Integrated color pixel (ICP)
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsPeter B. Catrysse, Brian A. Wandell
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Abstract
An integrated color pixel (ICP) with at least one integrated metal filter is presented. Rather than utilizing a separate color filter, the wavelength responsivity of the ICP is specified and integrated at pixel level into the ICP itself using metal materials already available for standard integrated circuit design and fabrication process. The ICP of the present invention is thus distinguished from a conventional color pixel constructed in a two-stage process that combines an image sensor with a color filter array or other optical material.
Claims20
An integrated color pixel (ICP), comprising:
- a pixel having a light sensing means and at least one filter means, wherein said filter means comprising a patterned metal filter having an array of holes for selectively controlling wavelength transmittance and wavelength responsivity and wherein said filter means being integrated into said pixel during an industry-standard integrated circuit (IC) process thereby eliminating a need to obtain a separate color filter means subsequent to said IC process.
A method for integrating a color filter into a pixel having at least one metal layer and a light sensing means, comprising:
- specifying, during an industry-standard integrated circuit (IC) process and notwithstanding design rules of said process, a array of holes spatially arranged in said metal layer above said light sensing means for selectively controlling wavelength detected by said light sensing means;
- and fabricating said metal layer and said pixel substantially simultaneously during said IC process thereby generating an integrated color pixel (ICP) without a subsequent color filter process.
A method for generating an integrated color image sensor, comprising:
- controlling wavelength transmittance and wavelength responsivities of said integrated color image sensor by specifying metal structures of said sensor during a standardized image sensor design stage of a standardized image sensor fabrication process, wherein said metal structures comprising metal materials used by said process and wherein said specifying act further comprising spatially arranging said metal structures so as to form an array of holes manifesting a one- or two-dimensional pattern for enabling said controlling act.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.