Solid-state image sensor with transparent film on micro-lenses by which oblique light is refracted towards light receiving elements
AssigneePanasonic Corporation
InventorsHiroshi Sakoh, Masato Kobayashi, Nobukazu Teranishi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid-state image sensor includes a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in a light-receiving area, and a plurality of micro-lenses corresponding to the light-receiving elements, and has a flattening film formed on the plurality of the micro-lenses. At a center of the light-receiving area, the micro-lenses are placed in positions directly above corresponding photodiodes, and placed in positions which are progressively offset from positions directly above the corresponding photodiodes, towards a center of the light receiving area, as micro-lenses are located farther from the center of the light-receiving area.
Claims31
A solid-state image sensor comprising:
- light-receiving elements arranged in a light-receiving area;
- micro-lenses corresponding to said light-receiving elements;
- and
- a transparent film on said micro-lenses for moderating incidence angle of oblique light, entering the solid-state image sensor from above the solid-state image sensor, at a periphery of said light-receiving area,
- wherein, in a central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said micro-lenses is directly above a corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in a portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than a center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said micro-lenses are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light receiving area,
- such that when the oblique light enters the solid-state image sensor from above the solid-state image sensor at the periphery of said light-receiving area, the oblique light is refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said transparent film and further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said micro-lenses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.