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US 10,373,995 B2Granted
Image sensor bending using tension
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorBrian K. Guenter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for fabricating an image sensor chip having a curved surface include placing a bending substrate on a first surface of an imaging sensor chip. The first surface of the imaging sensor chip includes light sensors to generate electrical signals in response to receiving light. Fabricating also includes bending the bending substrate so as to impart forces on the image sensor chip to produce a curved imaging sensor chip. A second surface of the curved imaging sensor chip may be adhered to a backside substrate. The second surface is opposite the first surface. The bending substrate may be removed from the first surface of the imaging sensor chip.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- adhering or depositing a bending substrate on a first surface of an imaging sensor chip, wherein the first surface of the imaging sensor chip includes one or more light sensors to generate electrical signals in response to receiving light onto the first surface, wherein a stiffness of the bending substrate varies over different portions of the imaging sensor chip due to one or both of notches or grooves in the bending substrate, wherein the stiffness of the bending substrate is based on a thickness of the bending substrate, wherein the thickness of the bending substrate are different at different portions of bending substrate, and wherein the one or both of the notches or the grooves are distributed concentrically about a center region of the bending substrate;
- and
- applying forces to the bending substrate so as to bend the bending substrate and to resultantly impart bending forces, which are based at least in part on the stiffness of the bending substrate, on the image sensor chip to produce a curved imaging sensor chip.
An apparatus comprising:
- a curved imaging sensor chip having a first side and an opposite second side, wherein the first side includes one or more light sensors to generate electrical signals in response to receiving light onto the first side;
- a bending substrate covering the first side of the curved imaging sensor chip, wherein a stiffness of the bending substrate varies over different portions of the curved imaging sensor chip, wherein the stiffness of the bending substrate is based on a thickness of the bending substrate due to one or both of notches or grooves located on both a first surface of bending substrate that is the same side of the curved imaging sensor chip and a second surface of bending substrate that an opposite side of the curved imaging sensor chip, and wherein the thickness of the bending substrate are different at different portions of bending substrate, and wherein forces are applied to the bending substrate so as to bend the bending substrate and to resultantly impart bending forces, which are based at least in part on the stiffness of the bending substrate, on an image sensor chip to produce the curved imaging sensor chip;
- a backside substrate covering the second side of the curved imaging sensor chip;
- and
- an adhesive between the backside substrate and the curved imaging sensor chip.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a curved imaging sensor chip having a first side and an opposite second side, wherein the first side includes one or more light sensors to generate electrical signals in response to receiving light onto the first side;
- a substrate covering the first side of the curved imaging sensor chip, wherein a stiffness of the substrate varies over different portions of the curved imaging sensor chip, wherein the stiffness of the substrate is based on a thickness of the substrate, wherein the thickness of the substrate are different at different portions of substrate due to one or both of notches or grooves in the bending substrate, and wherein the one or both of the notches or the grooves are distributed concentrically about a center region of the bending substrate;
- a backside substrate covering the second side of the curved imaging sensor chip;
- a gap between the backside substrate and the curved imaging sensor chip;
- an adhesive at least partially filling the gap;
- and
- a pressurized gas applying a force onto the substrate such that the force, which is based at least in part on the stiffness of the substrate, bends the substrate and the curved image sensor chip toward the backside substrate so that a size of the gap decreases.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.