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US 10,484,620 B2Granted
Image sensor having optical filter and operating method thereof
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorSung-Woo Lim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image sensor may include: a pixel array having a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix structure; and an optical filter overlapping the pixel array, and capable of blocking incident light irradiated on the plurality of unit pixels arranged in each row in the pixel array.
Claims19
An image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array having a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix structure and a substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels;
- an optical filter overlapping the pixel array, and capable of blocking incident light irradiated on the plurality of unit pixels arranged in each of a plurality of rows in the pixel array;
- a color filter array inserted between the pixel array and the optical filter, and comprising a plurality of color filters corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels;
- and
- a plurality of light focusing elements formed over the optical filter and corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels,
- wherein the optical filter is positioned between the color filter array and the plurality of light focusing elements.
3 more elements
An image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array having a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix structure and a substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels;
- an optical filter overlapping the pixel array;
- a color filter array inserted between the pixel array and the optical filter, and comprising a plurality of color filters corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels;
- and
- a plurality of light focusing elements formed over the optical filter and corresponding to the plurality of unit pixels,
- wherein the optical filter is positioned between the color filter array and the plurality of light focusing elements,
- wherein the optical filter comprises:
- a plurality of first electrodes extended in one direction;
- a plurality of partition walls formed between the plurality of first electrodes;
- a second electrode overlapping the plurality of first electrodes;
- and
- a plurality of liquid crystal layers formed between the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode.
9 more elements
An operating method of an image sensor, comprising:
- providing a pixel array having a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix structure, and an optical filter overlapping the pixel array to block incident light irradiated onto the plurality of unit pixels at each of a plurality of rows in the pixel array;
- blocking, by the optical filter, incident light irradiated onto the plurality of unit pixels arranged in even-numbered rows in the pixel array during a first time in which the incident light is irradiated onto the plurality of unit pixels arranged in odd-numbered rows;
- and
- blocking, by the optical filter, incident light irradiated onto the plurality of unit pixels arranged in the odd-numbered rows in the pixel array during a second time in which the incident light is irradiated onto the plurality of unit pixels arranged in the even-numbered rows,
- wherein a color filter array comprising a plurality of color filters corresponding to the respective unit pixels is inserted between the pixel array and the optical filter,
- wherein a plurality of light focusing elements corresponding to the respective unit pixels are formed over the optical filter, and
- wherein the optical filter is positioned between the color filter array and the plurality of light focusing elements.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.