IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0209777
(2005-08-24)
|
등록번호 |
US-7511257
(2009-03-31)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Lee,Ji Soo
- Mckee,Jeff A.
- Mouli,Chandra
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Aptina Imaging Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
14 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A device and method for providing an optical guide of a pixel to guide incoming light to/from a photo-conversion device of the pixel to improve the optical crosstalk immunity. The optical guide includes an optically reflecting barrier formed as a trench filled with a material which produces reflecti
A device and method for providing an optical guide of a pixel to guide incoming light to/from a photo-conversion device of the pixel to improve the optical crosstalk immunity. The optical guide includes an optically reflecting barrier formed as a trench filled with a material which produces reflection. The trench fill material may have an index of refraction that is less than the index of refraction of the material used for the trench surrounding layers to provide a light reflective structure or the trench fill material may provide a reflection surface.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letter Patent of the United States is: 1. A pixel comprising: a photo-conversion device formed over a substrate; a lens over said photo conversion device; a plurality of fabricated layers between said photo-conversion device and lens, wherein on
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letter Patent of the United States is: 1. A pixel comprising: a photo-conversion device formed over a substrate; a lens over said photo conversion device; a plurality of fabricated layers between said photo-conversion device and lens, wherein one layer of said plurality of fabricated layers comprises a color filter array layer; and an optical guide structure formed in at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers, the portion of said plurality of fabricated layers including said color filter array layer, said optical guide structure comprising: a trench formed within at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers to define said optical guide structure; an optical path defined by an area enclosed by said trench; and a material filling said trench, said material filling said trench having a property of producing reflection of light within said optical guide structure, said property being a higher refractive index than another material forming said plurality of fabricated layers. 2. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said material has a dielectric constant less than 1.45. 3. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said material comprises carbon doped silicon dioxides. 4. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said material comprises fluorinated silica glass oxide. 5. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said material comprises metal. 6. The pixel of claim 5, wherein said material comprises silver. 7. The pixel of claim 5, wherein said material comprises copper. 8. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said trench extends from a level below a level of said lens to a level above said substrate. 9. The pixel of claim 8, wherein said level below a level of said lens comprises a clear polymide layer. 10. The pixel of claim 8, wherein said level below a level of said lens comprises a color filter array layer. 11. The pixel of claim 8, wherein said level above said substrate comprises an interlayer dielectric layer. 12. The pixel of claim 8, wherein said level above said substrate comprises a boron-phosphorous silicon glass layer. 13. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said photo-conversion device is a photosensor. 14. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said photo-conversion device is a photo emitter. 15. The pixel of claim 1, further comprising a patterned metal layer placed above said trench. 16. The pixel of claim 15, wherein said patterned metal layer forms a light shield. 17. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said trench is continuous and symmetrically surrounds a lateral area of said photo conversion device. 18. The pixel of claim 1, wherein said optical path is centered over said photo conversion device and has a cross sectional area defined by said photoconversion device. 19. An image sensor comprising: a pixel array, at least one pixel of said pixel array comprising: a photosensor; a lens for receiving incident light; a plurality of fabricated layers, between said lens and photosensor, said plurality of fabricated layers having a color filter array layer, and said lens and photosensor defining an optical path through said plurality of fabricated layers; and an optical guide structure formed in said plurality of fabricated layers, said optical guide structure comprising: a trench for defining said optical guide structure formed within at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers, including at least a portion of said color filter array layer; an optical path defined by an area enclosed by said trench; and a plurality of filling materials to fill said trench, said plurality of filling materials having a higher refractive index than said plurality of fabricated layers surrounding said trench producing the reflection of light within said optical guide structure, and wherein said plurality of filling materials comprises at least a first material and a second material, said first material being formed along a sidewall of said trench and said second material being formed inside said formed first material. 20. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein each trench is formed to surround a lateral area defined by said photosensor. 21. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein said material has a low-dielectric constant less than 1.45. 22. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein said material comprises a metal. 23. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein said trench extends from a level below a level of said lens to a level above said substrate. 24. The image sensor of claim 19, further comprising a patterned metal layer placed above said trench. 25. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein said patterned metal layer forms a light shield. 26. An imaging device comprising a CMOS pixel array, at least one pixel of the array comprising: a photo-conversion device formed over a substrate; a lens over said photo-conversion device; a plurality of fabricated layers, including a color filter array, between said photo-conversion device and lens; and an optical guide structure formed in said plurality of fabricated layers, said optical guide structure comprising: a trench formed within at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers, including at least a portion of said color filter array, to define said optical guide structure; and an optical path defined by an area enclosed by said trench; wherein said trench is comprised of a first material and a second material, said first material being formed along a sidewall of said trench and said second material being formed in said trench inside said formed first material, said first and second materials having a property of producing reflection of light within said optical guide structure back into said optical guide structure, said first material having a different index of refraction than said second material and said first and second materials having a higher refractive index than the plurality of fabricated layers. 27. The imager system of claim 26, wherein said trench is formed above said photo-conversion device and is continuous arounds a lateral area of said photo-conversion device. 28. The imager system of claim 26, wherein said material comprises metal. 29. The imager system of claim 26, wherein said photo-conversion device is a photosensor. 30. The imager system of claim 26, wherein said photo-conversion device is a photo emitter. 31. A method of forming an optical guide structure within a pixel cell of an imaging device, comprising the steps of: forming a photo-conversion device over a substrate; forming a plurality of fabricated layers over said photo-conversion device; forming a color filter array layer over said plurality of fabricated layers; etching a trench into said plurality of fabricated layers and at least a portion of said color filter array layer to surround an optical path over said photo-conversion device; and filling said trench with a material having a higher refractive index than another material forming said plurality of fabricated layers which produces an internal reflection of light within an area defined by said trench. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said etching step comprises etching the trench to surround a lateral area defined by the photo-conversion device. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein said etching step comprises etching the trench from a level below a level of a lens formed above said plurality of fabricated layers, to a level above said substrate. 34. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of forming a patterned metal layer. 35. A pixel comprising: a plurality of fabricated layers, including a color filter array layer; and an optical guide structure formed in at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers, said optical guide structure comprising: a trench formed within at least a portion of said plurality of fabricated layers, including at least a portion of said color filter array layer, to define said optical guide structure; an optical path defined by an area enclosed by said trench; and at least two filling materials inside said trench, a first of said filling materials being formed along a sidewall of said trench and each of said remaining filling materials being formed within said formed first material, each of said filling materials being formed having a property of producing reflection of light within said optical guide structure, said property being a higher refractive index than a material forming any of said plurality of fabricated layers. 36. A method of forming an optical guide structure within a pixel of an imaging device, said method comprising: forming a photo-conversion device over a substrate; forming a plurality of fabricated layers over said photo-conversion device, wherein said plurality of fabricated layers includes a color filter array layer; etching a trench into said plurality of fabricated layers including said color filter array layer to form an optical path over said photo-conversion device; and filling said trench with a material having a property of producing reflection of light within said optical path, said property being a higher refractive index than another material forming said plurality of fabricated layers.
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