IMAGE SENSOR HAVING SUPPLEMENTAL CAPACITIVE COUPLING NODE
Granted: June 21, 2012
Application Number:
20120153123
An image sensor includes a pixel array, a bit line, supplemental capacitance node line, and a supplemental capacitance circuit. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixel cells each including a floating diffusion (“FD”) node and a photosensitive element coupled to selectively transfer image charge to the FD node. The bit line is coupled to selectively conduct image data output from a first group of the pixel cells. The supplemental capacitance node line is coupled to the FD node…
Optical Touch-Screen Imager
Granted: June 14, 2012
Application Number:
20120146947
Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a CMOS image sensor including a pixel array formed in a substrate and a light guide formed on the substrate to receive light traveling in a plane parallel to a plane of the pixel array and incident on the edge of the image sensor and to re-direct the incident light into at least one pixel of the pixel array. Embodiments of an optical touch-screen imager comprising a substantially planar touch area and a detector positioned adjacent to the touch…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH PIPELINED COLUMN ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTERS
Granted: May 10, 2012
Application Number:
20120113306
An image sensor includes a plurality of pixel cells organized into rows and columns of a pixel array. A bit line is coupled to each of the pixel cells within a line of the pixel array. Readout circuitry is coupled to the bit line to readout the image data from the pixel cells within the line. The readout circuitry includes a line amplifier coupled to the bit line to amplify the image data and first and second sample and convert circuits coupled in parallel to an output of the line…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH COLOR PIXELS HAVING UNIFORM LIGHT ABSORPTION DEPTHS
Granted: May 3, 2012
Application Number:
20120104525
An example image sensor includes first, second, and third micro-lenses. The first micro-lens is in a first color pixel and has a first curvature and a first height. The second micro-lens is in a second color pixel and has a second curvature and a second height. The third micro-lens is in a third color pixel and has a third curvature and a third height. The first curvature is the same as both the second curvature and the third curvature and the first height is greater than the second…
CIRCUIT AND PHOTO SENSOR OVERLAP FOR BACKSIDE ILLUMINATION IMAGE SENSOR
Granted: April 12, 2012
Application Number:
20120086844
A method of operation of a backside illuminated (BSI) pixel array includes acquiring an image signal with a first photosensitive region of a first pixel within the BSI pixel array. The image signal is generated in response to light incident upon a backside of the first pixel. The image signal acquired by the first photosensitive region is transferred to pixel circuitry of the first pixel disposed on a frontside of the first pixel opposite the backside. The pixel circuitry at least…
VISIBLE AND INFRARED DUAL MODE IMAGING SYSTEM
Granted: April 12, 2012
Application Number:
20120087645
An imaging system includes an image sensor and an optical filter. The image sensor captures image data in response to incident light. The optical filter filters the light and includes a dual window transmission spectrum. The dual window transmission spectrum includes a first transmission window having a first pass band aligned to pass visible light and a second transmission window having a second pass band overlapping with an absorption band of infrared light in Earth's atmosphere.
METHOD OF DAMAGE-FREE IMPURITY DOPING FOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120080765
A method of fabricating a backside-illuminated pixel. The method includes forming frontside components of the pixel on or in a front side of a substrate, the frontside components including a photosensitive region of a first polarity. The method further includes forming a pure dopant region of a second polarity on a back side of the substrate, applying a laser pulse to the backside of the substrate to melt the pure dopant region, and recrystallizing the pure dopant region to form a…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH IMPROVED NOISE SHIELDING
Granted: March 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120061789
An image sensor includes a device wafer including a pixel array for capturing image data bonded to a carrier wafer. Signal lines are disposed adjacent to a side of the carrier wafer opposite the device wafer and a metal noise shielding layer is disposed beneath the pixel array within at least one of the device wafer or the carrier wafer to shield the pixel array from noise emanating from the signal lines. A through-silicon-via (“TSV”) extends through the carrier wafer and the metal…
Object-Based Optical Character Recognition Pre-Processing Algorithm
Granted: March 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120063690
A method of pre-processing a defocused image of an object includes applying an object-based sharpening filter on the defocused image to produce a sharper image; and quantizing the sharper image using block-wise quantization. A system for generating decoded text data from alphanumeric information printed upon an object includes a camera that obtains image data of the alphanumeric information. The system also includes a pre-processor that (a) performs block-wise quantization of the image…
ENTRENCHED TRANSFER GATE
Granted: February 23, 2012
Application Number:
20120043589
An image sensor pixel includes a semiconductor layer, a photosensitive region to accumulate photo-generated charge, a floating node, a trench, and an entrenched transfer gate. The photosensitive region and the trench are disposed within the semiconductor layer. The trench extends into the semiconductor layer between the photosensitive region and the floating node and the entrenched transfer gate is disposed within the trench to control transfer of the photo-generated charge from the…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR WITH STRESSED FILM
Granted: February 16, 2012
Application Number:
20120038014
A backside illuminated (“BSI”) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”) image sensor includes a photosensitive region disposed within a semiconductor layer and a stress adjusting layer. The photosensitive region is sensitive to light incident on a backside of the BSI CMOS image sensor to collect an image charge. The stress adjusting layer is disposed on a backside of the semiconductor layer to establish a stress characteristic that encourages photo-generated charge…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH DUAL ELEMENT COLOR FILTER ARRAY AND THREE CHANNEL COLOR OUTPUT
Granted: January 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120019696
A color image sensor is disclosed. The color image sensor includes a pixel array including a color filter array (“CFA”) overlaying an array of photo-sensors for acquiring a color image. The CFA includes first color filter elements of a first color overlaying a first group of the photo-sensors and second color filter elements of a second color overlaying a second group of the photo-sensors. The first color filter elements contribute to a first color channel of the color image and the…
IMAGE SENSOR HAVING DARK SIDEWALLS BETWEEN COLOR FILTERS TO REDUCE OPTICAL CROSSTALK
Granted: January 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120019695
An apparatus and technique for fabricating an image sensor including the dark sidewall films disposed between adjacent color filters. The image sensor further includes an array of photosensitive elements disposed in a substrate layer, a color filter array (“CFA”) including CFA elements having at least two different colors disposed on a light incident side of the substrate layer, and an array of microlenses disposed over the CFA. Each microlens is aligned to direct light incident on…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH VERTICAL PIXEL SENSOR
Granted: January 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120018620
A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a vertical stacked sensor that reduces cross talk by using different silicon layers to form photodiodes at separate levels within a stack (or separate stacks) to detect different colors. Blue light-, green light-, and red light-detection silicon layers are formed, with the blue light detection layer positioned closest to the backside of the sensor and the red light detection layer positioned farthest from the backside of the sensor. An…
Cross-Color Image Processing Systems And Methods For Sharpness Enhancement
Granted: January 19, 2012
Application Number:
20120014591
Systems and methods for processing a detected composite color image to form a processed composite color image includes the following, for each of a plurality of pixels in the image: (1) identifying a window of pixels in the image that surrounds the pixel, (2) calculating a weight factor coefficient for each detected color from detected color intensity values of the pixels that surround the pixel, (3) calculating raw color contributions corresponding to each nonselected color, (4)…
CMOS IMAGE SENSOR WITH IMPROVED PHOTODIODE AREA ALLOCATION
Granted: January 19, 2012
Application Number:
20120013777
Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a pixel array comprising a plurality of macropixels. Each macropixel includes a pair of first pixels each including a color filter for a first color, the first color being one to which pixels are most sensitive, a second pixel including a color filter for a second color, the second color being one to which the pixels are least sensitive and a third pixel including a color filter for a third color, the third color being one to which pixels have a…
REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURE FOR WAFER-LEVEL CAMERA MODULE
Granted: December 29, 2011
Application Number:
20110317065
An example reinforcement structure for protecting a wafer-level camera module includes a top sheet element and a side sheet element. The top sheet element is to be disposed over a top surface of the camera module and includes a first opening for allowing light to pass through to the camera module. The side sheet element is coupled to the top sheet element for securing the reinforcement structure to a printed circuit board (PCB). A second opening in the side sheet element is included to…
PROVIDING MULTIPLE VIDEO SIGNALS FROM SINGLE SENSOR
Granted: December 22, 2011
Application Number:
20110310279
A method for using a capture device to capture at least two video signals corresponding to a scene, includes: providing a two-dimensional image sensor having a plurality of pixels; reading a first group of pixels from the image sensor at a first frame rate to produce a first video signal of the image scene; reading a second group of pixels from the image sensor at a second frame rate for producing a second video signal; and using at least one of the video signals for adjusting one or…
COLOR FILTER ARRAY ALIGNMENT MARK FORMATION IN BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSORS
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110285880
A backside illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer comprising photosensitive elements of the pixel array, an epitaxial layer formed on a frontside surface of the sensor layer, and a color filter array formed on a backside surface of the sensor layer. The epitaxial layer comprises polysilicon color filter array alignment marks formed in locations corresponding to respective color filter array alignment mark openings in the frontside surface of the sensor layer. The color filter…
BACKSIDE-ILLUMINATED (BSI) IMAGE SENSOR WITH BACKSIDE DIFFUSION DOPING
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110284982
Embodiments of a process comprising forming a pixel on a front side of a substrate, thinning the substrate, depositing a doped silicon layer on a backside of the thinned substrate, and diffusing a dopant from the doped silicon layer into the substrate. Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a pixel formed on a front side of a thinned substrate, a doped silicon layer formed on a backside of the thinned substrate, and a region in the thinned substrate, and near the backside, where a dopant…
