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US 12,593,147 B2Granted
Structures and methods for phase detection auto focus
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsFeng-Chien Hsieh, Yun-Wei Cheng, Wei-Li Hu, Kuo-Cheng Lee, Cheng-Ming Wu
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Abstract
In-pixel separation structures may divide photodiodes of a pixel array into multiple regions. As a result, a lens of an image sensor device may be focused by using combining signals associated with different portions of the photodiodes. As a result, the lens may be focused faster and with fewer pixels of the pixel array, which conserves power, processing resources, and raw materials.
Claims20
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- an array of pixel sensors comprising:
- a substrate, and
- a photodiode that is physically partitioned by at least one isolation structure and that is entirely embedded in the substrate,
- wherein incoming light to the photodiode is phase separated by the at least one isolation structure;
- and
- a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure at least partially surrounding the pixel sensors of the array.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming a plurality of photodiodes in a substrate, wherein the plurality of photodiodes are entirely embedded in the substrate;
- forming a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure at least partially surrounding the plurality of photodiodes;
- and
- forming, in at least one photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes, at least one isolation structure configured to separate light, entering the at least one photodiode, by phase.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- receiving first signals from a first photodiode physically partitioned by at least one isolation structure;
- receiving second signals from a second photodiode physically partitioned by at least one isolation structure, wherein at least one of the first photodiode and the second photodiode is entirely embedded in a substrate;
- combining the first signals with the second signals to estimate a phase along a first direction;
- and
- generating a command to adjust a lens based on the phase along the first direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.