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US 12,604,551 B2Granted
Image pixels having IR sensors with reduced exposure to visible light
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorsSwarnal Borthakur, Andrew Eugene Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Image pixels having IR sensors with reduced exposure to visible light. One example is an image sensor comprising: a photosensitive region; a lower optical filter above the photosensitive region, and the lower optical filter configured to filter visible light and to pass infrared light; and an upper optical filter above the lower optical filter, and the upper optical filter configured to filter visible light and to pass infrared light.
Claims14
An image sensor comprising:
- a photosensitive region;
- a lower optical filter above the photosensitive region, and the lower optical filter configured to block visible light and to pass infrared light;
- an upper optical filter above the lower optical filter, and the upper optical filter configured to block visible light and to pass infrared light;
- an oxide layer between the upper optical filter and the lower optical filter;
- a silicon dioxide layer between the photosensitive region and the oxide layer;
- and
- a grid of metallic material embedded in the oxide layer and abutting the silicon dioxide layer,
- wherein the lower optical filter abuts the silicon dioxide layer and the grid of metallic material.
5 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- a lens system;
- an image sensor in operational relationship to the lens system;
- an imaging system controller electrically coupled to the image sensor;
- the image sensor comprising an array of image pixels, at least one image pixel of the array of image pixels having an IR sensor, and the IR sensor comprising:
- a photosensitive region defining a perimeter;
- a lower optical filter above the photosensitive region, the lower optical filter defines a perimeter coextensive with the perimeter of the photosensitive region, and the lower optical filter configured to block visible light and to pass infrared light;
- an upper optical filter above the lower optical filter, the upper optical filter defines a perimeter coextensive with the perimeter of the photosensitive region, and the upper optical filter configured to block visible light and to pass infrared light;
- an oxide layer between the upper optical filter and the lower optical filter;
- a silicon dioxide layer between the photosensitive region and the oxide layer;
- and
- a grid of metallic material embedded in the oxide layer and abutting the silicon dioxide layer,
- wherein the lower optical filter abuts the silicon dioxide layer and the grid of metallic material.
9 more elements
A method of constructing an image sensor, the method comprising:
- forming an image pixel comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor having a photosensitive region;
- placing an upper optical filter over the photosensitive region of a first sensor of the plurality of sensors, the upper optical filter passes infrared light and blocks visible light;
- placing a lower optical filter over the photosensitive region of the first sensor, the lower optical filter passes infrared light and blocks visible light;
- placing an oxide layer between the upper optical filter and the lower optical filter;
- placing a silicon dioxide layer between the photosensitive region and the oxide layer;
- and
- placing a grid of metallic material embedded in the oxide layer and abutting the silicon dioxide layer,
- wherein the lower optical filter abuts the silicon dioxide layer and the grid of metallic material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.