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US 12,635,328 B1Granted
Electronic device having planar or cascaded photosensitive materials
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorHong Wei Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a set of epitaxial layers formed on the semiconductor substrate, pixel circuitry included within the set of epitaxial layers, a set of dielectric walls formed on the set of epitaxial layers, and a set of photosensitive materials disposed in one or more cavities formed by the set of dielectric walls and electrically connected to the pixel circuitry.
Claims11
An image sensor, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a set of epitaxial layers formed on the semiconductor substrate;
- pixel circuitry included within the set of epitaxial layers;
- a set of dielectric walls formed on the set of epitaxial layers;
- a first set of photosensitive materials disposed in a first one or more layers, wherein the first set of photosensitive materials is disposed in one or more cavities formed by the set of dielectric walls and electrically connected to the pixel circuitry;
- a second set of photosensitive materials disposed in a planar array in a second one or more layers, wherein the second set of photosensitive materials is positioned above the first set of photosensitive materials;
- a color filter array positioned above the second set of photosensitive materials;
- a visible light blocking filter positioned between the first set of photosensitive materials and the second set of photosensitive materials;
- a first conductive via extending through the first one or more layers and electrically connected to the pixel circuitry;
- and
- a second conductive via extending through the second one or more layers and electrically connected to the first conductive via, wherein:
- the first conductive via and the second conductive via electrically connect the pixel circuitry to a photosensitive material of the second set of photosensitive materials.
9 more elements
An electronic device, comprising:
- at least one layer comprising pixel circuitry;
- a first set of one or more layers stacked with the at least one layer comprising pixel circuitry and including,
- a grid of dielectric walls defining a set of cavities;
- and
- a first set of photosensitive materials disposed in the set of cavities;
- a first set of electrical connections between the first set of photosensitive materials and the pixel circuitry;
- a second set of one or more layers stacked with the at least one layer comprising pixel circuitry and the first set of one or more layers and including,
- a set of dielectric walls defining at least one cavity;
- and
- a second one or more photosensitive materials disposed in the at least one cavity;
- a color filter array positioned above the second set of photosensitive materials;
- a visible light blocking filter positioned between the first set of photosensitive materials and the second one or more photosensitive materials;
- and
- a second set of electrical connections between the second one or more photosensitive materials and the pixel circuitry, the second set of electrical connections including a set of conductive vias extending through the set of dielectric walls, wherein:
- the set of conductive via comprises a first conductive via;
- an electrical connection of the second set of electrical connections comprises:
- the first conductive via;
- a second conductive via extending through the second set one or more layers and electrically connected each of the first conductive via and a photosensitive material of the second one or more photosensitive materials.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.