Camera modules and methods of fabricating the same

• US 8,114,701 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Woon-Seong, Cho, Tae-Je, Kwon, Yong-Hwan, Kang, Un-Byoung, Lee, Chung-Sun, Jang, Hyung-Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US12/274,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20090130791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 438/110, 438113-114, 438/116, 438/121, 438/123, 438 57- 98
• US Class Current: 438/68
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/02377 Fan-in arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05001 Internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05022 the internal layer being at least partially embedded in the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05024 the internal layer being disposed on a redistribution layer on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05548 Bonding area integrally formed with a redistribution layer on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• 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 camera modules capable of effectively shielding electromagnetic (EM) waves and methods of fabricating the same. A method of fabricating a camera module includes, preparing a first wafer including an array of lens units. Then, a second wafer including an array of image sensor CSPs (chip-scale packages) is prepared. Each of the image sensor CSPs includes an image sensor chip corresponding to one of the lens units. The first wafer is stacked on the second wafer. The first wafer and the second wafer are cut to form a trench exposing the top surface of the image sensor chip at the interface between adjacent lens units. The trench is filled with a first material used for forming a housing. The first material and the image sensor chip are cut at the interface between the adjacent lens units.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a camera module, the method comprising:

preparing a first wafer including an array of lens units;

preparing a second wafer including an array of image sensor chip-scale packages (CSPs), each image sensor CSP including an image sensor chip corresponding to one of the lens units, wherein a ground pad is formed on the top surface of the image sensor chip and a through via connected to the ground pad is formed through the image sensor chip;

stacking the first wafer on the second wafer;

cutting the first wafer and the second wafer to form a trench exposing the ground pad on the top surface of the image sensor chip at an interface between adjacent lens units;

filling the trench with a first material used for forming a camera module housing, wherein the first material includes a conductive material that contacts the ground pad, such that the camera module housing contacts the ground pad, and wherein the filling of the trench with the first material comprises filling the trench with the first material to an outer portion of the lens unit by which light is cut off so as to form an aperture in the lens unit; and

cutting the first material and the image sensor chip at the interface between the adjacent lens units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground pad connects to a solder ball on the image sensor chip using the through via.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting of the first material and the image sensor chip is performed on an interface between adjacent ground pads.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material extends from the trench to cover part of top surfaces of each of the lens units while leaving a part of the top surface of each of the lens units uncovered so as to form the aperture in each lens unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material includes a light blocking material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material includes a conductive material and a light blocking material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling of the trench with the first material is performed using one of a dispensing process and a molding process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling of the trench with the first material is performed using one of a chemical vapor deposition process and a physical vapor deposition process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting of the first and second wafers is performed using a first cutting blade with a first width such that the trench is formed to have the first width.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cutting of the first material and the image sensor chip is performed using a second cutting blade with a second width smaller than the first width.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cutting of the first material and the image sensor chip is performed using a laser or a water-jet, which has a second width smaller than the first width.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a solder ball on a bottom surface of the image sensor chip.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting the first material and the image sensor chip at the interface between the adjacent lens units in a single process, such that a surface of the camera module including a lateral surface of the first material and an adjacent lateral surface for the image sensor chip is continuously formed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wafer comprises a semiconductor substrate on which the lens units of the array of lens units are mounted.

15. A method of fabricating a camera module, the method comprising:

preparing a first wafer substrate including an array of lens units mounted thereon, each lens unit of the array disposed a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction from an adjacent lens unit of the array;

preparing a second wafer substrate including an array of image sensor chip-scale packages (CSPs) mounted thereon, each image sensor CSP including an image sensor chip corresponding to one of the lens units, wherein a ground pad is formed on the top surface of the image sensor chip and a through via connected to the ground pad is formed through the image sensor chip;

stacking the first wafer on the second wafer;

cutting the first wafer and the second wafer to form a trench exposing the ground pad on the top surface of the image sensor chip at an interface between adjacent lens units;

filling the trench with a first material used for forming a camera module housing, wherein the first material includes a conductive material that contacts the ground pad, such that the camera module housing contacts the ground pad; and

cutting the first material and the image sensor chip at the interface between the adjacent lens units.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first material extends from the trench to cover part of top surfaces of each of the lens units while leaving a part of the top surface of each of the lens units uncovered so as to form an aperture in each lens unit.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising cutting the first material and the image sensor chip at the interface between the adjacent lens units in a single process, such that a surface of the camera module including a lateral surface of the first material and an adjacent lateral surface for the image sensor chip is continuously formed.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the ground pad connects to a solder ball on the image sensor chip using the through via.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first material includes a light blocking material.

20. A method of fabricating a camera module, the method comprising:

preparing a first wafer substrate including an array of lens units mounted thereon, each lens unit of the array disposed a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction from an adjacent lens unit of the array;

preparing a second wafer substrate including an array of image sensor chip-scale packages (CSPs) mounted thereon, each image sensor CSP including an image sensor chip corresponding to one of the lens units, wherein a ground pad is formed on the top surface of the image sensor chip and a through via connected to the ground pad is formed through the image sensor chip;

stacking the first wafer on the second wafer;

cutting the first wafer and the second wafer at an interface between adjacent lens units to form trenches exposing the ground pad on the top surface of each image sensor chip;

filling each trench with a first material used for forming a camera module housing, wherein the first material includes a conductive material that contacts the ground pad, such that the camera module housing contacts the ground pad, and wherein the camera module housing formed of the first material extends to a top surface of the corresponding lens unit to form an aperture; and

cutting the first material and the image sensor chip in a single process at the interface between the adjacent lens units to form the camera module.