US20040080005A1 - Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses - Google Patents
Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses Download PDFInfo
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- US20040080005A1 US20040080005A1 US10/280,394 US28039402A US2004080005A1 US 20040080005 A1 US20040080005 A1 US 20040080005A1 US 28039402 A US28039402 A US 28039402A US 2004080005 A1 US2004080005 A1 US 2004080005A1
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- color filter
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Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
- H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
- H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
- H01L27/146—Imager structures
- H01L27/14643—Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
- H01L27/14645—Colour imagers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
- H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
- H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
- H01L27/146—Imager structures
- H01L27/14601—Structural or functional details thereof
- H01L27/1462—Coatings
- H01L27/14621—Colour filter arrangements
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
- H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
- H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
- H01L27/146—Imager structures
- H01L27/14601—Structural or functional details thereof
- H01L27/14625—Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
- H01L27/14627—Microlenses
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to image sensors, and more particularly, towards an image sensor that has a short focal length.
- Image sensors are electronic integrated circuits that can be used to produce still or video images. Solid state image sensors can be either of the charge coupled device (CCD) type or the complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) type. In either type of image sensor, a light gathering pixel is formed in a substrate and arranged in a two-dimensional array. Modern image sensors typically contain millions of pixels to provide a high resolution image. An important part of the image sensor are the color filters and micro-lens structures formed atop of the pixels. The color filters, as the name implies, are operative, in conjunction with signal processing, to provide a color image. The micro-lenses serve to focus the incident light onto the pixels, and thus to improve the fill factor of each pixel.
- Conventionally, micro-lenses are formed by spin coating a layer of micro-lens material onto a planarized layer. The micro-lens material is then etched to form cylindrical or other shaped regions that are centered above each pixel. Then, the micro-lens material is heated and reflowed to form a convex hemispherical micro-lens. FIG. 1 shows a prior art cross-sectional simplified diagram of an
image sensor 101 having micro-lenses formed thereon. As seen in FIG. 1, the image sensor includes a plurality of pixels that havelight detecting elements 103 formed in the substrate. Thelight detecting elements 103 may be one of several types, such as a photodiode, a photogate, or other solid state light sensitive element. Formed atop of each pixel is a micro-lens 105. Themicro-lens 105 focuses incident light onto thelight detecting elements 103. Moreover, in the region between thelight detecting elements 103 and themicro-lens 105, denoted byreference numeral 107, there are various intervening layers that would typically include the color filter layers and various metal conducting lines. These components are excluded from the diagram in order to simplify the explanation herein and not to obscure the invention. - It has been found that the convex shape of the micro-lenses will sometimes result in a greater likelihood of particle contamination, due to later processing steps. Furthermore, because of the particular processes used to form the micro-lenses, it is difficult to eliminate gaps between the micro-lenses105. Generally, it is desirable to minimize the gaps between the micro-lenses, since a larger micro-lens will result in a higher degree of light concentration.
- Further, the combination of the convex micro-lens and the color filter layer provides a combined thickness that would normally require a micro-lens with a relatively long focal length, which can be difficult to manufacture at higher integration densities.
- FIG. 1 is a prior art cross sectional view of a portion of an image sensor.
- FIG. 2 is a top view of an image sensor showing pixels arranged in a two dimensional array and with micro-lenses formed thereon.
- FIGS.3-9 are cross sectional and corresponding top views of a semiconductor substrate illustrating one method for forming the apparatus of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- The present invention relates to a concave micro-lens structure for use with image sensors, either of the CMOS or CCD type. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of various embodiments of the invention.
- Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
- Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
- FIG. 2 shows a top view of an
image sensor 201 formed in accordance with the present invention. Theimage sensor 201 includes a plurality ofpixels 203 typically arranged in a two dimensional array. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the image sensor shows a three by three array ofpixels 203, though it can be appreciated that anactual mage sensor 201 would have many more pixels, arranged in perhaps over a thousand rows and/or a thousand columns. - Further, although FIG. 2 shows the pixels in ordered columns and rows, the pixels may be arranged in any type of ordered arrangement. For example, alternating rows may have their pixels slightly offset from each other laterally in a checkerboard format.
- The
pixels 203 typically include a light sensitive element, such as a photodiode or a photogate as two examples. However, it can be appreciated that other types of light sensitive elements, now known or developed in the future, may be used. Further, thepixels 203 will also include amplification and/or readout circuitry. For clarity, this circuitry is not shown in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, thepixels 203 may be active pixels, commonly known in the prior art. - Formed atop of each
pixel 203 is amicro-lens 205. The micro-lens 205 is concave in nature, in contrast to the prior art convex micro-lens. Because of the nature of theconcave micro-lenses 205, little or no gap exists between adjacent micro-lenses of adjacent pixels. - Additionally, associated with each
pixel 203 is acolor filter 207. Thecolor filter 207 may be placed either between the micro-lens 205 and the light sensitive element, or alternatively, be formed atop of themicro-lens 205. Thecolor filter 207 is typically a pigmented or dyed material that will only allow a narrow band of light to pass therethrough, for example, red, blue, or green. In other embodiments, the color filter may be cyan, yellow, or magenta. These are but example colors for thecolor filters 207 and the present invention is meant to encompass acolor filter 207 having any color. While the use of pigmented or dyed color materials is the most prevalent form of color filters, other reflective type color filters may be used, such as a multilayer stack reflective material. The formation ofcolor filters 207 is known in art and will not be described herein to avoid any unnecessary obscuration with the description of the present invention. - For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,071, U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,513, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,900 show the current state of the color filter art.
- FIGS.3-9 are schematic cross sectional and top views of a semiconductor substrate illustrating one method for forming the structure of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2. A
semiconductor substrate 301 has a plurality of light sensitive elements 303 (associated with thepixels 203 of FIG. 2) formed therein. FIG. 3 shows the lightsensitive element 303 as a photodiode, though other substitutes and equivalents may be used. Details of forming the photodiode and other associated circuitry are known in the prior art and will not be repeated herein to avoid obscuring the present invention. However, examples of the prior art may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,493 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,617. - According to one embodiment, after the
pixels 203 are formed in the substrate, an optically transparent (in at least a portion of the visible spectrum)base material 305 is formed over thesubstrate 301. Thebase material 305 may be formed using a blanket deposition process, or alternatively, using a spin on method. In one embodiment, the base material is an epoxy or an acrylic. These materials are chosen because of their stability, each of handling, or appropriate index of refraction. As will be seen below, it is important that the base material have a relatively low index of refraction. For an epoxy or acrylic material, the index of refraction is in the 1.4 to 1.5 range. One example of a suitable material is polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polyglycidylmethacrylate (PGMA). Alternatively, the base material may be an oxide. - While specific examples are given above, it can be appreciated that the base material may be formed from any optically transparent material having a relatively low index of refraction. In the case where the
base material 305 is applied using spin on techniques, thebase material 305 has the advantage of being substantially planar. It is desirable to have thebase material 305 have a top surface that is as planar and smooth as possible. Nevertheless, a blanket deposition, such as by chemical vapor deposition, may also be suitable. - In one embodiment, the thickness of the
base material 305 is on the order of 2 to 2.5 microns. However, thinner or thicker layers of thebase material 305 may also be used, depending on various design parameters, such as desired focal length of the micro-lens. - Still referring to FIG. 3, after the
base material 305 has been deposited, aresin layer 307 is deposited. Theresin layer 307 is also referred to as a sacrificial layer, and in one embodiment, is a phenyl resin. Because theresin layer 307 will be used as a sacrificial layer, again, there is some flexibility in the precise material used for theresin layer 307. - In one embodiment, the
resin layer 307 will need to be patterned. Because of this, it is efficient to use a photoresist type material (such as a phenyl resin) as theresin layer 307. In that way, theresin layer 307 can be “directly patterned” by simply the use of a photolithography apparatus and a developing process. - Turning next to FIG. 4, the
resin layer 307 is patterned and developed to removeportions 308 of theresin layer 307. Theportions 308 of theresin layer 307 that are removed are generally over the lightsensitive elements 303 and are circular in shape. A top view of theresin layer 307 showing portions removed is shown in FIG. 5. The removedportions 308 of theresin layer 307 is related to the concave micro-lens to be eventually formed. Again, the specific shape and dimensions of the removed portions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is but one specific embodiment of the present invention. Other specific implementations are possible. For example, the size of theportions 308 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be made smaller or larger depending upon the desired size of the micro-lenses to be formed. A larger size for theportion 308 will result in a larger micro-lens, and vice versa. - Turning to FIG. 6, once the
resin layer 307 has been developed (in the case of theresin layer 307 being a photoresist) or etched (in the case of a non-photoresist sacrificial layer), the remaining portions of theresin layer 307 are heated to a reflow temperature. This causes theresin layer 307 to adopt a minimum surface tension shape, which in many cases results in a spherical shape, as shown in FIG. 6. - Once the reflow process has been finished, an anisotropic dry etch is performed using the reflowed
resin layer 307 as an etching mask. In one embodiment, the etch is a reactive ion etch using O2 as the primary gas and CH3 as a secondary gas. In one embodiment, the etching ratio between thebase material 305 and theresin layer 307 is on the order of 1.0 to 1.5. Thus, theunderlying base material 305 is etched faster than theresin layer 307. In one embodiment, the etching process is complete when theresin layer 307 is removed. Because of the reflowed shape of theresin layer 307, the result of the dry etch is a hemispherical “pitting” of thebase material 305 to form aconcave micro-lens 701 over each lightsensitive element 303. The result is seen if FIG. 7 (cross-section) and FIG. 8 (top view). - It should be noted that the spacing between adjacent micro-lenses can be varied by controlling the spacing of the removed
portions 308 formed in theresin layer 307. Small removedportions 308 that are spaced far apart from each other will result in relatively small micro-lenses and large gaps between the resultant micro-lenses. Large removedportions 308 will result in large resultant micro-lenses with small gaps. Moreover, by employing over-etching techniques during etching of thebase material 305 and theresin layer 307, the gaps between adjacent micro-lenses can be reduced to zero. It can be appreciated that the size of the removedportions 308, the etching length, the composition of thebase material 305 andresin layer 307, and other process/design factors can be varied to achieve the desired result for the characteristics of the micro-lenses. - Next, turning to FIG. 9, color filters are formed into the individual micro-lens cavities. It should be noted that the color filter material311 should have an index of refraction that is higher than the
base material 305 such that bending and focusing of incident light onto the lightsensitive elements 303 takes place. In one embodiment, the color filter material 311 has an index of refraction of between 1.6 and 1.8. - The color filter material311 is pigmented or dyed such that adjacent pixels have different colors. For example, the color filter material 311 may be comprised of red color filter material, green color filter material, and blue color filter material. Alternatively, the color filter material may be comprised of cyan color filter material, magenta color filter material, and yellow color filter material. The specific color and organization of the color filter material that is formed within the concave micro-lens structures is conventional and is known in the art. Indeed, there are several techniques for the formation of the color filters, and the present invention is not limited to any particular color filter formation technology. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,071 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,917 (and the references cited therein) provide a good survey of the color filter art, and the portions thereof necessary to teach the formation of color filters are herein incorporated by reference. Thus, the present invention simply is the use of concave micro-lenses that are filled with color filter material of various colors, thereby providing manufacturing and performance advantages.
- The formation of an appropriate color filter pattern into the micro-lenses is known in the art. For example, in one common technique, it is conventional to blanket deposit a first color (for example green) of the color filter material311. The first color is then patterned and developed. This process removes portions of the first color over micro-lenses that are not “assigned” the first color. This process is then repeated for the remaining colors, e.g. red and blue. The result is shown in FIG. 9, where the left most pixel has the red color, the middle pixel has the green color, and the right most pixel has the blue color. An isometric view of the completed structure in shown in FIG. 10.
- According to the present invention, a minimal spacing between micro-lenses can be more easily achieved. This improves the fill factor and efficiency in gathering light, thereby improving the sensitivity. Also, the concave shape of the micro-lenses provides advantages in available packaging techniques, which in turn can minimize particles and dust from interfering with the image sensor. Moreover, the use of a concave shaped micro-lens to hold the color filter material results in a relatively short focal length. This in turn allows for higher integration densities.
- From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Claims (15)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/280,394 US6737719B1 (en) | 2002-10-25 | 2002-10-25 | Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses |
TW092128198A TWI252937B (en) | 2002-10-25 | 2003-10-09 | Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses |
EP03256672A EP1414069A3 (en) | 2002-10-25 | 2003-10-23 | Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses |
CNA200310104369A CN1505164A (en) | 2002-10-25 | 2003-10-24 | Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/280,394 US6737719B1 (en) | 2002-10-25 | 2002-10-25 | Image sensor having combination color filter and concave-shaped micro-lenses |
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US20040080005A1 true US20040080005A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 |
US6737719B1 US6737719B1 (en) | 2004-05-18 |
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EP (1) | EP1414069A3 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1505164A (en) |
TW (1) | TWI252937B (en) |
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US20040211884A1 (en) * | 2003-04-28 | 2004-10-28 | Ming Fang | Microlens integration |
US20050168817A1 (en) * | 2003-06-05 | 2005-08-04 | Hideto Yamashita | Method of forming a colored layer on a microlens substrate, a microlens substrate, a transmission screen and a rear projection |
US20060073623A1 (en) * | 2004-09-30 | 2006-04-06 | Sharp Laboratories Of America, Inc. | Methods of forming a microlens array over a substrate employing a cmp stop |
US20060119950A1 (en) * | 2004-12-03 | 2006-06-08 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Gapless microlens array and method of fabrication |
US20110096214A1 (en) * | 2009-10-27 | 2011-04-28 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Solid-state imaging device and method of manufacturing the same |
US20160033688A1 (en) * | 2014-07-31 | 2016-02-04 | Visera Technologies Company Limited | Double-lens structures and fabrication methods thereof |
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KR100526466B1 (en) * | 2003-11-12 | 2005-11-08 | 매그나칩 반도체 유한회사 | Method for manufacturing cmos image sensor |
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2002
- 2002-10-25 US US10/280,394 patent/US6737719B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2003
- 2003-10-09 TW TW092128198A patent/TWI252937B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2003-10-23 EP EP03256672A patent/EP1414069A3/en not_active Ceased
- 2003-10-24 CN CNA200310104369A patent/CN1505164A/en active Pending
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US20040211884A1 (en) * | 2003-04-28 | 2004-10-28 | Ming Fang | Microlens integration |
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CN1505164A (en) | 2004-06-16 |
US6737719B1 (en) | 2004-05-18 |
EP1414069A3 (en) | 2005-09-21 |
EP1414069A2 (en) | 2004-04-28 |
TWI252937B (en) | 2006-04-11 |
TW200513685A (en) | 2005-04-16 |
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