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US 8,077,230 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for reducing color material related defects in imagers
AssigneeAptina Imaging Corporation
InventorSaijin Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A film is used on the surface of a color filter array to keep tiny particles that remain on the surface so that they do not interfere during subsequent processing steps. The particles may be the result of forming the color filter array or other structures. The film can prevent the formation of particle clusters in an imager.
Claims33
An imager comprising:
- an array of pixels comprising photosensors;
- a color filter array formed over the pixels, the color filter array having a surface and residual particles located on the surface;
- and
- a film formed over the color filter array to keep in place the residual particles residing on the surface of the color filter array.
1 more element
A method of forming an imager, comprising:
- forming a plurality of pixels;
- forming a color filter array over the plurality of pixels;
- and
- forming a film over the color filter array, wherein the film traps particles that are on a surface of the color filter array.
1 more element
A method of forming an imager, comprising:
- forming a pixel array;
- forming a light block structure over the pixel array, the light block structure having a black resist material;
- and
- forming a film over the light block structure that holds in place particles that remain on a surface of the light block structure after its formation.
1 more element
A method of forming an imager, comprising:
- forming a plurality of pixels;
- forming a color filter array over the plurality of pixels;
- forming an etch stop over the color filter array;
- forming a planar layer over the etch stop;
- and
- etching a plurality of micro-lenses within the planar layer, the etch stop protecting the color filter array from the etching, wherein the etch stop traps particles that are on a surface of the color filter array.
3 more elements
A method of forming an imager, comprising:
- forming a plurality of pixels;
- forming a color filter array over the plurality of pixels;
- forming an etch stop over the color filter array;
- forming a planar layer over the etch stop;
- and
- etching a plurality of micro-lenses within the planar layer, the etch stop protecting the color filter array from the etching, wherein the etch stop is formed to a thickness of from about 2 nm to about 20 nm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.