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US 7,842,909 B2Granted
CMOS imaging device comprising a microlens array exhibiting a high filling rate
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
InventorsBrendan Dunne, Caroline Fossati, Olivier Gagliano
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Abstract
A CMOS imager includes a photosite array and a microlens array. The microlens array comprises microlenses of a first type and microlenses of a second type, the microlenses of first type being manufactured according to a first circular template having a first radius, the microlenses of second type being manufactured according to a second circular template having a second radius inferior to the first radius, and the first and second templates having overlap areas. One advantage is that the CMOS imager has a high fill rate.
Claims23
A CMOS imager comprising:
- a photosite array;
- and
- a microlens array comprising first microlenses and second microlenses, the first and second microlenses being alternately distributed according to a constant pitch, the second microlenses each having a circular edge, wherein:
- each first microlens is surrounded by four adjacent second microlenses and has an active surface with rounded edges including four positive rounded edges with positive curve and four negative rounded edges with negative curve, the four positive rounded edges of the first microlens being four arcs of a circle having a first radius that is larger than a second radius of the circular edge of each second microlens, and the four negative rounded edges of the first microlens being defined by respective arcs of the circular edges of the four adjacent second microlens that surround the first microlens, and
- the second microlenses have active surfaces with surface areas that are substantially equal to surface areas of the active surfaces of the first microlenses.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- manufacturing a CMOS imager, the manufacturing including:
- forming a photosite array;
- and
- forming a microlens array comprising first microlenses and second microlenses, the first and second microlenses being alternately distributed according to a constant pitch, the second microlenses each having a circular edge, wherein:
- each first microlens is surrounded by four adjacent second microlenses and has an active surface with rounded edges including four positive rounded edges with positive curve and four negative rounded edges with negative curve, the four positive rounded edges of the first microlens being four arcs of a circle having a first radius that is larger than a second radius of the circular edge of each second microlens, and the four negative rounded edges of the first microlens being defined by respective arcs of the circular edges of the four adjacent second microlens that surround the first microlens, and
- the second microlenses have active surfaces with surface areas that are substantially equal to surface areas of the active surfaces of the first microlenses.
3 more elements
A portable device, comprising:
- an imager including:
- a photosite array;
- and
- a microlens array comprising first microlenses and second microlenses, the first and second microlenses being alternately distributed according to a constant pitch, the second microlenses each having a circular edge, wherein:
- each first microlens is surrounded by four adjacent second microlenses and has an active surface with rounded edges including four positive rounded edges with positive curve and four negative rounded edges with negative curve, the four positive rounded edges of the first microlens being four arcs of a circle having a first radius that is larger than a second radius of the circular edge of each second microlens, and the four negative rounded edges of the first microlens being defined by respective arcs of the circular edges of the four adjacent second microlens that surround the first microlens, and
- the second microlenses have active surfaces with surface areas that are substantially equal to surface areas of the active surfaces of the first microlenses.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.