprising:

a set of optical sensors;

a substrate; and

a multispectral filter array disposed on the substrate,

the multispectral filter array including;

a first dielectric mirror disposed on the substrate,

a spacer disposed on the first dielectric mirror,

the spacer including a set of layers,

a second dielectric mirror disposed on the spacer; and

wherein the second dielectric mirror is aligned with two or more sensor elements of a set of sensor elements.

2. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the first dielectric mirror has a uniform thickness.

3. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the spacer is disposed completely on the first dielectric mirror.

4. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the second dielectric mirror is aligned with a majority of the set of sensor elements.

5. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the second dielectric mirror covers all of the set of sensor elements.

6. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the set of layers comprises:

a set of spacer layers,

a first layer of the set of spacer layers corresponding to a first channel, of a set of optical channels aligned to the set of optical sensors, and being associated with a first thickness, and

a second layer of the set of spacer layers corresponding to a second channel, of the set of optical channels, and being associated with a second thickness that is different than the first thickness.

7. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the first dielectric mirror and the second dielectric mirror include at least one of:

a hydrogenated silicon based mirror, or

a silicon-dioxide based mirror.

8. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the spacer includes at least one of:

an oxide-based material,

a nitride-based material,

a germanium (Ge)-based material, or

a silicon (Si)-based material.

9. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where one or more layers of the multispectral filter array are deposited layers,

the deposited layers being deposited on the substrate using a pulsed magnetron sputtering process or a lift-off process.

10. The optical sensor device of claim 1,

where the substrate is a semiconductor substrate or a glass-based substrate;

and

where the set of optical sensors further comprise at least one of;

a photodiode array disposed on the substrate,

a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor array disposed on the substrate, or

a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor array disposed on the substrate.

11. The optical sensor device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more filter layers disposed on the multispectral filter array to filter light directed to the set of optical sensors,

the one or more filter layers including at least one of;

a set of out-of-band blocking layers,

a set of anti-reflective coating layers, or

a set of higher order suppression layers.

12. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where at least one of the first dielectric mirror or the second dielectric mirror is a quarterwave stack mirror.

14. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where a spectral range of light that is directed toward the set of optical sensors when the optical sensor device is exposed to a light source is between approximately 700 nanometers and approximately 1100 nanometers.

15. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the set of layers include a niobium titanium oxide based material.

16. The optical sensor device of claim 1,

where the set of layers are associated with a set of channels, and

where the set of channels are associated with a non-uniform channel spacing.

18. The optical sensor device of claim 1, where the set of optical sensors are a plurality of optical sensors of a super array.

13. An optical filter, comprising:

a first layer,

the first layer being a first dielectric mirror to reflect a portion of light directed toward the first layer, and

the first layer being deposited on a substrate associated with a set of optical sensors;

a second set of layers,

the second set of layers being deposited solely on the first layer, and

the second set of layers being associated with a set of channels corresponding to a set of sensor elements,

a channel, of the set of channels, being associated with a particular thickness corresponding to a particular wavelength of light that is to be directed toward a particular optical sensor of the set of optical sensors; and

a third layer,

the third layer being a second dielectric mirror to reflect a portion of light directed toward the third layer, and

the third layer being deposited on a plurality of the set of sensor elements associated with the second set of layers.

17. A system, comprising:

a set of optical sensors embedded into a substrate; and

a multispectral filter array deposited on the substrate,

the multispectral filter array including;

a first dielectric mirror to partially reflect light from a light source,

the first dielectric mirror including a first quarterwave stack of high-index and low-index layers,

a second dielectric mirror to partially reflect light from the light source,

the second dielectric mirror including a second quarterwave stack of high-index and low-index layers; and

a plurality of high-index spacer layers disposed between the first dielectric mirror and the second dielectric mirror.

19. The system of claim 17, where the high-index layers are hydrogenated silicon layers and the low-index layers are silicon dioxide layers.

20. The system of claim 17, where the high-index spacer layers are at least one of:

hydrogenated silicon layers,

tantalum oxide layers,

niobium oxide layers, or

titanium oxide layers.