Pixel cells in a honeycomb arrangement
AssigneeAptina Imaging Corporation
InventorJeffrey McKee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention, in the various exemplary embodiments, provides a RGB color filter array. The red, green and blue pixel cells are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The honeycomb layout provides the space to vary the size of pixel cells of an individual color so that, for example, the photosensor of blue pixels can be made larger than that of the red or green pixels. In another aspect of the invention, depicted in the exemplary embodiments, the honeycomb structure can also be implemented with each pixel rowing having a same color of pixel cells which can simplify can conversion in the readout circuits. In another aspect of the invention, the RGB honeycomb pixel array may be implemented using a shared pixel cell architecture.
Claims34
1-11. (canceled)
A method of fabricating an imager comprising:
- fabricating an array of pixel cells in a honeycomb pattern, wherein each pixel cell has a color filter formed over a photosensor;
- and
- fabricating shared pixel components for a plurality of the pixel cells.
24-50. (canceled)
A method of forming a CMOS imager comprising the step of:
- fabricating an array of pixel cells in a honeycomb pattern, wherein each pixel cell has a color filter, of one of three colors, formed over a photosensor.
A method of forming a CMOS imager comprising fabricating an array of pixel cells in a honeycomb pattern, wherein each pixel cell has a color filter formed over a photosensor and wherein each pixel cell in a row of said array of pixels has said color filter formed of the same color.
A method of forming a CMOS imager comprising the steps of:
- fabricating an array of pixel cells in a honeycomb pattern, wherein each pixel cell has a color filter formed over a photosensor and one color of said pixel cells is formed larger than a plurality of the remaining pixel cells.
70-84. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.