# US 7,609,308 B2 · Color filter array and microlens array

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- Number: US 7,609,308 B2
- Document ID: US7609308B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/814,176
- Filed: 2004-04-01
- Published: 2004-09-23
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2001-11-21
- Assignees: Aptina Imaging Corporation
- Inventors: Scott Patrick Campbell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609308B2

## CPC

- G02B 5/203: {having holographic or diffractive elements (diffraction gratings per se G02B5/18; holographic elements per se G02B5/32; generating the spectrum using diffraction elements G01J3/18)}
- G02B 5/201: {in the form of arrays}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Semiconductor imaging devices with integrated holographic optical elements for beam focusing and color separation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device, comprising:
a substrate of a semiconductor material;
an array of sensing pixels fabricated over said substrate, each sensing pixel being responsive to input radiation to produce a pixel output representative of received radiation by said sensing pixel, wherein said sensing pixels are formed of multiple pixel layers and at least one of said multiple pixel layers comprises an electrically conductive in-pixel circuit element; and
an optical mask layer formed over said substrate in an optical path of the input radiation, said optical mask layer having a plurality of optical elements to modify a property of the input radiation prior to detection by said sensing pixels,
wherein said electrically conductive in-pixel circuit element is formed over said optical mask layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein said optical mask layer is formed over at least one layer of said multiple pixel layers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein said multiple pixels layers forming said sensing pixels are fabricated on said substrate, and wherein said optical mask layer is between said multiple pixel layers and said substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein multiple pixel layers forming said sensing pixels include a first set of contiguous multiple pixel layers and a second set of contiguous pixel layers fabricated on said substrate, and wherein said optical mask layer is formed between said first set and said second set.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element focuses the input radiation to a corresponding sensing pixel underneath said each optical element.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device as in claim 5, wherein said sensing pixels are formed of a first set of contiguous multiple pixel layers and a second set of contiguous pixel layers fabricated on said substrate, and wherein said optical mask layer is formed between said first set and said second set.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element selectively separates one color in the input radiation from another different color in the input radiation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device as in claim 7, wherein said optical mask layer is between said multiple pixel layers and said substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The device as in claim 7, wherein each optical element spatially covers only one sensing pixel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The device as in claim 7, wherein each optical element covers at least two adjacent sensing pixels.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each sensing pixel is an active pixel which has in-pixel circuit elements to convert radiation-induced charge into a current or voltage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element spatially covers only one sensing pixel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element spatially covers at least two adjacent sensing pixels.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element both focuses a beam and spectrally filters the same beam.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element is optically absorptive.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element is optically reflective.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The device as in claim 1, wherein each optical element is optically refractive or diffractive.

### Claim 18

A device, comprising:
a substrate of a semiconductor material;
a plurality of pixel layers formed over said substrate and patterned to define an array of sensing pixels, each sensing pixel being responsive to input radiation to produce a pixel output representative of received radiation by said sensing pixel;
a first optical mask layer formed over said substrate in an optical path of the input radiation, said first optical mask layer having a plurality of optical elements to optically interact with the input radiation; and
a second optical mask layer formed between said first optical mask layer and said substrate, said second optical mask layer separated from said first optical mask layer by a set of contiguous pixel layers and having a plurality of optical elements to optically interact with the input radiation that passes through said first optical mask layer,
wherein said contiguous pixel layers separating the first and second optical mask layers comprise electrically conductive in-pixel circuit elements.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device as in claim 18, wherein each optical element in said first and second optical mask layers focuses received radiation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device as in claim 18, wherein each optical element in said first optical mask layer focuses received radiation and each optical element in said second optical mask layer separates one color from another different color in the input radiation.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The device as in claim 18, wherein said second optical mask layer is formed between said pixel layers and said substrate, and said first optical mask layer is formed over said pixel layers.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The device as in claim 18, wherein each sensing pixel is an active pixel which has in-pixel circuit elements to convert radiation-induced charge into a current or voltage.

### Claim 23

A device, comprising:
a substrate of a semiconductor material;
an array of sensing pixels fabricated over said substrate, each sensing pixel being responsive to input radiation to produce a pixel output representative of received radiation by said sensing pixel; and
an optical mask layer formed over said substrate in an optical path of the input radiation, said optical mask layer having a plurality of optical elements to modify a property of the input radiation prior to detection by said sensing pixels, wherein each optical element both focuses a beam and spectrally filters the same beam,
wherein said sensing pixels are formed of multiple pixel layers comprising electrically conductive in-pixel circuit elements and at least one of said pixel layers is formed over said optical mask layer.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein each optical element spatially covers only one sensing pixel.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein each optical element spatially covers at least two adjacent sensing pixels.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein said sensing pixels are formed of a first set of contiguous multiple pixel layers and a second set of contiguous pixel layers fabricated on said substrate, and wherein said optical mask layer is formed between said first set and said second set.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein each sensing pixel is an active pixel which has in-pixel circuit elements to convert radiation-induced charge into a current or voltage.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein each optical element spatially covers only one sensing pixel.

### Claim 29 (depends on 23)

The device as in claim 23, wherein each optical element spatially covers at least two adjacent sensing pixels.

### Claim 30

An imager, comprising:
a plurality of pixel cells configured to convert incident light into an electrical signal, each pixel cell comprising a plurality of pixel layers; and
an optical layer between two of said plurality of pixel layers, the two pixel layers each containing an electrically conductive in-pixel circuit element,
wherein said optical layer comprises a plurality of optical elements, each configured to focus the incident light on a respective pixel cell.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The imager of claim 30, wherein the optical layer comprises a plurality of optical elements, each configured to spectrally filter the incident light prior to conversation by the pixel cells.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The imager of claim 30, wherein the optical layer is further configured to separate the incident light into constituent colors.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The imager of claim 32, wherein the optical layer is further configured to focus each color of the incident light onto a respective pixel cell.