WAFER-LEVEL LENS MODULE AND IMAGE PICKUP MODULE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20100309368A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Eun-sung, CHOI, Min-seog, JUNG, Kyu-dong
• Application Number:
  US12/721,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309368A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/360
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0035 having three lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0085 employing wafer level optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• 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: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

Provided are a wafer-level lens module and an image pickup module including the same. The wafer lens module includes a plurality wafer-scale lenses. At least one of the plurality of wafer-scale lenses, such as a wafer-scale lens positioned toward an object side, includes a substrate and a glass lens element formed on one side of the substrate. The glass lens element may be a one-sided lens or a double-sided lens. When the glass lens is a double-sided lens, the substrate may have a through hole. The remaining wafer-scale lenses each include a substrate and polymer lens elements made of UV curable polymer and formed on both sides of the substrate. Also, spacers are interposed between the wafer-scale lenses, along the edge portions of the substrates, so as to maintain predetermined intervals between the wafer-scale lenses.

Claims

1. A wafer-level lens module comprising:

a first wafer-scale lens comprising a first substrate and a glass lens comprising a glass material and formed on a first side of the first substrate; and

a second wafer-scale lens spaced a predetermined distance from the first wafer-scale lens, the second wafer-scale lens comprising a second substrate and a first polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a first side of the second substrate.

2. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the glass lens is bonded to the first substrate.

3. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the glass lens is a one-sided lens, one surface of which is flat.

4. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is made of an opaque material, and has a through hole whose diameter is longer than a mean effective diameter of the glass lens and shorter than a total diameter of the glass lens, and

the glass lens is a double-sided lens whose edge portion is bonded to the first substrate, while covering the through hole.

5. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the first wafer-scale lens further comprises a second polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a second side of the first substrate, and the second wafer-scale lens further comprises a third polymer lens made of a polymer material and formed on a second side of the second substrate.

6. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein between the first substrate and the second substrate, at least one spacer is interposed to space the first wafer-scale lens a predetermined distance from the second wafer-scale lens.

7. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, further comprising a third wafer-scale lens spaced a predetermined distance from the second wafer-scale lens, the third wafer-scale lens comprising a third substrate and a fourth polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a first side of the third substrate.

8. The wafer-level lens module of claim 7, wherein the third wafer-scale lens further comprises a fifth polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a second side of the third substrate.

9. The wafer-level lens module of claim 7, wherein a lens group of the first wafer-scale lens has plus optical power, and each of a lens group of the second wafer-scale lens and a lens group of the third wafer-scale lens have minus optical power.

10. The wafer-level lens module of claim 9, wherein the lens group of the first wafer-scale lens has a meniscus shape which is convex toward an object side, the lens group of the second wafer-scale lens has a meniscus shape which is convex toward a sensor side, and the lens group of the third wafer-scale lens has a curved shape having points of inflection.

21. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the glass lens is a molded glass lens.

22. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, further comprising an aperture stop disposed on the first surface of the first substrate

23. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, further comprising an aperture stop disposed on the first surface of the first substrate, and

wherein the first substrate is made of an opaque material, and has a through hole whose diameter is the same as an aperture of the aperture stop.

24. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the glass lens is aspheric.

25. The wafer-level lens module of claim 1, wherein the mean effective diameters of the first and the second wafer-scale lenses are a maximum of 4 mm.

11. A wafer-level lens module in which a plurality of wafer-scale lenses are stacked, wherein each wafer-scale lens includes a substrate and a lens formed on the substrate and providing a lens plane, and wherein the plurality of wafer-scale lenses includes at least one glass lens plane and at least one polymer lens plane.

12. The wafer-level lens module of claim 11, wherein the glass lens plane is defined using a glass lens formed on the substrate of one of the plurality of wafer-scale lenses.

13. The wafer-level lens module of claim 12, wherein the glass lens is bonded to said substrate, and said substrate includes a through hole whose diameter is longer than a mean effective diameter of the glass lens and shorter than a total diameter of the glass lens element, and the glass lens is a double-sided lens whose edge portion is bonded to said substrate, while covering the through hole.

14. The wafer-level lens module of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wafer-scale lenses comprises:

a first wafer-scale lens comprising a first substrate and a glass lens comprising a glass material and formed on the first substrate to define a glass lens plane;

a second wafer-scale lens spaced a predetermined distance from the first wafer-scale lens, the second wafer-scale lens comprising a second substrate and a first polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on the second substrate to define a polymer lens plane; and

a plurality of spacers to space the first wafer-scale lens the predetermined distance from the second wafer-scale lens.

15. A wafer-level lens module comprising:

a first wafer-scale lens comprising a first substrate and a first lens group, the first lens group comprising a glass lens comprising a glass material and formed on a first side of the first substrate, and a polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a second side of the first substrate;

a second wafer-scale lens including a second substrate and a second lens group, the second lens group comprising a first pair of polymer lenses comprising a polymer material and formed on both sides of the second substrate;

a third wafer-scale lens including a third substrate and a third lens group, the third lens group comprising a second pair of lenses comprising of a polymer material and formed on both sides of the third substrate; and

a plurality of spacers formed between the first wafer-scale lens and the second wafer-scale lens, and between the second wafer-scale lens and the third wafer-scale lens.

16. The wafer-level lens module of claim 15, wherein the first lens group has plus optical power, and the second and the third lens groups have minus optical power.

17. The wafer-level lens module of claim 16, wherein the first lens group has a meniscus shape which is convex toward an object side, the lens group of the second wafer-scale lens has a meniscus shape which is convex toward a sensor side, and the lens group of the third wafer-scale lens has a curved shape having points of inflection.

18. The wafer-level lens module of claim 15, wherein the glass lens is a one-sided lens or a double-sided lens, and is bonded to the first side of the first substrate.

19. The wafer-level lens module of claim 15, wherein the first, second, and third wafer-scale lenses each have a quadrangle shape having the same size, and the spacers are formed on edge portions of the quadrangle shape.

20. An image pickup module comprising:

a first wafer-scale lens comprising a first substrate and a first lens group, the first lens group comprising of a glass lens comprising a glass material and formed on a first side of the first substrate, and a polymer lens comprising a polymer material and formed on a second side of the first substrate;

a second wafer-scale lens comprising a second substrate and a second lens group, the second lens group comprising of a first pair of polymer lenses comprising a polymer material and formed on a first side and a second side of the second substrate;

a third wafer-scale lens comprising a third substrate and a third lens group, the third lens group comprising a second pair of polymer lenses comprising a polymer material and formed on a first side and a second side of the third substrate;

an image sensor to sense images formed via the third wafer-scale lens; and

a plurality of spacers formed between the first wafer-scale lens and the second wafer-scale lens, between the second wafer-scale lens and the third wafer-scale lens, and between the third wafer-scale lens and the image sensor, along edge portions of the first wafer-scale lens, the second wafer-scale lens, and the third wafer-scale lens.