SELF-ALIGNED FILTER FOR AN IMAGE SENSOR
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200622
An image sensor includes at least one photosensitive element disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Metal conductors may be disposed on the semiconductor substrate. A filter may be disposed between at least two individual metal conductors and a micro-lens may be disposed on the filter. There may be insulator material disposed between the metal conductors and the semiconductor substrate and/or between individual metal conductors. The insulator material may be removed so that the filter…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH MICRO-LENSES OF VARYING FOCAL LENGTHS
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200623
An image sensor having a plurality of micro-lenses disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A first micro-lens has a different focal length, height, shape, curvature, thickness, etc., than a second micro-lens. The image sensor may be back side illuminated or front side illuminated.
Circuit and photo sensor overlap for backside illumination image sensor
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200624
A backside illuminated (“BSI”) imaging sensor pixel includes a photodiode region and pixel circuitry. The photodiode region is disposed within a semiconductor die for accumulating an image charge in response to light incident upon a backside of the BSI imaging sensor pixel. The pixel circuitry includes transistor pixel circuitry disposed within the semiconductor die between a frontside of the semiconductor die and the photodiode region. At least a portion of the pixel circuitry…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR HAVING DEEP LIGHT REFLECTIVE TRENCHES
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200625
An array of pixels is formed using a substrate having a frontside and a backside that is for receiving incident light. Each pixel typically includes metallization layers included in the frontside of the substrate, a photosensitive region formed in the backside of the substrate, and a trench formed around the photosensitive region in the backside of the substrate. The trench causes the incident light to be directed away from the trench and towards the photosensitive region.
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH VERTICAL PIXEL SENSOR
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200626
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…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH LIGHT ATTENUATING LAYER
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200631
A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a metal interconnect layer and a light attenuating layer. The semiconductor substrate has a front surface, a back surface, and includes at least one imaging pixel formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The metal interconnect layer is electrically coupled to the imaging pixel and the light attenuating layer is coupled between the metal interconnect layer and the front surface of the…
Black reference pixel for backside illuminated image sensor
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090201393
An imaging sensor pixel array includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of active pixels and at least one black reference pixel. The plurality of active pixels are disposed in the semiconductor substrate for capturing an image. Each of the active pixels includes a first region for receiving light including a p-n junction for accumulating an image charge and active pixel circuitry coupled to the first region to readout the image charge. The black reference pixel is also disposed…
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR WITH REDUCED LEAKAGE PHOTODIODE
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090201395
A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a semiconductor having an imaging pixel that includes a photodiode region, an insulator, and a silicide reflective layer. The photodiode region is formed in the frontside of the semiconductor substrate. The insulation layer is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. The transparent electrode formed on the backside of the insulation layer. The transparent electrode allows light to be transmitted through a back surface of the…
Backside illuminated image sensor with global shutter and storage capacitor
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090201400
A backside illuminated imaging sensor pixel includes a photodiode region, a pixel circuitry region, and a storage capacitor. The photodiode region is disposed within a semiconductor die for accumulating an image charge. The pixel circuitry region is disposed on the semiconductor die between a frontside of the semiconductor die and the photodiode region. The pixel circuitry region overlaps at least a portion of the photodiode region. The storage capacitor is included within the pixel…
IMAGE SENSOR WITH LOW ELECTRICAL CROSS-TALK
Granted: August 13, 2009
Application Number:
20090200590
An array of pixels is formed using a substrate, where each pixel has a substrate having a backside and a frontside that includes metalization layers, a photodiode formed in the substrate, frontside P-wells formed using frontside processing that are adjacent to the photosensitive region, and an N-type region formed in the substrate below the photodiode. The N-type region is formed in a region of the substrate below the photodiode and is formed at least in part in a region of the substrate…
IMAGE SENSOR REFLECTOR
Granted: August 6, 2009
Application Number:
20090194671
An array of pixels is formed using a substrate, where each pixel has a substrate having an incident side for receiving incident light, a photosensitive region formed in the substrate, and a reflector having a complex-shaped surface. The reflector is formed in a portion of the substrate that is opposed to the incident side such that light incident on the complex-shaped surface of the reflector is reflected towards the photosensitive region.
BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGING SENSOR HAVING A CARRIER SUBSTRATE AND A REDISTRIBUTION LAYER
Granted: August 6, 2009
Application Number:
20090194798
A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface. The semiconductor substrate has at least one imaging array formed on the front surface. The imaging sensor also includes a carrier substrate to provide structural support to the semiconductor substrate, where the carrier substrate has a first surface coupled to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. A redistribution layer is formed between the front surface of…
HYBRID ON-CHIP REGULATOR FOR LIMITED OUTPUT HIGH VOLTAGE
Granted: July 16, 2009
Application Number:
20090180570
A driver circuit provides fast settling times, slew rate control, and power efficiency, while reducing the need for large external capacitors. A voltage reference circuit generates a voltage reference signal. A comparator compares the voltage reference signal and a driver output signal and generates an output high voltage control signal. An output driver includes a first and a second switch that are coupled together. The first and second switches are further coupled to generate the…
ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED, VARIABLE FOCAL LENGTH H-PDLC OPTICAL IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Granted: July 9, 2009
Application Number:
20090174918
An optical imaging apparatus having a variable focal length is disclosed. A plurality of holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (“H-PDLC”) lenses are arranged in a stack, each lens having a unique focal length. A controller is configured to program a plurality of voltages applied to the plurality of H-PDLC lenses to achieve a plurality of focal lengths, the plurality of focal lengths higher than the plurality of H-PDLC lenses.
IMAGE SENSOR APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COLOR CORRECTION WITH AN ILLUMINANT-DEPENDENT COLOR CORRECTION MATRIX
Granted: June 11, 2009
Application Number:
20090147098
An image sensor apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor apparatus includes an image sensor for generating pixel data corresponding to a scene under a scene illuminant. The image sensor apparatus also includes a memory for storing color correction information corresponding to a subset of candidate illuminants. A color correction module in the image sensor apparatus derives an illuminant-dependent color correction matrix based on the color correction information corresponding to the…
IMAGE SENSOR APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SCENE ILLUMINANT ESTIMATION
Granted: June 4, 2009
Application Number:
20090141975
An image sensor apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor apparatus includes an image sensor for generating pixel data corresponding to a scene under a scene illuminant and a processor. The processor includes an illuminant estimation module for receiving a subset of the pixel data associated with a subset of a color space and finding a chromaticity trend in the pixel data subset to estimate the scene illuminant. A white balance and color correction module in the processor applies white…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING IMAGE SENSOR WAFERS TO IDENTIFY PIXEL DEFECTS
Granted: May 28, 2009
Application Number:
20090135414
An image sensor testing apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor testing apparatus includes an electronic test system having a light source for illuminating an image sensor wafer to generate pixel data and a host processor for receiving the pixel data. An interface card coupled to the electronic test system has a programmable processor for processing the pixel data to generate processed data, the processed data transmitted to and analyzed by the host processor together with the pixel…
SWITCHED-CAPACITOR AMPLIFIER WITH IMPROVED RESET PHASE
Granted: May 21, 2009
Application Number:
20090128232
A switch-capacitor (“SC”) amplifier includes a two-stage operational amplifier (“OP-AMP”), an input SC network, and a feedback SC network. The two-stage OP-AMP includes a first OP-AMP stage having an output coupled to an input of a second OP-AMP stage. The input SC network is coupled to an input of the first OP-AMP stage. The feedback SC network is configured to selectively couple the output of the first OP-AMP stage to the input of the first OP-AMP stage during a first phase of…
LIGHT SOURCE FREQUENCY DETECTION CIRCUIT USING BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR
Granted: May 21, 2009
Application Number:
20090128660
An apparatus for measuring the power frequency of a light source includes a photo-sensitive transistor, a modulators and a logic unit. The photo-sensitive transistor generates an electrical signal that is responsive to light incident thereon from the light source. The modulator generates a modulated signal based on the electrical signal that toggles at a rate substantially proportional to the power frequency of the light source. The logic unit is coupled to receive the modulated signal…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRACKING A LIGHT POINTER
Granted: May 7, 2009
Application Number:
20090115722
A light pointer apparatus has a light source module for projecting a light beam onto a surface. The light pointer apparatus also has an image sensor module and a transmitter module. The image sensor module detects a position in the surface of a visible light spot generated by the projected light beam striking the surface. The transmitter module transmits the position of the visible light spot to a remote device for remote control of a device.
