Optical waveguide structures for an image sensor
OwnerHung Q. Doan, Joseph R. Summainventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Trenches that are filled with a reflecting material are formed in one or more dielectric layers in an image sensor. The trenches form optical waveguide structures that surround either partially or completely each photodetector in the image sensor. Each optical waveguide structure directs light towards a respective photodetector.
Claims18
A method for fabricating a plurality of optical waveguides in an image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes a substrate having a plurality of photodetectors formed therein that form an imaging area, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a dielectric layer over the imaging area;
- etching a plurality of trenches in at least a portion of the dielectric layer, wherein subsets of the plurality of trenches are disposed around the edges of each photodetector;
- and
- at least partially filling each trench with a reflecting material.
A method for fabricating a plurality of optical waveguides in an image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes a substrate having a plurality of photosensitive areas formed therein that form an imaging area, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a first dielectric layer over the imaging area and a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer;
- etching a plurality of trenches through the second dielectric layer and into at least a portion of the first dielectric layer, wherein subsets of the plurality of trenches are disposed around the edges of each photosensitive area;
- and
- at least partially filling each trench with a reflecting material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.