# US 8,772,892 B2 · Solid state imaging device

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- Number: US 8,772,892 B2
- Document ID: US8772892B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/773,859
- Filed: 2013-02-22
- Published: 2013-06-27
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-24
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Inventors: Mitsuru Okigawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772892B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/40: Optical elements or arrangements (surface textures H10F77/70)
- G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)}
- G02B 5/201: {in the form of arrays}
- G03B 3/10: Power-operated focusing
- G03B 13/36: Autofocus systems
- G03B 35/08: by simultaneous recording
- H04N 5/272: Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
- H04N 13/218: using spatial multiplexing
- H04N 13/232: using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
- H04N 23/10: for generating image signals from different wavelengths
- H04N 25/11: Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
- H04N 25/585: with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes
- H04N 25/703: SSIS architectures incorporating pixels for producing signals other than image signals
- H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets
- H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses}
- H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A CCD image sensor is provided with a pixel set. The pixel set is composed of first and second pixels and a microlens. The pixels are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. The microlens has a hemispheric shape. A diameter of the microlens is larger than a length of a rectangular region, being an external shape of the first and second pixels, in a height direction. The rectangular region has a height and width ratio of approximately 1:2. The pixel sets are arranged in a width direction of the rectangular region to constitute a pixel row. In the CCD image sensor, the pixel rows are arranged in the height direction of the rectangular region, with the adjacent pixel rows shifted from each other in the horizontal direction by half pitch of the rectangular region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solid state imaging device comprising:
a plurality of pixel sets, each including N (N is an integer greater than or equal to two) pixels and a microlens, the each pixel having a photoelectric converter for accumulating charge in accordance with incident light, the microlens condensing light into each of the N pixels, the N pixels being arranged in a rectangular region with a height and width ratio of approximately 1:2 such that the each photoelectric converter is line-symmetric or rotationally symmetric with respect to a center of the rectangular region in a width direction, an optical axis of the microlens being substantially coincident with the center of the rectangular region, size of the microlens being larger than a length of the rectangular region in a height direction and smaller than a length of the rectangular region in a width direction;
pixel rows each composed of the pixel sets arranged in the width direction; and
an imaging surface in which the pixel rows are arranged in the height direction, the adjacent pixel rows being shifted from each other by half the rectangular region in the width direction, a portion of the microlens extending beyond the rectangular region overlapping a space between the two microlenses of the two adjacent pixel sets in the adjacent pixel row.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the pixel rows extend in a horizontal direction of the imaging surface and the microlenses are arranged in a 45-degree oblique direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solid state imaging device of claim 2, wherein the each pixel set has a color filter, and the color filters are arranged adjacent to each other in the 45-degree oblique direction in the imaging surface in a manner similar to the microlenses.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solid state imaging device of claim 3, wherein the color filters include red color filters for transmitting red light, green color filters for transmitting green light, and blue color filters for transmitting blue light, and the color filters of three colors are classified into first filter sets and second filter sets, and the each first filter set is composed of the two green color filters arranged adjacent to each other in the 45-degree oblique direction and the two red color filters arranged adjacent to each other in the 45-degree oblique direction and adjacent to the respective green color filters, and the each second filter set is composed of the first filter set with the red color filters replaced by the blue color filters, and the first and second filter sets are arranged in a checkered pattern in the imaging surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The solid state imaging device of claim 4, wherein the color filter has a square shape rotated by approximately 45 degrees, and a diagonal line of the square shape is approximately equivalent to the length of the rectangular region in the width direction, and a center of the color filter is coincident with the optical axis of the microlens.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The solid state imaging device of claim 5, wherein the N is two, and the each pixel has a square shape, and the pixels are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal and vertical directions in a simple square lattice pattern in the imaging surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the pixel rows extend in a 45-degree oblique direction of the imaging surface, and the microlenses are arranged adjacent to each other in horizontal and vertical directions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The solid state imaging device of claim 7, wherein the N is two, and the two pixels each having a square shape are arranged adjacent to each other in the 45-degree oblique direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The solid state imaging device of claim 8, wherein the photoelectric converter of the each pixel in the pixel set or an opening of a light shielding film of the each pixel is shifted close to a center of the microlens.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the N is 3 to 5, and the pixel rows extend in the width direction of the rectangular region.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the N pixels are first to fifth pixels, and the first pixel is disposed in the middle of the rectangular region, and the second and third pixels are arranged in two rows, top-and-bottom, on a right side of the first pixel, and the fourth and fifth pixels are arranged in two rows, top-and-bottom, on a left side of the first pixel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the microlens has a substantially hemispheric shape with a diameter of √2A where the length of the rectangular region in the height direction is A.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the microlens has a convex surface with a substantially square external shape.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the microlens has a semi-ellipsoidal shape whose length of a major axis is substantially equal to a length of the pixel set in the width direction, and the optical axis of the microlens is substantially coincident with the center of the rectangular region.