IMAGE SENSOR WITH BACKSIDE PASSIVATION AND METAL LAYER
Granted: November 17, 2011
Application Number:
20110278436
An image sensor includes a semiconductor layer that filters light of different wavelengths. For example, the semiconductor layer absorbs photons of shorter wavelengths and passes more photons of longer wavelengths such that the longer wavelength photons often pass through without being absorbed. An imaging pixel having a photodiode is formed near a front side of the semiconductor layer. A dopant layer is formed below the photodiode near a back side of the semiconductor layer. A mirror…
IMAGE SENSOR HAVING METAL REFLECTORS WITH SCALED WIDTHS
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110266421
An image sensor in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein includes an array of imaging pixels, an insulator layer, and a plurality of metal reflectors. The array of imaging pixels are disposed within a semiconductor layer, where each imaging pixel in the array of imaging pixels includes a photosensitive element configured to receive light from a backside of the image sensor. The insulator layer is disposed on a frontside of the semiconductor layer and the plurality of metal…
LASER ANNEAL FOR IMAGE SENSORS
Granted: October 27, 2011
Application Number:
20110260221
A technique for fabricating an image sensor including a pixel circuitry region and a peripheral circuitry region includes fabricating front side components on a front side of the image sensor. A dopant layer is implanted on a backside of the image sensor. A anti-reflection layer is formed on the backside and covers a first portion of the dopant layer under the pixel circuitry region while exposing a second portion of the dopant layer under the peripheral circuitry region. The first…
IMAGING SENSOR HAVING REDUCED COLUMN FIXED PATTERN NOISE
Granted: October 27, 2011
Application Number:
20110261233
An imaging sensor having reduced column fixed pattern noise includes a plurality of imaging pixels and a column sampling circuit. The plurality of imaging pixels are arranged in a column the column sampling circuit is coupled to the column. A plurality of sampling channels are included in the column sampling circuit, where the column sampling circuit randomly selects a first sampling channel from among the plurality of sampling channels to sample a first data signal from a pixel included…
CMOS IMAGE SENSOR ARRAY WITH INTEGRATED NON-VOLATILE MEMORY PIXELS
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110254987
An imaging system includes an imaging array and readout circuitry. The imaging array includes image sensor pixels for capturing image data and one or more non-volatile memory (NVM) pixels for storing NVM data. The readout circuitry is coupled to the imaging array to readout the image data and the non-volatile memory data.
HIGH FULL-WELL CAPACITY PIXEL WITH GRADED PHOTODETECTOR IMPLANT
Granted: October 6, 2011
Application Number:
20110241090
Embodiments of a process for forming a photodetector region in a CMOS pixel by dopant implantation, the process comprising masking a photodetector area of a surface of a substrate for formation of the photodetector region, positioning the substrate at a plurality of twist angles, and at each of the plurality of twist angles, directing dopants at the photodetector area at a selected tilt angle. Embodiments of a CMOS pixel comprising a photodetector region formed in a substrate, the…
IMAGER WITH VARIABLE AREA COLOR FILTER ARRAY AND PIXEL ELEMENTS
Granted: October 6, 2011
Application Number:
20110242374
A color pixel array includes a plurality of micropixels. Each micropixel includes a photosensitive element and a color filter optically aligned with the photosensitive element to filter incident light prior to reaching the photosensitive element. The micropixels are organized into a repeating pattern of triangular macropixels each having a triangular shape within the color pixel array.
Image sensor array with conformal color filters
Granted: September 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110217807
An image sensor pixel includes a photo-sensor region, a microlens, a first color filter layer, and a second color filter layer. The photo-sensor region is disposed within a semiconductor die. The microlens is disposed on the semiconductor die in optical alignment with the photo-sensor region. The first color filter layer is disposed between the photo-sensor region and the microlens. The second color filter layer is disposed on an opposite side of the microlens as the first color filter…
DISPOSABLE VIEWABLE UTERUS CAVITY SUCTION TUBE
Granted: September 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110218457
A disposable viewable uterus cavity suction tube is used in conjunction with a negative pressure suction system and a display system. A suction opening is at the side wall of the uterus cavity suction tube. A separator is between the suction opening and the front end of the uterus cavity suction tube, which separates the uterus cavity suction tube into the suction cavity and the enclosed imaging cavity. An imaging head and an illumination device are in the imaging cavity. A see-through…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH IMPROVED BLACK LEVEL CALIBRATION
Granted: August 18, 2011
Application Number:
20110199518
An imaging system capable of black level calibration includes an imaging pixel array, at least one black reference pixel, and peripheral circuitry. The imaging pixel array includes a plurality of active pixels each coupled to capture image data. The black reference pixel is coupled to generate a black reference signal for calibrating the image data. Light transmitting layers are disposed on a first side of a pixel array die including the imaging system and cover at least the imaging…
CMOS IMAGE SENSOR WITH SELF-ALIGNED PHOTODIODE IMPLANTS
Granted: July 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110177650
An example method of forming a pinned photodiode includes applying a photoresist mask to a semiconductor layer at a location where a transfer gate will subsequently be formed. First dopant ions are then implanted at a first angle to form a first dopant region under an edge of the photoresist mask. Next, a photoresist mask is etched such that a thickness of the photoresist mask is reduced to form a trimmed photoresist mask. Second dopant ions are then implanted at a second angle to form a…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH EPITAXIALLY SELF-ALIGNED PHOTO SENSORS
Granted: July 14, 2011
Application Number:
20110169991
An image sensor pixel includes a substrate doped to have a first conductivity type. A first epitaxial layer is disposed over the substrate and doped to also have the first conductivity type. A transfer transistor gate is formed on the first epitaxial layer. An epitaxially grown photo-sensor region is disposed in the first epitaxial layer and has a second conductivity type. The epitaxially grown photo-sensor region includes an extension region that extends under a portion of the transfer…
IMAGE SENSOR HAVING CURVED MICRO-MIRRORS OVER THE SENSING PHOTODIODE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110140221
The invention involves the integration of curved micro-mirrors over a photodiode active area (collection area) in a CMOS image sensor (CIS) process. The curved micro-mirrors reflect light that has passed through the collection area back into the photo diode. The curved micro-mirrors are best implemented in a backside illuminated device (BSI).
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH REINFORCED PAD STRUCTURE
Granted: May 19, 2011
Application Number:
20110115002
A backside illuminated imaging sensor with reinforced pad structure includes a device layer, a metal stack, an opening and a frame. The device layer has an imaging array formed in a front side of the device layer and the imaging array is adapted to receive light from a back side of the device layer. The metal stack is coupled to the front side of the device layer where the metal stack includes at least one metal interconnect layer having a metal pad. The opening extends from the back…
IMAGE SENSOR HAVING WAVEGUIDES FORMED IN COLOR FILTERS
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110108938
An image sensor having an array of pixels disposed in a substrate. Each pixel includes a photosensitive element, a color filter, and waveguide walls. The waveguide walls are disposed in the color filter and surround portions of the color filter to form waveguides through the color filter. The refractive index of the waveguide walls is less than the refractive index of the color filter. The image sensor may be back side illuminated (BSI) or front side illuminated (FSI). In some…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH SHAKING COMPENSATION
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110109752
A camera includes a main pixel array, one or more shaking detection pixel groups, and logic circuitry. The main pixel array can generate image frames of an image at an image frame rate. The one or more shaking detection pixel groups can generate shaking detection data where one or more pixels of the first shaking detection pixel group are sampled at a rate that is faster than the image frame rate. The logic circuitry can evaluate the shaking detection data to select a frame of the…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH IMPROVED INFRARED SENSITIVITY
Granted: April 28, 2011
Application Number:
20110095188
A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a semiconductor layer and an infrared detecting layer. The semiconductor layer has a front surface and a back surface. An imaging pixel includes a photodiode region formed within the semiconductor layer. The infrared detecting layer is disposed above the front surface of the semiconductor layer to receive infrared light that propagates through the imaging sensor from the back surface of the semiconductor layer.
TRENCH TRANSFER GATE FOR INCREASED PIXEL FILL FACTOR
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110089311
An image sensor provides high scalability and reduced image lag. The sensor includes a first imaging pixel that has a first photodiode region formed in a substrate of the image sensor. The sensor also includes a first vertical transfer transistor coupled to the first photodiode region. The first vertical transfer transistor can be used to establish an active channel. The active channel typically extends along the length of the first vertical transfer transistor and couples the first…
CMOS IMAGE SENSOR WITH HEAT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110089517
An image sensor includes a device wafer substrate of a device wafer, a device layer of the device wafer, and optionally a heat control structure and/or a heat sink. The device layer is disposed on a frontside of the device wafer substrate and includes a plurality of photosensitive elements disposed within a pixel array region and peripheral circuitry disposed within a peripheral circuits region. The photosensitive elements are sensitive to light incident on a backside of the device wafer…
Low-Cost Video Encoder
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110090968
A method for encoding a new unit of video data includes: (1) incrementally, in raster order, decoding blocks within a search window of a unit of encoded reference video data into a reference window buffer, and (2) encoding, in raster order, each block of the new unit of video data based upon a decoded block of the reference window buffer. A system for encoding a new unit of video data includes a reference window buffer, a decoding subsystem, and an encoding subsystem. The decoding…
