Image sensor for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image capture

A method of capturing a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image simultaneously, the method comprising:

• emitting light pulses from a light source that become reflected light after reflecting off of an object;
• receiving first charge carriers generated by visible light in a first visible light photodetector disposed in semiconductor material, wherein the visible light is directed along a first optical path through a first microlens and a first color filter disposed on the semiconductor material to the first visible light photodetector;
• and
• receiving second charge carriers generated by the reflected light in a time of flight (“TOF”) photodetector, wherein the reflected light is directed along the first optical path through the first microlens, the first color filter, the first visible light photodetector, and a thickness of the semiconductor material disposed between the first visible light photodetector and the TOF photodetector,
• wherein a first TOF photodetector of the TOF photodetectors is coupled to TOF circuitry and the TOF circuitry is coupled to a first node and a second node, and wherein the first node receives an in-phase portion of the second charge carriers generated by the reflected light and the second node receives an out-of-phase portion of the second charge carriers generated by the reflected light, the in-phase portion of the reflected light being incident on the first TOF photodetector within an on-time of a light pulse among the pulsed light emitted.

An image sensor comprising:

• a frontside illuminated (“FSI”) image sensor including visible light photodetectors positioned to detect visible light;
• a backside illuminated (“BSI”) image sensor including time of flight (“TOF”) photodetectors configured to capture TOF data from near-infrared light reflected from an object, wherein the BSI image sensor is optically coupled to receive the near-infrared light reflected from the object directed along an optical path through the FSI image sensor;
• a semiconductor material having a thickness that is optically coupled along the optical path between the visible light photodetectors and the TOF photodetectors;
• and
• a microlens array disposed along the optical path to receive and focus the visible light to the FSI image sensor, wherein the microlens array further receives and focuses the near-infrared light to the TOF photodetectors through at least one of the visible light photodetectors, and through the semiconductor material.