Multi-spectral image sensor and electronic device including the same

Abstract

Provided is an image sensor, comprising: a sensor substrate including a first pixel row and a second pixel row; a spacer layer disposed on the sensor substrate; and a dichroic lens array disposed on the spacer layer, wherein the dichroic lens array includes: a first dichroic lens array that separates light of a plurality of wavelengths within a first spectral range from incident light and converges the light of the plurality of wavelengths onto a plurality of pixels of the first pixel row; and a second dichroic lens array that separates light of a plurality of wavelengths within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range from incident light and converges the light of the plurality of wavelengths onto a plurality of pixels of the second pixel row.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2021 - 0128943, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 29, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a multi - spectral image sensor and an electronic device including the multi - spectral image sensor, wherein the multi - spectral image sensor can obtain multi - spectral information because it includes a dichroic lens array that converges incident light according to the wavelength of the incident light. Background art

[0004] Recently, there has been a need for an image sensor that can detect slight changes in color or appearance that occur in an object due to changes in the structure or composition of the object. For example, a multi - spectral image sensor that can detect changes in the spectrum reflected from the surface of an object can be used to determine diseases of human organs such as the skin, inspect food, and easily detect forest destruction, etc. For a color - filter - based multi - spectral image sensor, the color filter absorbs light in bands other than a specific band of light, so the light utilization efficiency of the multi - spectral image sensor is reduced. In addition, since the size of the image sensor is reduced to obtain high resolution, the sensitivity of the unit pixel may be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0005] There is provided a multi - spectral image sensor and an electronic device including the multi - spectral image sensor, which have improved light utilization efficiency due to the use of a dichroic lens array that can converge incident light according to the wavelength of the incident light.

[0006] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an image sensor is provided, including: a sensor substrate including a first pixel row and a second pixel row, the first pixel row including a plurality of first pixels arranged in a first direction, and the second pixel row including a plurality of second pixels arranged in the first direction, the second pixel row being adjacent to the first pixel row in a second direction; a spacer layer, the spacer layer being transparent and disposed on the sensor substrate; and a dichroic lens array disposed on the spacer layer, wherein the dichroic lens array includes: a first dichroic lens array extending in the first direction above the first pixel row, the first dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of first wavelengths within a first spectral range from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the light of the plurality of first wavelengths onto the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row; and a second dichroic lens array extending in the first direction above the second pixel row, the second dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of second wavelengths within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range from light incident on the second dichroic lens array and converge the light of the plurality of second wavelengths onto the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row.

[0008] The second dichroic lens array is adjacent to the first dichroic lens array in the second direction.

[0009] The first dichroic lens array is further configured to converge only the light incident on the first dichroic lens array onto the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row, and the second dichroic lens array is configured to converge only the light incident on the second dichroic lens array onto the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row.

[0010] The image sensor further includes: an isolation layer disposed on the dichroic lens array, the isolation layer being configured to prevent energy exchange between the first dichroic lens array and the second dichroic lens array.

[0011] The isolation layer includes a first transparent strip extending in the first direction on the first dichroic lens array and a second transparent strip extending in the first direction on the second dichroic lens array.

[0012] The isolation layer includes: a transparent flat plate including a groove formed recessedly in the first direction at a position corresponding to an interface between the first dichroic lens array and the second dichroic lens array.

[0013] The upper surface of the isolation layer includes a convex curved surface and the upper surface of the isolation layer has a refractive power in the second direction.

[0014] The first spectral range and the second spectral range partially overlap each other.

[0015] The first wavelength interval between a plurality of first wavelengths within a first spectral range separated by the first dichroic lens array and the second wavelength interval between a plurality of second wavelengths within a second spectral range separated by the second dichroic lens array are in the range of about 30 nm to about 300 nm.

[0016] The plurality of first pixels in the first pixel row include first pixels, second pixels, and third pixels alternately arranged in a first direction, and wherein the plurality of second pixels in the second pixel row include fourth pixels, fifth pixels, and sixth pixels alternately arranged in the first direction.

[0017] The first dichroic lens array is configured to: change the phase of the light of the first wavelength in the light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the light of the first wavelength with the changed phase onto the first pixel, change the phase of the light of the second wavelength in the light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the light of the second wavelength with the changed phase onto the second pixel, and change the phase of the light of the third wavelength in the light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the light of the third wavelength with the changed phase onto the third pixel, and the second dichroic lens array is configured to: change the phase of the light of the fourth wavelength in the light incident on the second dichroic lens array and converge the light of the fourth wavelength with the changed phase onto the fourth pixel, change the phase of the light of the fifth wavelength in the light incident on the second dichroic lens array and converge the light of the fifth wavelength with the changed phase onto the fifth pixel, and change the phase of the light of the sixth wavelength in the light incident on the second dichroic lens array and converge the light of the sixth wavelength with the changed phase onto the sixth pixel.

[0018] The first dichroic lens array includes a first region corresponding to the first pixel, a second region corresponding to the second pixel, and a third region corresponding to the third pixel, the first region, the second region, and the third region are alternately arranged in the first direction, the second dichroic lens array includes a fourth region corresponding to the fourth pixel, a fifth region corresponding to the fifth pixel, and a sixth region corresponding to the sixth pixel, the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region are alternately arranged in the first direction, the first region is arranged to face the first pixel, the second region is arranged to face the second pixel, the third region is arranged to face the third pixel, the fourth region is arranged to face the fourth pixel, the fifth region is arranged to face the fifth pixel, and the sixth region is arranged to face the sixth pixel.

[0019] Each of the first region, the second region, and the third region includes: a plurality of nanostructures arranged such that at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, light of a first wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a first position corresponding to the central portion of a first pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between a second pixel and a third pixel; at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, light of a second wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a second position corresponding to the central portion of the second pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between the third pixel and the first pixel; and at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, light of a third wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a third position corresponding to the central portion of the third pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between the first pixel and the second pixel.

[0020] Each of the first region, the second region, the third region, the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region includes: a plurality of nanostructures arranged such that at a position immediately after passing through the dichroic lens array, light of a first wavelength has a phase greater than approximately 1π and less than approximately 2π at a position corresponding to a fourth pixel adjacent to the first pixel along a second direction.

[0021] The plurality of nanostructures are arranged such that light of the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength passing through the first dichroic lens array does not proceed to the fourth pixel, the fifth pixel, and the sixth pixel.

[0022] The width of each of the plurality of nanostructures in the first region, the second region, and the third region in a first direction is less than the shortest wavelength among the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength.

[0023] Each of the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region includes: a plurality of nanostructures arranged such that at a position immediately after passing through the second dichroic lens array, light of a fourth wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a position corresponding to the central portion of the fourth pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between the fifth pixel and the sixth pixel; at a position immediately after passing through the second dichroic lens array, light of a fifth wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a position corresponding to the central portion of the fifth pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between the sixth pixel and the fourth pixel; and at a position immediately after passing through the second dichroic lens array, light of a sixth wavelength has a phase of approximately 2π at a position corresponding to the central portion of the sixth pixel and has a phase of approximately 0.9π to approximately 1.1π at a boundary between the fourth pixel and the fifth pixel.

[0024] The first-direction width of each of the plurality of nanostructures in the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region is less than the shortest wavelength among the fourth wavelength, the fifth wavelength, and the sixth wavelength.

[0025] The sensor substrate further includes: a third pixel row disposed adjacent to the second pixel row in the second direction and including seventh pixels, eighth pixels, and ninth pixels alternately arranged in the first direction. The dichroic lens array further includes: a third dichroic lens array disposed adjacent to the second dichroic lens array in the second direction and including a seventh region corresponding to the seventh pixel, an eighth region corresponding to the eighth pixel, and a ninth region corresponding to the ninth pixel alternately arranged in the first direction. The seventh region is arranged to face the seventh pixel, the eighth region is arranged to face the eighth pixel, and the ninth region is arranged to face the ninth pixel.

[0026] The third dichroic lens array is configured to: change the phase of the light of the seventh wavelength in the light incident on the third dichroic lens array and converge the light of the seventh wavelength with the changed phase onto the seventh pixel, change the phase of the light of the eighth wavelength in the light incident on the third dichroic lens array and converge the light of the eighth wavelength with the changed phase onto the eighth pixel, and change the phase of the light of the ninth wavelength in the light incident on the third dichroic lens array and converge the light of the ninth wavelength with the changed phase onto the ninth pixel.

[0027] The first wavelength interval between the first wavelength and the fourth wavelength is less than the second wavelength interval between the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

[0028] The third wavelength interval between the first wavelength and the second wavelength and the fourth wavelength interval between the second wavelength and the third wavelength are in the range of about 30 nm to about 300 nm.

[0029] The first wavelength interval between the first wavelength and the fourth wavelength is in the range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including: an image sensor configured to convert an optical image into an electrical signal; a processor configured to control the operation of the image sensor and store and output a signal generated by the image sensor; and a lens assembly configured to provide light corresponding to an object to the image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes: a sensor substrate including a first pixel row and a second pixel row, the first pixel row including a plurality of first pixels arranged along a first direction, and the second pixel row including a plurality of second pixels arranged along the first direction, the second pixel row being adjacent to the first pixel row in a second direction; a spacer layer, the spacer layer being transparent and disposed on the sensor substrate; and a dichroic lens array disposed on the spacer layer, wherein the dichroic lens array includes: a first dichroic lens array extending along the first direction above the first pixel row, the first dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of first wavelengths within a first spectral range from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the light of the plurality of first wavelengths onto the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row; and a second dichroic lens array extending along the first direction above the second pixel row, the second dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of second wavelengths within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range from light incident on the second dichroic lens array and converge the light of the plurality of second wavelengths onto the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an image sensor is provided, including: a sensor substrate including a first pixel row and a second pixel row, the first pixel row including a plurality of first pixels arranged along a first direction, and the second pixel row including a plurality of second pixels arranged along the first direction, the second pixel row being adjacent to the first pixel row in a second direction; a dichroic lens array disposed to be spaced apart from the sensor substrate, wherein the dichroic lens array includes: a first dichroic lens array extending along the first direction, the first dichroic lens array being configured to: separate light of a plurality of first wavelengths within a first spectral range from light incident on the first dichroic lens array, direct the light of the plurality of first wavelengths to the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row, and prevent the light of the plurality of first wavelengths from converging onto one or more of the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain example embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an image sensor according to an example embodiment;

[0034] Figure 2A and Figure 2Bis a diagram showing examples of various pixel arrangements in a pixel array of an image sensor, and Figure 2C is a graph showing examples of multiple wavelength bands sensed by an image sensor;

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B show examples of other various pixel arrangements in the pixel array of the image sensor;

[0036] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C and Figure 4D are schematic cross-sectional views showing other cross-sections of the pixel array of an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Figure 5A is a plan view schematically showing the pixel arrangement of a sensor substrate, and Figure 5B 、 Figure 5C and Figure 5D are plan views showing examples of forms in which multiple nanostructures are arranged in multiple regions of a dichroic lens array;

[0038] Figure 6A is a graph showing an example of the phase distribution of light of a first wavelength to a third wavelength passing through a first dichroic lens array, Figure 6B is a plan view showing an example of the phase distribution of light of a second wavelength passing through a first dichroic lens array on a dichroic lens array, Figure 6C is a plan view showing an example of the phase distribution of light of a third wavelength passing through a first dichroic lens array on a dichroic lens array, and Figure 6D shows an example of the traveling direction of light of a first wavelength incident on a first wavelength light converging region;

[0039] Figure 7A is a graph showing another example of the phase distribution of light of a first wavelength to a third wavelength passing through a first dichroic lens array, and Figure 7B is a plan view showing another example of the phase distribution of light of a second wavelength passing through a first dichroic lens array on a dichroic lens array;

[0040] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0041] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0043] Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0044] Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0045] Figure 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0046] Figure 14 is a plan view showing another example of the phase distribution of light of a second wavelength passing through a dichroic lens array;

[0047] Figure 15 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic device including an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0048] Figure 16 is schematically showing Figure 15 a block diagram of a camera module; and

[0049] Figures 17 to 26 shows various examples of an electronic device to which an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment is applied. Detailed Description

[0050] Now, reference will be made in detail to exemplary embodiments. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, and throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In this regard, the exemplary embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are described below only by referring to the drawings to explain various aspects. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at least one of......" modify the entire list of elements when following the list of elements, rather than modifying individual elements in the list.

[0051] Hereinafter, a multi-spectral image sensor including a dichroic lens array and an electronic device including the multi-spectral image sensor will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The exemplary embodiments to be described are merely examples, and various modifications can be made according to these exemplary embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like components, and for ease of illustration, the dimensions of components in the drawings may be enlarged.

[0052] The expressions "above" or "on" can include not only "directly above / below / left / right and in contact with", but also "above / below / left / right and not in contact with".

[0053] Although terms such as "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these terms are used to distinguish one component from other components. These terms do not limit the materials or structures of the components to be different from each other.

[0054] The singular form includes the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. When a part is referred to as "including" a component, that part may not exclude another component, but may also include another component unless otherwise stated.

[0055] In addition, terms such as "unit", "module", etc. provided herein refer to units that perform at least one function or operation and can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0056] The use of terms such as "above-mentioned" and similar indicative terms can correspond to both the singular and plural forms.

[0057] In addition, the operations constituting the method can be executed in any suitable order unless it is explicitly stated that they should be executed in the order in which they are described. In addition, the use of all exemplary terms (such as etc.) is only for describing the technical idea in detail, and the scope of the rights is not limited by these terms unless restricted by the claims.

[0058] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment. Refer to Figure 1 , the image sensor 1000 may include a pixel array 1100, a timing controller (T / C) 1010, a row decoder 1020, and an output circuit 1030. The image sensor 1000 may include a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

[0059] The pixel array 1100 may include pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The row decoder 1020 may select one of the rows in the pixel array 1100 in response to a row address signal output from the timing controller (T / C) 1010. The output circuit 1030 may output a photosensitive signal from column units of a plurality of pixels arranged in the selected row. To this end, the output circuit 1030 may include a column decoder and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). For example, the output circuit 1030 may include: a column decoder; and a plurality of ADCs respectively arranged for columns in the pixel array 1100 or one ADC arranged at an output terminal of the column decoder. The timing controller 1010, the row decoder 1020, and the output circuit 1030 may be implemented as one chip or implemented in separate chips. A processor for processing an image signal output from the output circuit 1030 may be implemented as one chip having the timing controller 1010, the row decoder 1020, and the output circuit 1030.

[0060] The image sensor 1000 may be a multispectral image sensor capable of providing a multispectral image. To this end, the pixel array 1100 may include a plurality of pixels that detect light of various wavelengths. For example, Figure 2A and Figure 2B illustrate examples of various pixel arrangements in the pixel array of the image sensor.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 2A , the pixel array 1100 may include a plurality of unit patterns UP having a 3x3 array form, and the plurality of unit patterns may be two-dimensionally arranged in a first direction (X direction) and a second direction (Y direction). Each unit pattern UP may include a first pixel that senses light of a first wavelength λ1, a second pixel that senses light of a second wavelength λ2, a third pixel that senses light of a third wavelength λ3, a fourth pixel that senses light of a fourth wavelength λ4, a fifth pixel that senses light of a fifth wavelength λ5, a sixth pixel that senses light of a sixth wavelength λ6, a seventh pixel that senses light of a seventh wavelength λ7, an eighth pixel that senses light of an eighth wavelength λ8, and a ninth pixel that senses light of a ninth wavelength λ9. In the pixel array 1100, a plurality of pixels may be arranged in units of three pixel rows. For example, the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel may be alternately arranged in the first pixel row in the first direction (X direction), the fourth pixel, the fifth pixel, and the sixth pixel may be alternately arranged in the second pixel row adjacent to the first pixel row in the second direction (Y direction) in the first direction (X direction), and the seventh pixel, the eighth pixel, and the ninth pixel may be alternately arranged in the third pixel row adjacent to the second pixel row in the second direction (Y direction) in the first direction (X direction).

[0062] The row direction and the column direction in the pixel array 1100 may be selected differently. For example, referring to Figure 2B, the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel may be alternately arranged in a second direction (Y direction) in the first pixel column, the fourth pixel, the fifth pixel, and the sixth pixel may be alternately arranged in a second direction (Y direction) in a second pixel column adjacent to the first pixel column along a first direction (X direction), and the seventh pixel, the eighth pixel, and the ninth pixel may be alternately arranged in a second direction (Y direction) in a third pixel column adjacent to the second pixel column along the first direction (X direction).

[0063] To promote wavelength separation in a unit pixel row or a unit pixel column, the wavelength bands of light detected by pixels alternately arranged in a unit pixel row or a unit pixel column may be selected to overlap as little as possible. Figure 2C is a graph showing an example of multiple wavelength bands detected by an image sensor. Refer to Figure 2C , the wavelength interval between wavelengths detected by pixels in a unit pixel row or a unit pixel column may be greater than the wavelength interval between wavelengths detected by pixels in other adjacent pixel rows or columns. That is, the wavelength bands of light detected by pixels alternately arranged in a unit pixel row or a unit pixel column may be difficult to overlap or have a low overlap degree, and may partially overlap with the wavelength bands of light detected by pixels in other adjacent pixel rows or columns.

[0064] For example, the wavelength interval g3 between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2 may be greater than the interval g1 between the first wavelength λ1 and the fourth wavelength λ4. In addition, the wavelength interval g3 between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2 may be greater than the wavelength interval g2 between the first wavelength λ1 and the seventh wavelength λ7. Similarly, the wavelength interval between the second wavelength λ2 and the third wavelength λ3 may be almost the same as the wavelength interval g3 between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2, and may be greater than the wavelength interval between the second wavelength λ2 and the fifth wavelength λ5 and the wavelength interval between the second wavelength λ2 and the eighth wavelength λ8. For example, the wavelength interval g3 between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2 and the wavelength interval between the second wavelength λ2 and the third wavelength λ3 may be in the range of about 30 nm to about 300 nm, and the wavelength interval g1 between the first wavelength λ1 and the fourth wavelength λ4 may be in the range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm.

[0065] Although it is described in Figure 2A and Figure 2B that the pixel array 1100 has a unit pattern in the form of a 3x3 array, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figure 3A and Figure 3B show examples of various other pixel arrangements in the pixel array of the image sensor. Refer to Figure 3A, the pixel array 1100 may have a cell pattern in the form of a 4x4 array. In this case, the cell pattern may include a first pixel that senses light of a first wavelength λ1, a second pixel that senses light of a second wavelength λ2, a third pixel that senses light of a third wavelength λ3, a fourth pixel that senses light of a fourth wavelength λ4, a fifth pixel that senses light of a fifth wavelength λ5, a sixth pixel that senses light of a sixth wavelength λ6, a seventh pixel that senses light of a seventh wavelength λ7, an eighth pixel that senses light of an eighth wavelength λ8, a ninth pixel that senses light of a ninth wavelength λ9, a tenth pixel that senses light of a tenth wavelength λ10, an eleventh pixel that senses light of an eleventh wavelength λ11, a twelfth pixel that senses light of a twelfth wavelength λ12, a thirteenth pixel that senses light of a thirteenth wavelength λ13, a fourteenth pixel that senses light of a fourteenth wavelength λ14, a fifteenth pixel that senses light of a fifteenth wavelength λ15, and a sixteenth pixel that senses light of a sixteenth wavelength λ16. The first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel, and the fourth pixel may be alternately arranged in a first pixel row in a first direction (X direction), the fifth pixel, the sixth pixel, the seventh pixel, and the eighth pixel may be alternately arranged in a second pixel row adjacent to the first pixel row in the second direction (Y direction) in the first direction (X direction), the ninth pixel, the tenth pixel, the eleventh pixel, and the twelfth pixel may be alternately arranged in a third pixel row adjacent to the second pixel row in the second direction (Y direction) in the first direction (X direction), and the thirteenth pixel, the fourteenth pixel, the fifteenth pixel, and the sixteenth pixel may be alternately arranged in a fourth pixel row adjacent to the third pixel row in the second direction (Y direction) in the first direction (X direction).

[0066] Reference Figure 3B , the pixel array 1100 may have a cell pattern in the form of a 3x4 array. In addition to the above example, the pixel array 1100 may have various cell patterns in various forms according to the number of wavelengths to be separated. However, hereinafter, for convenience, it will be described that the pixel array 1100 has Figure 2A the cell pattern in the form of a 3x3 array shown, and the principles described below may also be applied to pixel arrays having cell patterns in other forms.

[0067] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C and Figure 4D are schematic cross-sectional views showing different cross-sections of the pixel array of an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment, where Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of Figure 2A , Figure 4B along line B-B' of Figure 2A , Figure 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line Figure 2AThe cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C’, and Figure 4D is the cross-sectional view taken along Figure 2A the line D-D’.

[0068] Referring to Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B and Figure 4C , the pixel array 1100 of the image sensor 1000 may include: a sensor substrate 110 including a plurality of pixels 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, and 119 that sense light and convert the light into an electrical signal; a spacer layer 120 that is transparent and disposed on the sensor substrate 110; and a color separation lens array 130 disposed on the spacer layer 120.

[0069] In Figure 4A the pixel array 1100 shown, the first pixel row 110a of the sensor substrate 110 may include first pixels 111, second pixels 112, and third pixels 113 that are alternately arranged in a first direction (X direction). The second pixel row 110b of the sensor substrate 110 adjacent to the first pixel row 110a in a second direction (Y direction) may include fourth pixels 114, fifth pixels 115, and sixth pixels 116 that are alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), as Figure 4B shown. The third pixel row 110c of the sensor substrate 110 adjacent to the second pixel row 110b in the second direction (Y direction) may include seventh pixels 117, eighth pixels 118, and ninth pixels 119 that are alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), as Figure 4C shown. According to an exemplary embodiment, a separation film for pixel separation may also be provided at the boundaries between the pixels.

[0070] The dichroic lens array 130 may include: a plurality of nanostructures NP that differentially change the phase of incident light according to the incident position. The dichroic lens array 130 may be divided in various ways. For example, the dichroic lens array 130 may include a first pixel corresponding region 131 corresponding to the first pixel 111 of the sensor substrate 110, a second pixel corresponding region 132 corresponding to the second pixel 112, a third pixel corresponding region 133 corresponding to the third pixel 113, a fourth pixel corresponding region 134 corresponding to the fourth pixel 114, a fifth pixel corresponding region 135 corresponding to the fifth pixel 115, a sixth pixel corresponding region 136 corresponding to the sixth pixel 116, a seventh pixel corresponding region 137 corresponding to the seventh pixel 117, an eighth pixel corresponding region 138 corresponding to the eighth pixel 118, and a ninth pixel corresponding region 139 corresponding to the ninth pixel 119. The first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 may each include one or more nanostructures NP and may be arranged to face the corresponding first pixel 111 to the ninth pixel 119, respectively.

[0071] In another example, the dichroic lens array 130 may be divided such that the first wavelength light L λ1 converges onto the first pixel 111 in a first wavelength light converging region L1, the second wavelength light L λ2 converges onto the second pixel 112 in a second wavelength light converging region L2, the third wavelength light L λ3 converges onto the third pixel 113 in a third wavelength light converging region L3, the fourth wavelength light L λ4 converges onto the fourth pixel 114 in a fourth wavelength light converging region L4, the fifth wavelength light L λ5 converges onto the fifth pixel 115 in a fifth wavelength light converging region L5, the sixth wavelength light L λ6 converges onto the sixth pixel 116 in a sixth wavelength light converging region L6, the seventh wavelength light L λ7 converges onto the seventh pixel 117 in a seventh wavelength light converging region L7, the eighth wavelength light L λ8 converges onto the eighth pixel 118 in an eighth wavelength light converging region L8, and the ninth wavelength light L λ9 converges onto the ninth pixel 119 in a ninth wavelength light converging region L9. Figure 4A The first wavelength light converging region L1, the second wavelength light converging region L2, and the third wavelength light converging region L3 shown facing the first pixel row 110a may partially overlap each other. Figure 4B The fourth wavelength light converging region L4, the fifth wavelength light converging region L5, and the sixth wavelength light converging region L6 shown facing the second pixel row 110b may partially overlap each other, and Figure 4CThe seventh-wavelength light converging region L7, the eighth-wavelength light converging region L8, and the ninth-wavelength light converging region L9 facing the third pixel row 110c as shown may partially overlap with each other. However, the light converging regions of each wavelength facing different pixel rows do not overlap with each other. For example, the first-wavelength light converging region L1 to the third-wavelength light converging region L3 do not overlap with the fourth-wavelength light converging region L4 to the ninth-wavelength light converging region L9.

[0072] Reference Figure 4A , the dichroic lens array 130 may have different phase distributions for the first-wavelength light L λ1 , the second-wavelength light L λ2 and the third-wavelength light L λ3 included in the incident light respectively, so that the first-wavelength light L λ1 converges onto the first pixel 111, the second-wavelength light L λ2 converges onto the second pixel 112, and the third-wavelength light L λ3 converges onto the third pixel 113. Reference Figure 4B , the dichroic lens array 130 may have different phase distributions for the fourth-wavelength light L λ4 , the fifth-wavelength light L λ5 and the sixth-wavelength light L λ6 included in the incident light respectively, so that the fourth-wavelength light L λ4 converges onto the fourth pixel 114, the fifth-wavelength light L λ5 converges onto the fifth pixel 115, and the sixth-wavelength light L λ6 converges onto the sixth pixel 116. Reference Figure 4C , the dichroic lens array 130 may have different phase distributions for the seventh-wavelength light L λ7 , the eighth-wavelength light L λ8 and the ninth-wavelength light L λ9 included in the incident light respectively, so that the seventh-wavelength light L λ7 converges onto the seventh pixel 117, the eighth-wavelength light L λ8 converges onto the eighth pixel 118, and the ninth-wavelength light L λ9 converges onto the ninth pixel 119.

[0073] For example, at the position just after passing through the dichroic lens array 130, such as on the lower surface of the dichroic lens array 130, the first-wavelength light L λ1 passing through the dichroic lens array 130 may have the following phase distribution: it is maximum at the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 in the first direction (X direction). Such a phase distribution may be similar to the phase distribution of light converging to a point after passing through a microlens having a convex center in the first-wavelength light converging region L1, and the first-wavelength light Lλ1 can be converged onto the first pixel 111. Similarly, at the position immediately after passing through the dichroic lens array 130, the second wavelength light L λ2 to the ninth wavelength light L λ9 can respectively have a maximum phase distribution at the centers of the second pixel corresponding region 132 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139, and thus can be respectively converged onto the second pixel 112 to the ninth pixel 119.

[0074] The dichroic lens array 130 may include nanostructures NP arranged according to specific rules that result in: in the first pixel row 110a, the first wavelength light L λ1 to the third wavelength light L λ3 can respectively have different phase distributions; in the second pixel row 110b, the fourth wavelength light L λ4 to the sixth wavelength light L λ6 can respectively have different phase distributions; and in the third pixel row 110c, the seventh wavelength light L λ7 to the ninth wavelength light L λ9 can respectively have different phase distributions. Herein, the rules can be applied to parameters such as the shape and size (width and height) of the nanostructures NP, the spacing between the nanostructures NP, the arrangement form of the nanostructures NP, etc., and these parameters can be determined according to the phase distribution to be achieved by the dichroic lens array 130. The rules based on which the nanostructures NP are arranged in the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 are different from each other. That is, the size, shape, spacing, and / or arrangement of the nanostructures NP set in the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 can be different from each other.

[0075] The cross-sectional width or length of the nanostructures NP may have a sub-wavelength size. Herein, sub-wavelength may refer to less than the wavelength of the light band to be separated out. The nanostructures NP may have a size less than the shortest wavelength among the first wavelength to the ninth wavelength. For example, the cross-sectional width or length of the nanostructures NP may have a size less than 400 nm, 300 nm, or 200 nm. The height of the nanostructures NP may be about 500 nm to about 1500 nm, which is greater than the cross-sectional width or length. According to an exemplary embodiment, the nanostructures NP may be obtained by combining two or more columns stacked in the third direction (Z direction). The thickness of the dichroic lens array 130 in the third direction (Z direction) may be similar to the height of the nanostructures NP and may be about 500 nm to about 1500 nm.

[0076] The nanostructured NPs may include materials having a refractive index higher than that of the surrounding materials. For example, the nanostructured NPs may include c-Si, p-Si, a-Si, group III-V compound semiconductors (GaP, GaN, GaAs, etc.), SiC, TiO 2 , SiN, and / or combinations thereof. The nanostructured NPs having a refractive index different from that of the surrounding materials may change the phase of the light passing through the nanostructured NPs. This is due to the phase delay caused by the sub-wavelength shape dimensions of the nanostructured NPs, and the degree of the phase delay may be determined by the specific shape dimensions and arrangement shapes of the nanostructured NPs, etc. The materials surrounding the nanostructured NPs may include dielectric materials having a refractive index lower than that of the nanostructured NPs. For example, the surrounding materials may include SiO 2 or air.

[0077] The dichroic lens array 130 may be configured such that the energy exchange occurs within the same row rather than between different rows. For example, the first wavelength light L incident on the second pixel corresponding region 132 of the dichroic lens array 130 facing the second pixel 112 in the first pixel row 110a λ1 may be converged onto the first pixel 111 by the dichroic lens array 130. However, the first wavelength light L incident on the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 of the dichroic lens array 130 facing the fourth pixel 114 in the second pixel row 110b λ1 may not be converged onto the first pixel 111. Therefore, the light convergence regions of the wavelength light facing the same pixel row may overlap with each other, but the light convergence regions of each wavelength facing different pixel rows may not overlap with each other.

[0078] Reference Figure 4D , the dichroic lens array 130 may include a first dichroic lens array 130a extending in the first direction (X direction) to face the first pixel row 110a, a second dichroic lens array 130b extending in the first direction (X direction) to face the second pixel row 110b, and a third dichroic lens array 130c extending in the first direction (X direction) to face the third pixel row 110c. The first dichroic lens array 130a, the second dichroic lens array 130b, and the third dichroic lens array 130c may be adjacent to each other in the second direction (Y direction).

[0079] The first dichroic lens array 130a, the second dichroic lens array 130b, and the third dichroic lens array 130c may be configured to separate lights of multiple wavelengths within different spectral ranges. For example, the first dichroic lens array 130a may separate the first wavelength light L in the first spectral range λ1 to the third wavelength light L λ3And converging them onto the first pixel to the third pixel 111, 112, and 113 respectively, the second dichroic lens array 130b can separate the fourth-wavelength light L within the second spectral range λ4 to the sixth-wavelength light L λ6 And converging them onto the fourth pixel to the sixth pixel 114, 115, and 116 respectively, and the third dichroic lens array 130c can separate the seventh-wavelength light L within the third spectral range λ7 to the ninth-wavelength light L λ9 And converging them onto the seventh pixel to the ninth pixel 117, 118, and 119 respectively.

[0080] The first spectral range, the second spectral range, and the third spectral range may partially overlap with each other. For example, as Figure 2C shown, the fourth wavelength λ4 and the seventh wavelength λ7 may be located between the first wavelength λ1 and the fourth wavelength λ4, the fifth wavelength λ5 and the eighth wavelength λ8 may be located between the second wavelength λ2 and the third wavelength λ3, and the third wavelength λ3 and the sixth wavelength λ6 may be located between the eighth wavelength λ8 and the ninth wavelength λ9. The wavelength intervals between the multiple wavelengths within the first, second, and third spectral ranges separated by the first dichroic lens array 130a, the second dichroic lens array 130b, and the third dichroic lens array 130c respectively may be large enough. For example, the wavelength interval between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2 and the wavelength interval between the second wavelength λ2 and the third wavelength λ3 may be in the range of about 30 nm to about 300 nm. The wavelength interval of the light converging onto the pixel rows directly adjacent in the second direction (Y direction) may be relatively small. For example, the wavelength interval between the first wavelength λ1 and the fourth wavelength λ4 may be in the range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm, which is smaller than the wavelength interval between the first wavelength λ1 and the second wavelength λ2.

[0081] As Figure 4D shown, there is no energy exchange between the first dichroic lens array 130a, the second dichroic lens array 130b, and the third dichroic lens array 130c arranged side by side in different pixel rows, so that the light incident on the first dichroic lens array 130a can travel to the first pixel row 110a of the sensor substrate 110. The light incident on the second dichroic lens array 130b can travel to the second pixel row 110b, and the light incident on the third dichroic lens array 130c can travel to the third pixel row 110c. In this sense, the first dichroic lens array 130a, the second dichroic lens array 130b, and the third dichroic lens array 130c can work independently of each other.

[0082] Meanwhile, the spacer layer 120 can be disposed between the sensor substrate 110 and the dichroic lens array 130 to keep the distance between the sensor substrate 110 and the dichroic lens array 130 constant. The spacer layer 120 can include a dielectric material that is transparent to the light of the wavelength band sensed by the image sensor 1000. The spacer layer 120 can also include a dielectric material having a refractive index lower than that of the dichroic lens array 130. For example, the spacer layer 120 can include SiO 2 , siloxane-based spin-on glass (SOG), etc. The thickness of the spacer layer 120 can be determined based on the focal length of the light converged by the dichroic lens array 130. For example, the focal length of the dichroic lens array 130 with respect to the center wavelength of the wavelength band sensed by the image sensor 1000 can be determined by the thickness of the spacer layer 120.

[0083] Figure 5A is a plan view schematically showing the pixel arrangement of the sensor substrate, and Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D are plan views showing examples of the form in which a plurality of nanostructures are arranged in a plurality of regions of the dichroic lens array.

[0084] Referring to Figure 5A , the sensor substrate 110 can include a first pixel row 110a, a second pixel row 110b, and a third pixel row 110c that are alternately arranged in the second direction (Y direction). The first pixel row 110a can include a first pixel 111, a second pixel 112, and a third pixel 113 that are alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), the second pixel row 110b can include a fourth pixel 114, a fifth pixel 115, and a sixth pixel 116 that are alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), and the third pixel row 110c can include a seventh pixel 117, an eighth pixel 118, and a ninth pixel 119 that are alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction). The first pixel 111 to the ninth pixel 119 form a unit pattern in the form of a 3×3 array.

[0085] Referring to Figure 5B, the dichroic lens array 130 may include: a first dichroic lens array 130a extending in a first direction (X direction) to vertically face the first pixel row 110a of the sensor substrate 110; a second dichroic lens array 130b extending in the first direction (X direction) to vertically face the second pixel row 110b; and a third dichroic lens array 130c extending in the first direction (X direction) to vertically face the third pixel row 110c. In addition, the dichroic lens array 130 may be divided into a first pixel corresponding region 131 to a ninth pixel corresponding region 139 corresponding to the first pixel 111 to the ninth pixel 119 of the sensor substrate 110, respectively. The first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 may be arranged to vertically face the corresponding first pixel 111 to the ninth pixel 119 of the sensor substrate 110. The first dichroic lens array 130a may include a plurality of first pixel corresponding regions 131 to third pixel corresponding regions 133 alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), the second dichroic lens array 130b may include a plurality of fourth pixel corresponding regions 134 to sixth pixel corresponding regions 136 alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction), and the third dichroic lens array 130c may include a plurality of seventh pixel corresponding regions 137 to ninth pixel corresponding regions 139 alternately arranged in the first direction (X direction). The first dichroic lens array to the third dichroic lens arrays 130a, 130b, and 130c may be alternately arranged in a second direction (Y direction). On the other hand, as Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C shown, the dichroic lens array 130 may be divided into a first wavelength light converging region L1 to a ninth wavelength light converging region L9.

[0086] The first dichroic lens array 130a may include nanostructures NP having dimensions, shapes, spacings, and / or arrangements that are determined to cause the following: the first wavelength light in the incident light incident on the first dichroic lens array 130a is separated and converged onto the first pixel 111, the second wavelength light is separated and converged onto the second pixel 112, and the third wavelength light is separated and converged onto the third pixel 113. The second dichroic lens array 130b may include nanostructures NP having dimensions, shapes, spacings, and / or arrangements that are determined to cause the following: the fourth wavelength light in the incident light incident on the second dichroic lens array 130b is separated and converged onto the fourth pixel 114, the fifth wavelength light is separated and converged onto the fifth pixel 115, and the sixth wavelength light is separated and converged onto the sixth pixel 116, and the third dichroic lens array 130c may include nanostructures NP having dimensions, shapes, spacings, and / or arrangements that are determined to cause the following: the seventh wavelength light in the incident light incident on the third dichroic lens array 130c is separated and converged onto the seventh pixel 117, the eighth wavelength light is separated and converged onto the eighth pixel 118, and the ninth wavelength light is separated and converged onto the ninth pixel 119.

[0087] For example, referring to Figure 5B , each of the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 may include nine nanostructures NP in the form of nanocolumns having a rectangular cross-section. The nine nanostructures NP in one pixel corresponding region may be arranged in the form of a 3x3 array. The first direction (X direction) dimension and the second direction (Y direction) dimension of the nanostructures NP may change with the position of the nanostructures NP in each pixel corresponding region, and may be symmetric with each other in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction). For example, the second direction (Y direction) dimensions of the nanostructures NP arranged in the first row and the third row among the three rows of the nanostructures NP arranged in each pixel corresponding region may be equal to each other, and the first direction (X direction) dimensions of the nanostructures NP arranged in the first column and the third column among the three columns of the nanostructures NP may be equal to each other.

[0088] In addition, the size of the nanostructure NP in the first direction (X direction) and the size in the second direction (Y direction) can vary with the corresponding regions 131 to 139 of the first pixel to the ninth pixel. For example, the size of the nine nanostructure NPs in the first direction (X direction) arranged in the corresponding region 131 of the first pixel of the first dichroic lens array 110a can be smaller than the size of the nine corresponding nanostructure NPs in the first direction (X direction) arranged in the corresponding region 132 of the second pixel, and the size of the nine nanostructure NPs in the first direction (X direction) arranged in the corresponding region 133 of the third pixel can be smaller than the size of the nine corresponding nanostructure NPs in the first direction (X direction) arranged in the corresponding region 131 of the first pixel. The sizes of the nanostructure NPs in the second direction (Y direction) in the same row in all the pixel corresponding regions 131, 132, and 133 of the first dichroic lens array 110a can be equal. For example, the sizes of the nanostructure NPs in the second direction (Y direction) in the first row among the three rows of nanostructure NPs arranged in the first dichroic lens array 110a can be equal, the sizes of the nanostructure NPs in the second direction (Y direction) in the second row can be equal, and the sizes of the nanostructure NPs in the second direction (Y direction) in the third row can be equal.

[0089] The size of the nanostructure NP in the first direction (X direction) and the size in the second direction (Y direction) of the nanostructure NPs arranged in the corresponding regions 131, 132, and 133 of the first pixel to the third pixel of the first dichroic lens array 110a can be smaller than the shortest wavelength among the first wavelength to the third wavelength. The size of the nanostructure NP in the first direction (X direction) and the size in the second direction (Y direction) of the nanostructure NPs arranged in the corresponding regions 134, 135, and 136 of the fourth pixel to the sixth pixel of the second dichroic lens array 110b can be smaller than the shortest wavelength among the fourth wavelength to the sixth wavelength, and the size of the nanostructure NP in the first direction (X direction) and the size in the second direction (Y direction) of the nanostructure NPs arranged in the corresponding regions 137, 138, and 139 of the seventh pixel to the ninth pixel of the third dichroic lens array 110c can be smaller than the shortest wavelength among the seventh wavelength to the ninth wavelength.

[0090] In Figure 5B the nanostructure NP is shown as having a rectangular cross-section, but the cross-section of the nanostructure NP is not limited thereto. Referring to Figure 5C , the nanostructure NP can have a circular cross-section. Although in Figure 5CAs an example, a total of five nanostructures NP are shown to be arranged in each pixel corresponding region, at its center, and between the four sides of the pixel corresponding region and its center. However, the number of nanostructures NP arranged in each pixel corresponding region is not limited to this. The diameter of the nanostructure NP may change according to the position of the nanostructure NP in each pixel corresponding region, and may vary according to the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 in which the nanostructure NP is arranged. The diameter of the nanostructure NP arranged in the first dichroic lens array 110a may be less than the shortest wavelength among the first wavelength to the third wavelength, the diameter of the nanostructure NP arranged in the second dichroic lens array 110b may be less than the shortest wavelength among the fourth wavelength to the sixth wavelength, and the diameter of the nanostructure NP arranged in the third dichroic lens array 110c may be less than the shortest wavelength among the seventh wavelength to the ninth wavelength.

[0091] Reference Figure 5D , the nanostructure NP may have a cross-sectional shape in the form of a strip extending in the second direction (Y direction). Although Figure 5D it is shown that four nanostructures NP are arranged in each pixel corresponding region as an example, the number of nanostructures NP arranged in each pixel corresponding region does not have to be limited to this. The size of the nanostructure NP in the first direction (X direction) and the interval in the first direction (X direction) between the nanostructures NP may change according to the position of the nanostructure NP in each pixel corresponding region, and may vary with the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 in which the nanostructure NP is arranged. Figure 5D It is shown that the nanostructure NP is separated from another nanostructure NP adjacent in the first direction (X direction), but the ends of some nanostructures NP in the second direction (Y direction) may be connected to the ends of another nanostructure NP adjacent in the first direction (X direction). The positions of two adjacent nanostructures NP whose corresponding ends are connected to each other may change with the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the ninth pixel corresponding region 139.

[0092] Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D show possible arrangements of the nanostructures NP in the dichroic lens array 130, and various shapes and arrangements of the nanostructures NP other than the Figures 5B to 5D illustrations are also possible. When the above rules related to the phase distribution of light passing through the dichroic lens array 130 are satisfied, any form of arrangement of the nanostructures NP can be applied.

[0093] Figure 6A is a graph showing an example of the phase distribution of the first wavelength light to the third wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a, Figure 6Bis a plan view showing an example of the phase distribution of the second wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a on the dichroic lens array 130, Figure 6C is a plan view showing an example of the phase distribution of the third wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a on the dichroic lens array 130, and Figure 6D shows an example of the traveling direction of the first wavelength light incident on the first wavelength light converging region 131.

[0094] Reference Figure 6A , the first wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a may have a first phase distribution P1, which is maximum at the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and decreases as it moves away from the center along the first direction (X direction). More specifically, at the position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a, for example, on the lower surface of the first dichroic lens array 130a and the upper surface of the spacer layer 120, the phase of the first wavelength light is maximum at the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 along the first direction (X direction), and thus is minimum at the boundary between the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133. For example, when the phase of the first wavelength light output from the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 is set to 2π, the phase of the first wavelength light at the boundary between the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 may be about 0.9π to about 1.1π.

[0095] At the same time, the first phase distribution P1 does not indicate that the phase delay amount of the first wavelength light passing through the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 is the largest, and when the phase of the first wavelength light passing through the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 is set to 2π and the phase of the first wavelength light passing through another position has a value larger than 2π due to a larger phase delay, then the first phase distribution P1 may have a value remaining after subtracting 2nπ, for example, may be a distribution of the wrapped phase. For example, for the case where the phase of the first wavelength light passing through the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 is 2π, when the phase of the light passing through the boundary between the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 is 3π, the phase in the boundary between the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 may be π remaining after subtracting about 2π (n = 1) from about 3π.

[0096] The second-wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a may have a second phase distribution P2 that is maximum at the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 along the first direction (X direction). At the position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a, the phase of the second-wavelength light may be maximum at the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 along the first direction (X direction), so the boundary between the third pixel corresponding region 133 and the first pixel corresponding region 131 is minimum. For example, when the phase of the second-wavelength light output from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 is set to 2π, the phase of the second-wavelength light at the boundary between the third pixel corresponding region 133 and the first pixel corresponding region 131 may be about 0.9π to about 1.1π.

[0097] The third-wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a may have a third phase distribution P3 that is maximum at the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 and decreases as it moves away from the center along the first direction (X direction). At the position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a, the phase of the third-wavelength light may be maximum at the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 along the first direction (X direction), so the boundary between the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132 is minimum. For example, when the phase of the third-wavelength light output from the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 is set to 2π, the phase of the third-wavelength light at the boundary between the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132 may be about 0.9π to about 1.1π.

[0098] As described above, the dichroic lens array 130 may be configured such that energy exchange occurs within the same row and not between different rows. In other words, there is no energy exchange between the first dichroic lens array to the third dichroic lens arrays 130a, 130b, and 130c. Therefore, the light output from the first dichroic lens array 130a after being incident on the first dichroic lens array 130a may be distributed in the first pixel corresponding region to the third pixel corresponding regions 131, 132, and 133, and may not be distributed in the pixel corresponding regions of the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c. Refer to Figure 6B and Figure 6C, in the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the third pixel corresponding region 133, the phases of the second wavelength light and the third wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a can be increased or decreased, and may not be distributed in the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c adjacent to each other along the second direction (Y direction). According to the exemplary embodiment, in the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the third pixel corresponding region 133, the phase of the first wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a can be increased or decreased, and may not be distributed in the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c adjacent to each other along the second direction (Y direction). Therefore, the light output from the first dichroic lens array 130a after being incident on the first dichroic lens array 130a can be converged onto the first pixel 111 to the third pixel 113 in the first pixel row corresponding to the first dichroic lens array 130a, and may not be converged onto the fourth pixel 114 to the ninth pixel 119 in the second pixel row and the third pixel row corresponding to the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c.

[0099] Reference Figure 6D , the first wavelength light can be converged onto the first pixel 111 by the dichroic lens array 130. The first wavelength light from the first pixel corresponding region 131 to the third pixel corresponding region 133 of the dichroic lens array 130 can be incident on the first pixel 111. The first phase distribution P1 of the above-mentioned first wavelength light can cause the first wavelength light passing through the first wavelength light converging region L1 including the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 on both sides of the first pixel corresponding region 131 to be converged onto the first pixel 111. Therefore, the dichroic lens array 130 can operate as an array of a plurality of first wavelength light converging regions L1 arranged in the first direction (X direction) for the first wavelength light to converge the first wavelength light. The first wavelength light converging region L1 can have an area larger than the area of the corresponding first pixel 111. For example, the area of the first wavelength light converging region L1 can be about 2.5 times to about 3 times larger than the area of the first pixel 111.

[0100] The dichroic lens array 130 can operate as an array of a plurality of second wavelength light converging regions L2 arranged in the first direction (X direction) for the second wavelength light to converge the second wavelength light, and can operate as an array of a plurality of third wavelength light converging regions L3 arranged in the first direction (X direction) for the third wavelength light to converge the third wavelength light. As described above, the first wavelength light converging region L1, the second wavelength light converging region L2, and the third wavelength light converging region L3 can partially overlap each other.

[0101] According to the exemplary embodiment, the phase distributions of the fourth wavelength light to the sixth wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b and the phase distributions of the seventh wavelength light to the ninth wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may follow the above principle. For example, the fourth wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 and the sixth pixel corresponding region 136. The fifth wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the sixth pixel corresponding region 136 and the fourth pixel corresponding region 134. The sixth wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the sixth pixel corresponding region 136 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the sixth pixel corresponding region 136 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 and the fifth pixel corresponding region 135.

[0102] The seventh wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the seventh pixel corresponding region 137 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the seventh pixel corresponding region 137 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 and the ninth pixel corresponding region 139. The eighth wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 and the seventh pixel corresponding region 137. The ninth wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may have the following phase distribution: maximum at the center of the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 and decreasing as it moves away from the center of the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 along the first direction (X direction), so the minimum at the boundary between the seventh pixel corresponding region 137 and the eighth pixel corresponding region 138.

[0103] The light output from the second dichroic lens array 130b after being incident on the second dichroic lens array 130b can be converged onto the fourth pixel 114 to the sixth pixel 116 in the second pixel row corresponding to the second dichroic lens array 130b, and may not be converged onto the first pixel 111 to the third pixel 113 and the seventh pixel 117 to the ninth pixel 119 in the first pixel row and the third pixel row corresponding to the first dichroic lens array 130a and the third dichroic lens array 130c. In addition, the light output from the third dichroic lens array 130c after being incident on the third dichroic lens array 130c can be converged onto the seventh pixel 117 to the ninth pixel 119 in the third pixel row corresponding to the third dichroic lens array 130c, and may not be converged onto the first pixel 111 to the sixth pixel 116 corresponding to the first dichroic lens array 130a and the second dichroic lens array 130b.

[0104] Figure 7A is a graph showing another example of the phase distribution of the first wavelength light to the third wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a, and Figure 7B is a plan view showing another example of the phase distribution of the second wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a on the dichroic lens array 130.

[0105] Reference Figure 7A , the first wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a can have a phase distribution P1' that is maximum at the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 in the first direction (X direction), so it is minimum at the centers of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 adjacent to the first pixel corresponding region 131. For example, when the phase of the first wavelength light output from the center of the first pixel corresponding region 131 is set to 2π, the phase of the first wavelength light at the centers of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 can be about 0.9π to about 1.1π. The first wavelength light may not be distributed in the boundary between the second pixel corresponding region 132 and the third pixel corresponding region 133. In this case, the area of the first wavelength light converging region L1 can be about 1.5 times to about 2 times larger than the area of the first pixel 111.

[0106] Reference Figure 7A and Figure 7B, the second-wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a may have a phase distribution P2', which is maximum at the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 in the first direction (X direction). Thus, it is minimum at the centers of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 adjacent to the second pixel corresponding region 132. For example, when the phase of the second-wavelength light output from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 is set to 2π, the phase of the first-wavelength light at the centers of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the third pixel corresponding region 133 may be from about 0.9π to about 1.1π. The second-wavelength light may not be distributed in the boundary between the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the third pixel corresponding region 133.

[0107] The third-wavelength light passing through the first dichroic lens array 130a may have a phase distribution P3', which is maximum at the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 in the first direction (X direction). Thus, it is minimum at the centers of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132 adjacent to the third pixel corresponding region 133. For example, when the phase of the third-wavelength light output from the center of the third pixel corresponding region 133 is set to 2π, the phase of the first-wavelength light at the centers of the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132 may be from about 0.9π to about 1.1π. The third-wavelength light may not be distributed in the boundary between the first pixel corresponding region 131 and the second pixel corresponding region 132.

[0108] According to an exemplary embodiment, the phase distributions of the fourth-wavelength light to the sixth-wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b and the phase distributions of the seventh-wavelength light to the ninth-wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may be similar to Figure 7A and Figure 7B the phase distributions shown. For example, the fourth-wavelength light passing through the second dichroic lens array 130b may have the following phase distribution: it is maximum at the center of the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the fourth pixel corresponding region 134 in the first direction (X direction). Thus, it is minimum at the centers of the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 and the sixth pixel corresponding region 136 adjacent to the fourth pixel corresponding region 134. The seventh-wavelength light passing through the third dichroic lens array 130c may have the following phase distribution: it is maximum at the center of the seventh pixel corresponding region 137 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the seventh pixel corresponding region 137 in the first direction (X direction). Thus, it is minimum at the centers of the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 and the ninth pixel corresponding region 139 adjacent to the seventh pixel corresponding region 137.

[0109] Figure 8is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 8 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line D-D’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 8 , the pixel array 1100 of the image sensor 1000 may further include an isolation layer 140 disposed on the dichroic lens array 130. The isolation layer 140 may include a first transparent strip 140a extending in a first direction (X direction) on the first dichroic lens array 130a, a second transparent strip 140b extending in the first direction on the second dichroic lens array 130b, and a third transparent strip 140c extending in the first direction on the third dichroic lens array 130c. The first to third transparent strips 140a, 140b, and 140c may be completely separated from each other by intervals therebetween. The isolation layer 140 may more reliably prevent energy exchange between adjacent first to third dichroic lens arrays 130a, 130b, and 130c.

[0110] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 9 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line D-D’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 9 , the upper surfaces of the first to third transparent strips 140a, 140b, and 140c may have a convex curved shape. Accordingly, the first to third transparent strips 140a, 140b, and 140c may serve as cylindrical lenses having no refractive power in a first direction (X direction) and having refractive power in a second direction (Y direction). In this case, the first transparent strip 140a may converge light at the center of the first pixel row 110a in the second direction (Y direction), and the second transparent strip 140b may converge light at the center of the second pixel row 110b in the second direction (Y direction), and the third transparent strip 140c may converge light at the center of the third pixel row 110c in the second direction (Y direction).

[0111] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 10 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line D-D’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 10, the isolation layer 140 disposed on the dichroic lens array 130 may have a shape of a transparent flat plate. To prevent energy exchange between the first to third dichroic lens arrays 130a, 130b, and 130c, the isolation layer 140 may have grooves 141 recessedly formed at the interfaces between the first dichroic lens array 130a and the second dichroic lens array 130b adjacent to each other, between the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c adjacent to each other, and between the third dichroic lens array 130c and the first dichroic lens array 130a adjacent to each other. Each groove 141 may extend in a first direction (X direction). Although it is shown in Figure 10 that the upper surface of the isolation layer 140 between adjacent grooves 141 is flat, the upper surface may also have a convex curved surface as shown in Figure 9 .

[0112] Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 11 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line A-A’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 11 , the isolation layer 140 may have a seamless continuous form in the first direction (X direction).

[0113] Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 12 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line A-A’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 12 , the isolation layer 140 may include a plurality of isolation elements 141 and 142 divided according to the unit pattern of the pixel array 1100. For example, the first isolation element 141 may be disposed to face the first to third pixels 111 to 113 in one unit pattern, and the second isolation element 142 may be disposed to face the first to third pixels 111 to 113 in another unit pattern. The first isolation element 141 and the second isolation element 142 may be completely separated from each other by a distance therebetween in the first direction (X direction).

[0114] Figure 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pixel array of an image sensor according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, Figure 13 may correspond to a cross-sectional view along line A-A’ of Figure 2A . Referring to Figure 13, the first isolation element 141 and the second isolation element 142 may not be completely separated from each other and may be connected to each other at their lower portions. On the upper surface of the isolation layer 140, a groove 143 extending in the second direction (Y direction) may be formed to face the boundary between the first isolation element 141 and the second isolation element 142 or the boundary between two adjacent unit patterns, such as the boundary between the third pixel 113 and the first pixel 111.

[0115] Figure 14 is a plan view showing another example of the phase distribution of the second-wavelength light passing through the dichroic lens array 130a on the dichroic lens array 130. So far, the first dichroic lens array to the third dichroic lens arrays 130a, 130b, and 130c of the dichroic lens array 130 are optically completely independent of each other. However, according to another exemplary embodiment, the dichroic lens array 130 may be designed to allow partial energy exchange between pixel corresponding regions of different dichroic lens arrays adjacent in the second direction (Y direction). For example, since the light bands sensed by pixels adjacent in the second direction (Y direction) may partially overlap, the dichroic lens arrays adjacent in the second direction (Y direction) may also provide light for pixels having low sensitivity to the wavelength to be sensed.

[0116] Reference Figure 14 , the second-wavelength light passing through the dichroic lens array 130 may have a second phase distribution P2", which is maximum at the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and decreases as it moves away from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 in the first direction (X direction) and decreases as it moves away from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 in the second direction (Y direction). At the position immediately after passing through the dichroic lens array 130, the phase of the second-wavelength light may be maximum at the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 and may be minimum at the boundary in the first direction (X direction) between the third pixel corresponding region 133 and the first pixel corresponding region 131, and at the boundary in the second direction (Y direction) between the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 of the second dichroic lens array 130b and the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 of the third dichroic lens array 130c.

[0117] For example, when the phase of the second-wavelength light output from the center of the second pixel corresponding region 132 is set to 2π, the phase of the second-wavelength light at the boundary between the third pixel corresponding region 133 and the first pixel corresponding region 131 may be from about 0.9π to about 1.1π, and the phase of the second-wavelength light at the boundary between the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 of the second dichroic lens array 130b and the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 of the third dichroic lens array 130c may be from about 0.9π to about 1.1π. Specifically, at the centers of the fifth pixel corresponding region 135 and the eighth pixel corresponding region 138 adjacent to the second pixel corresponding region 132 in the second direction (Y direction), the phase of the second-wavelength light may be greater than π and less than 2π. In this case, not only the second-wavelength light from the first dichroic lens array 130a but also the second-wavelength light from the second dichroic lens array 130b and the third dichroic lens array 130c can be converged onto the second pixel 112. Therefore, the intensity of the second-wavelength light provided to the second pixel can be increased, and the sensitivity of the second pixel 112 to the second-wavelength light can be improved. Although the phase distribution of the second-wavelength light has been shown in Figure 14 , the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As needed, the nanostructures NP may be arranged to allow energy exchange between adjacent dichroic lens arrays for one or more wavelength lights selected from the first to the ninth wavelength lights.

[0118] According to the image sensor 1000 including the pixel array 1100 described above, light loss caused by a color filter (e.g., an organic color filter) rarely occurs, so that sufficient light amount can be provided to the pixels even when the pixels become smaller in size. Therefore, an ultra-high-resolution, ultra-small, and highly sensitive multi-spectral image sensor having hundreds of millions of pixels or more can be manufactured. The exposure time for signal detection in the ultra-high-resolution, ultra-small, and high-sensitivity multi-spectral image sensor can be reduced, so that the frame rate can be increased. Such an ultra-high-resolution, ultra-small, and high-sensitivity multi-spectral image sensor can be used in various high-performance optical devices or high-performance electronic devices, and thus can be used to sense the state of the skin, etc., inspect food, inspect other object materials or properties, etc. The electronic device may include, for example, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a personal computer (PC), various portable devices, home appliances, a surveillance camera, a medical camera, a vehicle, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and other mobile or non-mobile computing devices, but is not limited thereto.

[0119] In addition to the image sensor 1000, the electronic device may further include a processor for controlling the image sensor, such as an application processor (AP), and may control a plurality of hardware or software components, and perform various data processing and operations by driving an operating system or an application through the processor. The processor may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or an image signal processor. When the image signal processor is included in the processor, an image (or video) obtained by the image sensor may be stored and / or output by using the processor.

[0120] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device ED01 including an image sensor 1000. Refer to Figure 15 , in a network environment ED00, the electronic device ED01 may communicate with another electronic device ED02 via a first network ED98 (such as a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with another electronic device ED04 and / or a server ED08 via a second network ED99 (such as a long-range wireless communication network). The electronic device ED01 may communicate with the electronic device ED04 via the server ED08. The electronic device ED01 may include a processor ED20, a memory ED30, an input device ED50, a sound output device ED55, a display device ED60, an audio module ED70, a sensor module ED76, an interface ED77, a haptic module ED79, a camera module ED80, a power management module ED88, a battery ED89, a communication module ED90, a user identification module ED96, and / or an antenna module ED97. In the electronic device ED01, some of the components may be omitted (such as the display device ED60) or another component may be added. Some of the components may be configured as an integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module ED76 (fingerprint sensor, iris sensor, illuminance sensor, etc.) may be embedded in the display device ED60 (display, etc.) and implemented therein.

[0121] The processor ED20 can control one or more components (hardware, software components, etc.) of the electronic device ED01 connected to the processor ED20 by executing software (such as program ED40), and can perform various data processing or operations. As part of the data processing or operations, the processor ED20 can load commands and / or data received from another component (such as the sensor module ED76, the communication module ED90, etc.) into the volatile memory ED32, can process the commands and / or data stored in the volatile memory ED32, and can store the result data in the non-volatile memory ED34. The processor ED20 can include a main processor ED21 (central processing unit, application processor, etc.) and a co-processor ED23 (GPU, image signal processor, sensor hub processor, communication processor, etc.) that can operate independently of the main processor ED21 or operate together with the main processor ED21. The co-processor ED23 can use less power than the main processor ED21 and can perform specified functions.

[0122] The co-processor ED23 can control functions and / or states related to some of the components (such as the display device ED60, the sensor module ED76, the communication module ED90, etc.) of the electronic device ED01 on behalf of the main processor ED21 when the main processor ED21 is in an inactive state (sleep state) or together with the processor ED21 when the main processor ED21 is in an active state (application execution state). The co-processor ED23 (such as an image signal processor, a communication processor, etc.) can be implemented as part of another component (such as the camera module ED80, the communication module ED90, etc.) related to it functionally.

[0123] The memory ED30 can store various data required by the components of the electronic device ED01 (such as the processor ED20, the sensor module ED76, etc.). The data can include, for example, software (such as program ED40) and input data and / or output data related to commands related to it. The memory ED30 can include a volatile memory ED32 and / or a non-volatile memory ED34. The non-volatile memory ED34 can include an internal memory ED36 fixedly installed in the electronic device ED01 and an external memory ED38 separable from the internal memory ED36.

[0124] The program ED40 can be stored in the memory ED30 as software, and can include an operating system ED42, middleware ED44, and / or an application ED46.

[0125] The input device ED50 can receive commands and / or data to be used for components (such as the processor ED20) of the electronic device ED01 from the outside (such as a user) of the electronic device ED01. The input device ED50 can include a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, and / or a digital pen (stylus).

[0126] The sound output device ED55 can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device ED01. The sound output device ED55 can include a speaker and / or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver can be used for receiving calls. The receiver can be coupled as part of the speaker, or can be implemented as an independent separate device.

[0127] The display device ED60 can provide visual information to the outside of the electronic device ED01. The display device ED60 can include a display, a holographic device or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling the corresponding device. The display device ED60 can include a touch circuit configured to detect a touch and / or a sensor circuit (such as a pressure sensor) configured to measure the force generated by the touch.

[0128] The audio module ED70 can convert sound into an electrical signal and vice versa. The audio module ED70 can obtain sound through the input device ED50, or can output sound via the sound output device ED55 and / or the speaker and / or headphones of another electronic device (such as the electronic device ED02) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device ED01.

[0129] The sensor module ED76 can detect the operating state (such as power, temperature) of the electronic device ED01 or the external environmental state (such as the user state), and can generate an electrical signal and / or a data value corresponding to the detected state. The sensor module ED76 can include a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a living body (vivo) sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or an illuminance sensor.

[0130] The interface ED77 can support one or more specified protocols, which can be used for the electronic device ED01 to be directly or wirelessly connected to another electronic device (such as the electronic device ED02). The interface ED77 can include a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and / or an audio interface.

[0131] The connection terminal ED78 may include a connector through which the electronic device ED01 can be physically connected to another electronic device (such as the electronic device ED02). The connection terminal ED78 may include an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, and / or an audio connector (such as a headphone connector).

[0132] The haptic module ED79 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (such as vibration, movement, etc.) or an electrical stimulus that a user can detect through touch or kinesthesia. The haptic module ED79 may include a motor, a piezoelectric device, and / or an electrical stimulation device.

[0133] The camera module ED80 may capture still images and videos. The camera module ED80 may include: a lens assembly including one or more lenses, Figure 1 an image sensor 1000, an image signal processor, and / or a flash. The lens assembly included in the camera module ED80 may collect light emitted from an object that is a target to be captured.

[0134] The power management module ED88 may manage the power supplied to the electronic device ED01. The power management module ED88 may be implemented as part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0135] The battery ED89 may supply power to the components of the electronic device ED01. The battery ED89 may include a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, and / or a fuel cell.

[0136] The communication module ED90 can support establishing a direct (wired) communication channel and / or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device ED01 and another electronic device (such as the electronic device ED02, the electronic device ED04, the server ED08, etc.), and perform communication through the established communication channel. The communication module ED90 can operate independently of the processor ED20 (such as an application processor, etc.), and can include one or more communication processors that support direct communication and / or wireless communication. The communication module ED90 can include a wireless communication module ED92 (such as a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module, etc.) and / or a wired communication module ED94 (such as a local area network (LAN) communication module, a power line communication module, etc.). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with another electronic device via a first network ED98 (such as a short-range communication network like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network ED99 (such as a long-range communication network like a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (LAN, wide area network (WAN), etc.)). These different types of communication modules can be integrated into one component (such as a single chip, etc.) or can be implemented as multiple separate components (multiple chips). The wireless communication module ED92 can identify and authenticate the electronic device ED01 in a communication network (such as the first network ED98 and / or the second network ED99) by using the user information (such as the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), etc.) stored in the user identification module ED96.

[0137] The antenna module ED97 can send signals and / or power to the outside (such as another electronic device, etc.) or receive signals and / or power from it. The antenna can include: a radiator formed as a conductive pattern on a substrate (such as a printed circuit board (PCB), etc.). The antenna module ED97 can include one or more antennas. When the antenna module ED97 includes multiple antennas, the communication module ED90 can select an antenna suitable for the communication scheme used in a communication network such as the first network ED98 and / or the second network ED99 from the multiple antennas. Signals and / or power can be transmitted between the communication module ED90 and another electronic device via the selected antenna. Another component (such as a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), etc.) other than the antenna can be included as part of the antenna module ED97.

[0138] Some of the components can be connected to each other via a communication scheme among peripheral devices (such as a bus, general-purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), etc.), and can exchange signals (commands, data, etc.).

[0139] Commands or data can be sent or received between the electronic device ED01 and an external electronic device ED04 via a server ED08 connected to a second network ED99. The other electronic devices ED02 and ED04 can be devices of the same or different types as the electronic device ED01. All or some of the operations performed in the electronic device ED01 can be performed in one or more of the other electronic devices ED02, ED04, and ED08. For example, when the electronic device ED01 has to perform a specific function or service, the electronic device ED01 can request one or more other electronic devices to perform a certain or entire function or service instead of performing the function or service itself. The one or more electronic devices that receive the request perform additional functions or services related to the request and can transmit the result of the performance to the electronic device ED01. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, and / or client-server computing technologies can be used.

[0140] Figure 16 is a block diagram showing Figure 15 an example of the camera module ED80. Referring to Figure 16 , the camera module ED80 can include a lens assembly CM10, a flash CM20, an image sensor 1000 ( Figure 1 such as the image sensor 1000 of

[0141] ), an image stabilizer CM40, a memory CM50 (buffer memory, etc.), and / or an image signal processor CM60. The lens assembly CM10 can collect light emitted from an object that is an object to be captured. The camera module ED80 can include a plurality of lens assemblies CM10, and in this case, the camera module ED80 can include a dual camera, a 360-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some of the plurality of lens assemblies CM10 can have the same lens properties (angle of view, focal length, autofocus, F-number, optical zoom, etc.) or different lens properties. The lens assembly CM10 can include a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens. Figure 1The image sensor described above converts the light emitted or reflected from an object and transmitted through the lens assembly CM10 into an electrical signal to obtain an image corresponding to the object. The image sensor 1000 may include one or more sensors selected from image sensors having different attributes (e.g., RGB sensors, black and white (BW) sensors, IR sensors, or UV sensors). Each of the sensors included in the image sensor 1000 may be implemented as a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor and / or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

[0142] The image stabilizer CM40 may move one or more lenses included in the lens assembly CM10 or the image sensor 1000 in a specific direction in response to the movement of the camera module ED80 or the electronic device ED01 including the camera module ED80, or may control the operating characteristics (adjusting the readout timing, etc.) of the image sensor 1000 to compensate for the negative effects of the movement. The image stabilizer CM40 may sense the movement of the camera module ED80 or the electronic device ED01 by using a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor disposed inside or outside the camera module ED80. The image stabilizer CM40 may be implemented as an optical type.

[0143] The memory CM50 may store some or all of the data of the image obtained through the image sensor 1000 for subsequent image processing operations. For example, when a plurality of images are obtained at high speed, the obtained raw data (Bayer pattern data, high-resolution data, etc.) may be stored in the memory CM50, and a low-resolution image may be displayed, and then the raw data of the selected (selected by the user, etc.) image may be sent to the image signal processor CM60. The memory CM50 may be integrated with the memory ED30 of the electronic device ED01, or may include a separate memory operating independently.

[0144] The image signal processor CM60 can perform image processing on the images obtained through the image sensor 1000 or the image data stored in the memory CM50. The image processing may include depth map generation, 3D modeling, panoramic generation, feature extraction, image combination, and / or image compensation (noise reduction, resolution adjustment, brightness adjustment, blurring, sharpening, softening, etc.). The image signal processor CM60 can perform control (such as exposure time control or readout timing control) of the components (such as the image sensor 1000) included in the camera module ED80. The images processed by the image signal processor CM60 can be stored again in the memory CM50 for further processing, or can be provided to external components of the camera module ED80 (such as the memory ED30, the display device ED60, the electronic device ED02, the electronic device ED04, the server ED08, etc.). The image signal processor CM60 can be integrated with the processor ED20, or can be configured as an additional processor operating independently of the processor ED20. When the image signal processor CM60 is configured as an additional processor separated from the processor ED20, the images processed by the image signal processor CM60 can undergo additional image processing by the processor ED20 and then can be displayed on the device ED60.

[0145] The electronic device ED01 can include a plurality of camera modules ED80 having different attributes or functions. In this case, one of the plurality of camera modules EDS0 can include a wide-angle camera, and another can include a telephoto camera. Similarly, one of the plurality of camera modules ED80 can include a front camera, and another can include a rear camera.

[0146] The image sensor 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment can be applied to Figure 17 the mobile phone or smartphone 1100m shown, Figure 18 the tablet computer or smart tablet computer 1200 shown, Figure 19 the digital camera or video recorder 1300 shown, Figure 20 the laptop computer 1400 shown or Figure 21 the television or smart television 1500 shown. For example, the smartphone 1100m or the smart tablet computer 1200 can include a plurality of high-resolution cameras each including a high-resolution image sensor. By using the high-resolution cameras, the depth information of the objects in the image can be extracted, the out-of-focus of the image can be adjusted, or the objects in the image can be automatically recognized.

[0147] In addition, the image sensor 1000 can be applied to Figure 22 the smart refrigerator 1600 shown, Figure 23 the surveillance camera 1700 shown, Figure 24 the robot 1800 shown,Figure 25 Medical cameras 1900 as shown, etc. For example, the smart refrigerator 1600 can automatically identify the food in the refrigerator by using an image sensor, and can notify the user of the presence of a specific type of food, the type of food put in or taken out, etc. via a smart phone. In addition, the surveillance camera 1700 can provide ultra-high resolution images by using high sensitivity and enable the user to identify objects or people in images even in a dark environment. The robot 1900 can be placed at disaster or industrial sites where people cannot directly enter and provide high-resolution images to the user. The medical camera 1900 can provide high-resolution images for diagnosis or surgery and can dynamically adjust the field of view.

[0148] In addition, the image sensor 1000 can be applied to Figure 26 the vehicle 2000 as shown. The vehicle 2000 may include a plurality of vehicle cameras 2010, 2020, 2030, and 2040 arranged at various positions. Each of the vehicle cameras 2010, 2020, 2030, and 2040 may include an image sensor according to an exemplary embodiment. The vehicle 2000 can provide various information about the interior of the vehicle 2000 or the surroundings of the vehicle 2000 to the driver by using the plurality of vehicle cameras 2010, 2020, 2030, and 2040, and can provide the information required for automatic travel to the driver by automatically identifying objects or people in the images.

[0149] It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for a restrictive purpose. The description of the features or aspects in each exemplary embodiment should typically be regarded as available for other similar features or aspects in other exemplary embodiments. Although one or more exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An image sensor, comprising: a sensor substrate including a first pixel row and a second pixel row, the first pixel row including a plurality of first pixels arranged along a first direction, and the second pixel row including a plurality of second pixels arranged along the first direction, the second pixel row being adjacent to the first pixel row in a second direction; a spacer layer, the spacer layer being transparent and disposed on the sensor substrate; and a dichroic lens array disposed on the spacer layer, wherein the dichroic lens array includes: a first dichroic lens array extending along the first direction above the first pixel row, the first dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of first wavelengths within a first spectral range from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and to converge the light of the plurality of first wavelengths onto the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row; and a second dichroic lens array extending along the first direction above the second pixel row, the second dichroic lens array being configured to separate light of a plurality of second wavelengths within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range from light incident on the second dichroic lens array and to converge the light of the plurality of second wavelengths onto the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row, wherein the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row include first-first pixels, first-second pixels, and first-third pixels alternately arranged along the first direction, wherein the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row include second-first pixels, second-second pixels, and second-third pixels alternately arranged along the first direction, wherein the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-first pixel and the wavelength detected by the first-second pixel is greater than the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-first pixel and the wavelength detected by the second-first pixel, the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-second pixel and the wavelength detected by the first-third pixel is greater than the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-first pixel and the wavelength detected by the second-first pixel, and the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-second pixel and the wavelength detected by the first-third pixel is greater than the wavelength interval between the wavelength detected by the first-second pixel and the wavelength detected by the second-second pixel, wherein the first dichroic lens array is configured to: separate light of a first-first wavelength from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the separated light of the first-first wavelength onto the first-first pixel, separate light of a first-second wavelength from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the separated light of the first-second wavelength onto the first-second pixel, and separate light of a first-third wavelength from light incident on the first dichroic lens array and converge the separated light of the first-third wavelength onto the first-third pixel, and wherein the second dichroic lens array is configured to: Separate light of a second-first wavelength from the light incident on the second dichroic lens array, and converge the separated light of the second-first wavelength onto the second-first pixel. Separate light of a second-second wavelength from the light incident on the second dichroic lens array, and converge the separated light of the second-second wavelength onto the second-second pixel, and Separate light of a second-third wavelength from the light incident on the second dichroic lens array, and converge the separated light of the second-third wavelength onto the second-third pixel.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The second dichroic lens array is adjacent to the first dichroic lens array in the second direction.

3. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The first dichroic lens array is further configured to converge the light incident on the first dichroic lens array only onto the plurality of first pixels of the first pixel row, and the second dichroic lens array is configured to converge the light incident on the second dichroic lens array only onto the plurality of second pixels of the second pixel row.

4. The image sensor according to claim 3, further comprising: An isolation layer disposed on the dichroic lens array, the isolation layer being configured to prevent energy exchange between the first dichroic lens array and the second dichroic lens array.

5. The image sensor according to claim 4, wherein, The isolation layer includes a first transparent strip extending in the first direction on the first dichroic lens array and a second transparent strip extending in the first direction on the second dichroic lens array.

6. The image sensor according to claim 4, wherein, The isolation layer includes: a transparent flat plate including a groove formed recessedly in the first direction at a position corresponding to the interface between the first dichroic lens array and the second dichroic lens array.

7. The image sensor according to claim 4, wherein, The upper surface of the isolation layer includes a convex curved surface, and the upper surface of the isolation layer has a refractive power in the second direction.

8. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The first spectral range and the second spectral range partially overlap each other.

9. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The first wavelength interval between the plurality of first wavelengths in the first spectral range separated by the first dichroic lens array and the second wavelength interval between the plurality of second wavelengths in the second spectral range separated by the second dichroic lens array are in the range of 30 nm to 300 nm.

10. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The first dichroic lens array includes a first region corresponding to the first-first pixel, a second region corresponding to the first-second pixel, and a third region corresponding to the first-third pixel, and the first region, the second region, and the third region are alternately arranged in the first direction. The second dichroic lens array includes a fourth region corresponding to the second-first pixel, a fifth region corresponding to the second-second pixel, and a sixth region corresponding to the second-third pixel. The fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region are arranged alternately along the first direction. The first region is arranged to face the first-first pixel. The second region is arranged to face the first-second pixel. The third region is arranged to face the first-third pixel. The fourth region is arranged to face the second-first pixel. The fifth region is arranged to face the second-second pixel, and The sixth region is arranged to face the second-third pixel.

11. The image sensor according to claim 10, wherein, at least one of the first region, the second region, and the third region includes a plurality of nanostructures arranged such that: at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, the light of the first-first wavelength has a phase of 2π at a first position corresponding to the central portion of the first-first pixel and has a phase of 0.9π to 1.1π at the boundary between the first-second pixel and the first-third pixel. at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, the light of the first-second wavelength has a phase of 2π at a second position corresponding to the central portion of the first-second pixel and has a phase of 0.9π to 1.1π at the boundary between the first-third pixel and the first-first pixel. And at a position immediately after passing through the first dichroic lens array, the light of the first-third wavelength has a phase of 2π at a third position corresponding to the central portion of the first-third pixel and has a phase of 0.9π to 1.1π at the boundary between the first-first pixel and the first-second pixel.

12. The image sensor according to claim 10, wherein, at least one of the first region, the second region, the third region, the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region includes a plurality of nanostructures arranged such that at a position immediately after passing through the dichroic lens array, the light of the first-first wavelength has a phase greater than π and less than 2π at a position corresponding to the second-first pixel adjacent to the first-first pixel along the second direction.

13. The image sensor according to claim 11, wherein, the plurality of nanostructures are arranged such that the light of the first-first wavelength, the light of the first-second wavelength, and the light of the first-third wavelength passing through the first dichroic lens array do not travel to the second-first pixel, the second-second pixel, and the second-third pixel.

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