Spectral filter and electronic device including same

Abstract

A spectral filter includes: a first resonant structure; and a metasurface device disposed on the first resonant structure. The metasurface device includes a plurality of first beam turning zones in which an angle of incidence of the incident light is variously adjusted to emit the incident light, where each of the plurality of first beam turning zones includes a plurality of nanostructures, each of the plurality of first beam turning zones includes a plurality of nanostructures, and each of the plurality of nanostructures includes a plurality of nanostructures. Each of the plurality of nanostructures has a shape size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of incident light.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0125849 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 20, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a spectral filter and an electronic device including the spectral filter. Background Art

[0004] In the related art, the band of an image sensor is divided into three parts, namely, a red (R) band, a green (G) band, and a blue (B) band. However, in order to improve color representation accuracy and object recognition performance, it is necessary to develop an image sensor with a spectral filter in which the band is divided into more parts.

[0005] The spectral filter can be designed based on the Fabry-Perot filter, and the peak transmission wavelength can be determined by adjusting the material and thickness of the cavity set in the Fabry-Perot filter. In this design method, the spectral wavelength range may be limited by the processable materials of the Fabry-Perot filter. Summary of the invention

[0006] Provided are a spectrum filter capable of realizing various transmission bands and an electronic device including the spectrum filter.

[0007] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0008] According to one aspect of an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a spectral filter includes: a first resonant structure; and a meta-device, which is disposed on the first resonant structure, the meta-device including a plurality of first beam steering regions, in which incident angles of incident light are adjusted differently for emission, wherein each of the plurality of first beam steering regions includes a plurality of nanostructures, each of the plurality of nanostructures having a shape size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light.

[0009] The first resonant structure may include a plurality of first resonator regions, the plurality of first resonator regions presenting a first resonant wavelength for vertically incident light, a plurality of first beam steering regions may respectively face the plurality of first resonator regions, and at least one of the plurality of first resonator regions may transmit light in a wavelength band different from the first resonant wavelength.

[0010] The plurality of nanostructures in one first beam steering region are arranged according to an arrangement rule that is different from an arrangement rule of the plurality of nanostructures in another first beam steering region.

[0011] The spectral filter can be operated as multiple unit filters, the number of the multiple unit filters is the same as the number of the multiple first beam steering zones, and the central transmission wavelengths respectively presented by the multiple unit filters can be the first resonant wavelength or less and fall within the range of 30% or more of the first resonant wavelength.

[0012] The first resonant structure may include: a first reflector and a second reflector disposed to face each other and to be spaced apart from each other; and a cavity layer between the first reflector and the second reflector.

[0013] Each of the first reflector and the second reflector may independently include a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR).

[0014] The spectral filter may further include a second resonant structure, the second resonant structure includes a plurality of second resonator regions, the plurality of second resonator regions present a second resonant wavelength for vertically incident light, the second resonant wavelength is different from the first resonant wavelength, the meta-device may further include a plurality of second beam steering regions, the plurality of second beam steering regions respectively face the plurality of second resonator regions, and at least one second resonator region among the plurality of second resonator regions may transmit light in a wavelength band different from the second resonant wavelength.

[0015] Each of the first resonant structure and the second resonant structure may independently include: a first reflector and a second reflector disposed to face each other and to be spaced apart from each other; and a cavity layer between the first reflector and the second reflector.

[0016] The thickness of the cavity layer of the second resonant structure may be different from the thickness of the cavity layer of the first resonant structure.

[0017] The cavity layer of the second resonant structure may include a dielectric pattern including two dielectrics having different refractive indices.

[0018] The thickness of the cavity layer of the second resonant structure may be equal to the thickness of the cavity layer of the first resonant structure.

[0019] The cavity layer of the first resonant structure and the cavity layer of the second resonant structure may have different effective refractive indices.

[0020] The spectral filter may operate as a plurality of unit filters having different transmission bands, and the number of the plurality of unit filters is the sum of the number of the plurality of first beam steering regions and the number of the plurality of second beam steering regions.

[0021] The spectral filter may further include a buffer layer disposed between the first resonant structure and the metadevice and supporting the plurality of nanostructures of each first beam steering region.

[0022] The spectral filter may further include a bandpass filter disposed between the first resonant structure and the metadevice.

[0023] The multiple nanostructures of the metadevice may be arranged in two or more layers.

[0024] According to one aspect of an example embodiment of the present disclosure, an image sensor includes: a sensor substrate including a plurality of light sensing units configured to sense light; and a plurality of spectral filters disposed on the sensor substrate, wherein each of the plurality of spectral filters includes: a first resonant structure; and a meta-device disposed on the first resonant structure and including a plurality of first beam steering regions, in which incident angles of incident light are adjusted differently for emission, and wherein each of the plurality of first beam steering regions includes a plurality of nanostructures, each of the plurality of nanostructures having a shape size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light.

[0025] Each of the multiple spectral filters may further include a second resonant structure, the second resonant structure including multiple second resonator regions, the multiple second resonator regions presenting a second resonant wavelength for vertically incident light, the second resonant wavelength being different from the first resonant wavelength of the first resonant structure; the meta-device may further include multiple second beam steering regions, the multiple second beam steering regions respectively facing the multiple second resonator regions; and at least one second resonator region of the multiple second resonator regions transmits light in a wavelength band different from the second resonant wavelength.

[0026] An arrangement of the plurality of nanostructures in a first beam steering region corresponding to a spectral filter located at a central region of the image sensor among the plurality of spectral filters is different from an arrangement of the plurality of nanostructures in a first beam steering region corresponding to a spectral filter located at a periphery of the image sensor.

[0027] According to one aspect of an example embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: a lens assembly; and an image sensor, wherein the image sensor is configured to sense light transmitted through the lens assembly, wherein the image sensor includes: a sensor substrate, including a plurality of light sensing units for sensing light; and a plurality of spectral filters, disposed on the sensor substrate, each of the plurality of spectral filters including: a first resonant structure; and a meta-device, disposed on the first resonant structure and including a plurality of first beam steering regions, in which incident angles of incident light are adjusted differently for emission, and wherein each of the plurality of first beam steering regions includes a plurality of nanostructures, each of the plurality of nanostructures having a shape size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view for conceptually explaining the structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0030] Figure 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement of unit filters included in a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0032] Figure 4 To show the basis Figure 3 A diagram of the transmission spectrum of the resonant structure set in the spectral filter at different incident angles;

[0033] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0034] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0035] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0036] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0037] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0038] Fig.10 To show the basis Fig. 9 A diagram of the transmission spectrum of the resonant structure set in the spectral filter at different incident angles;

[0039] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0040] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0041] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectrum filter according to an example embodiment;

[0042] Fig.14 is a block diagram of an image sensor according to example embodiments;

[0043] Fig.15 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a chief ray angle (CRA) of light incident on an image sensor according to example embodiments;

[0044] Figures 16 to 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of spectral filters at multiple positions having different CRAs in an image sensor according to example embodiments;

[0045] Fig.19 A block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device according to an example embodiment; and

[0046] Fig. 20 For schematic illustration Fig.19 A block diagram of a camera module provided in an electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals represent the same elements throughout. In this regard, the embodiments presented may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions made herein. Therefore, the following merely describes example embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings to explain various aspects. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. When expressions such as "at least one of..." are after an element list, the entire element list is modified without modifying a single element in the list.

[0048] The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are provided as examples only and may be embodied in many different forms. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same components, and the sizes of the components in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated for ease of explanation.

[0049] Hereinafter, it should be understood that when a component is described as being “over” or “on” another component, the component may be directly over the other component or over the other component in a non-contact manner.

[0050] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component. These terms do not limit the materials or structures of the components to be different from each other.

[0051] Expressions used in the singular include expressions in the plural unless they have obviously different meanings in the context. It should also be understood that when a part is described as "including" another component, the part may not exclude another component but may further include another component unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0052] In addition, the terms "... unit" and "... module" used herein mean a unit for processing at least one function or operation, and may be implemented by hardware, or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0053] The use of the terms "a," "an," and "the" and similar referents should be construed to cover both the singular and the plural.

[0054] Moreover, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context, the steps of all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order. In addition, the use of all exemplary terms (e.g., etc.) provided herein is only intended to better illustrate technical ideas, and unless otherwise stated, does not limit the scope of rights.

[0055] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view for conceptually explaining a structure of a spectrum filter according to example embodiments.

[0056] The spectral filter 1000 includes a resonant structure 100 and a meta-device 500. The meta-device 500 is disposed on the resonant structure 100 and includes a plurality of beam steering regions BS1, BS2, and BS3 that adjust the angle of incident light and emit the incident light.

[0057] Each of the beam steering regions BS1, BS2, and BS3 includes a plurality of nanostructures NS, and emits incident light by adjusting the angle of the incident light according to the shape and arrangement of the nanostructures NS. For example, as shown in the figure, light vertically incident on the metadevice 500 can be deflected by a certain angle while passing through the beam steering regions BS1, BS2, and BS3, and emitted.

[0058] The nanostructure NS may have different arrangement rules in the beam steering areas BS1, BS2 and BS3. At least one of the shape, size (e.g., width and / or height), distance between nanostructures, arrangement form, etc. of the nanostructure NS may be different in each beam steering area BS1, BS2 and BS3. As shown in the figure, nanostructures NS of the same shape may be arranged in the beam steering areas BS1, BS2 and BS3, and the rules for arranging nanostructures NS of different widths may be determined according to the position of the beam steering area, so that the angle at which the incident light is deflected and emitted may be adjusted.

[0059] For example, the angles at which the incident light is deflected by the beam steering regions BS1, BS2, and BS3 may be θ1, θ2, and θ3, and θ1>θ2>θ3. The tendency of the width of the nanostructure NS to decrease in one direction (e.g., the X direction) may be greatest in the beam steering region BS1, and may decrease in the order of the beam steering regions BS2 and BS3. The beam steering region BS3 may include a nanostructure NS having a constant width so as to hardly deflect the incident light. Figure 1 , θ3 is shown as 0 degrees. However, Figure 1 The arrangement rule of the nanostructures NS and the resulting deflection angle of the incident light shown in are merely examples and may be modified in various ways.

[0060] The resonant structure 100 includes a plurality of resonator regions RC, and light vertically incident on the metadevice 500 is deflected at different angles while passing through the beam steering regions BS1, BS2, and BS3, and then is incident on the resonator regions RC facing the corresponding beam steering regions.

[0061] The multiple resonator regions RC may be Fabry-Perot based resonators, each of which includes two reflectors and a cavity between them. Light incident on the resonator region RC propagates back and forth inside the resonator region RC, causing constructive interference and destructive interference in the process. In addition, light having a specific center wavelength that satisfies the constructive interference condition may be emitted to the lower surface of the resonator region RC. Such a specific center wavelength will be referred to as a resonant wavelength hereinafter. The multiple resonator regions RC may all be designed to have the same resonant wavelength.

[0062] The resonant wavelength is designed based on vertically incident light (i.e., light incident at an incident angle of 0 degrees). In other words, for vertically incident light, the resonator region RC operates as a filter that transmits light of the same wavelength as the designed resonant wavelength, but for light incident at an oblique angle, the resonator region RC operates as a filter that transmits light of a different wavelength. When the resonant wavelength of the resonator region RC is λ RWhen the light beam is turned on and the resonator zone RC faces the beam steering zone BS1, the beam steering zone BS1 and the resonator zone RC facing the beam steering zone BS1 can be operated as a first unit filter F1 that transmits light of a first wavelength λ1, the beam steering zone BS2 and the resonator zone RC facing the beam steering zone BS2 can be operated as a second unit filter F2 that transmits light of a second wavelength λ2, and the beam steering zone BS3 and the resonator zone RC facing the beam steering zone BS3 can be operated as a third unit filter F3 that transmits light of a third wavelength λ3.

[0063] The transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2, and λ3 of the first to third unit filters F1, F2, and F3 respectively represent the center wavelengths of the wavelength bands of light transmitted by the first to third unit filters F1, F2, and F3.

[0064] According to the arrangement form of the nanostructures NS in each of the beam steering areas BS1, BS2 and BS3, at least one of λ1, λ2 and λ3 may be aligned with λ R different.

[0065] The angles θ1, θ2 and θ3 at which the incident light is deflected by the beam steering areas BS1, BS2 and BS3 have a relationship of θ1>θ2>θ3, and the wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3 of the light transmitted through the first to third unit filters F1, F2 and F3 may have a relationship of λ1<λ2<λ3. In the figure, the angle θ3 at which the incident light is deflected by the beam steering area BS3 may be 0 degrees, and λ3 may be equal to λ1<λ2<λ3. R same.

[0066] As described above, the spectrum filter 1000 according to example embodiments may utilize a plurality of resonator regions RC designed to have the same resonance wavelength for vertically incident light while forming a unit filter associated with a beam steering region, thereby presenting various transmission bands.

[0067] Figure 1 The cross-sectional view shown shows that by using a R The three resonator regions RC of the resonant structure 100 form first to third unit filters F1, F2 and F3 with transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, more types of beam steering regions for adjusting the incident light angle differently may be provided on the resonant structure 100, and unit filters with transmission wavelengths λ4, λ5, λ6, etc. may be further formed. Alternatively, the illustrated beam steering regions BS1, BS2 and BS3 may be respectively provided on a plurality of resonator regions with different resonant wavelengths, and unit filters with transmission wavelengths λ4, λ5, λ6, etc. may be further formed.

[0068] Figure 2is a plan view showing the arrangement of unit filters included in the spectral filter 1000 according to example embodiments.

[0069] according to Figure 1 The N unit filters designed in the above manner can be arranged two-dimensionally in the directions of X and Y. The N unit filters can respectively present transmission wavelengths λ1 to λN.

[0070] The resonator regions respectively included in the N types of unit filters may all be designed to have the same resonant wavelength, and in this case, the beam steering regions included in the N types of unit filters may all have different nanostructure arrangement rules.

[0071] Alternatively, N types of unit filters may be formed by combining a plurality of types of resonator regions and a plurality of beam steering regions having different arrangement rules.

[0072] Some example embodiments of spectral filters implemented in various forms will be described below.

[0073] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1001 according to an example embodiment.

[0074] The spectral filter 1001 includes a first resonant structure 101 and a metadevice 501 .

[0075] The first resonant structure 101 includes a first reflector 10 and a second reflector 20 facing each other, and a cavity layer 30 disposed between the first reflector 10 and the second reflector 20 .

[0076] The cavity layer 30 as a resonance layer may include a semiconductor material or a dielectric material having a certain refractive index. For example, the cavity layer 30 may include silicon or silicon oxide. However, this is only an example, and the cavity layer 30 may include various other materials according to design conditions such as the wavelength of the incident light.

[0077] The first reflector 10 and the second reflector 20 respectively disposed on the lower and upper surfaces of the cavity layer 30 may each be a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR).

[0078] The first reflector 10 may include one or more first material layers 11 and one or more second material layers 12. The one or more first material layers 11 and the one or more second material layers 12 may be arranged alternately. The first reflector 10 may also include one or more third material layers 13. The one or more first material layers 11, the one or more second material layers 12 and the one or more third material layers 13 may be stacked in a vertical direction (e.g., Z direction). The first reflector 10 is shown as the following structure: three first material layers 11 and two second material layers 12 are alternately stacked on the upper surface of the third material layer 13 in the vertical direction, but this is only an example. The first reflector 10 may include only the first material layer 11 and the second material layer 12, the number and / or arrangement order of the first material layer 11 and the second material layer 12 may be changed, and the number and / or arrangement form of the first material layer 11, the second material layer 12 and the third material layer 13 may be changed in various ways.

[0079] The first material layer 11, the second material layer 12, and the third material layer 13 may include materials having different refractive indexes. For example, the first material layer 11 may have a relatively highest refractive index, and the second material layer 12 may have a relatively lowest refractive index. In addition, the refractive index of the third material layer 13 may be smaller than the refractive index of the first material layer 11 and greater than the refractive index of the second material layer 12.

[0080] For example, the first material layer 11 may include titanium oxide, and the second material layer 12 may include silicon oxide. In addition, the third material layer 13 may include hafnium oxide. This is only an example, and silicon or silicon nitride may be used as the material of the first material layer 11, the second material layer 12, and the third material layer 13.

[0081] The second reflector 20 may include one or more first material layers 21 and one or more second material layers 22. One or more first material layers 21 and one or more second material layers 22 may be arranged alternately. The second reflector 20 may also include one or more third material layers 23. One or more first material layers 21, one or more second material layers 22, and one or more third material layers 23 may be stacked in a vertical direction (e.g., Z direction). The second reflector 20 is shown as the following structure: the third material layer 23 is arranged above three first material layers 21 and two second material layers 22 that are alternately stacked in the vertical direction, but this is only an example. The second reflector 20 may include only the first material layer 21 and the second material layer 22, the number and / or arrangement order of the first material layer 21 and the second material layer 22 may be changed, and the number and / or arrangement form of the first material layer 21, the second material layer 22, and the third material layer 23 may be changed in various ways.

[0082] The materials of the first material layer 21, the second material layer 22 and the third material layer 23 of the second reflector 20 may be respectively the same as the materials of the first material layer 11, the second material layer 12 and the third material layer 13 of the first reflector 10, and the first reflector 10 and the second reflector 20 may be different from each other in the number and / or arrangement of the first material layer, the second material layer and the third material layer. The first reflector 10 and the second reflector 20 may have independent configurations.

[0083] An etch stop layer (not shown) may also be provided between the first reflector 10 and the cavity layer 30. The etch stop layer may be provided as required in a patterning process for forming the cavity layer 30, and the etch stop layer may include a material having a lower etching selectivity than the material of the cavity layer 30. The etch stop layer may be, for example, hafnium oxide, but is not limited thereto.

[0084] The first resonant structure 101 may have a first resonant wavelength which may be determined according to the thickness L1 and the effective refractive index of the cavity layer 30 , and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the transmission spectrum of the first resonant structure 101 may be adjusted according to the specific configuration of the first reflector 10 and the second reflector 20 .

[0085] As described above, the first resonant wavelength of the first resonant structure 101 is relative to vertically incident light. By using a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13 disposed to face the plurality of first resonator regions RC1, respectively, light is incident at different incident angles according to the positions of the first resonator regions RC1, and the plurality of first resonator regions RC1 present different transmission bands.

[0086] Each of the first beam steering regions BS11 , BS12 , and BS13 includes a plurality of nanostructures NS, and an arrangement rule of the nanostructures NS is set so that the first beam steering regions BS11 , BS12 , and BS13 deflect and emit incident light at different angles.

[0087] The nanostructure NS included in each of the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12, and BS13 may have a shape size corresponding to a subwavelength. Here, subwavelength refers to a wavelength smaller than the wavelength band of the light to be deflected (i.e., light incident on the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12, and BS13 and deflected by the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12, and BS13). The nanostructure NS may have a size smaller than the minimum wavelength in the wavelength band of the incident light. For example, the nanostructure NS may have a cylindrical shape with a cross-sectional diameter of a subwavelength. However, the shape of the nanostructure NS is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, an elliptical cylinder or a polygonal cylinder. When the incident light is visible light, the width of the nanostructure NS may have a size smaller than, for example, 400nm, 300nm, or 200nm.

[0088] The nanostructure NS may include a material with a refractive index higher than that of the surrounding material. For example, the nanostructure NS may include c-Si, p-Si, a-Si, III-V compound semiconductors (GaP, GaN, GaAs, etc.), SiC, TiO 2 , SiN and / or any combination thereof. The nanostructure NS having a refractive index different from that of the surrounding material and a shape size corresponding to the subwavelength can change the phase of the light passing through the nanostructure NS. The degree of phase change is determined by the specific shape size and arrangement form of the nanostructure NS. The arrangement rule of the nanostructure NS arranged in each of the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12 and BS13 can be determined to form a phase distribution suitable for the beam steering angle to be achieved by each of the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12 and BS13.

[0089] A dielectric material having a refractive index lower than that of the nanostructure NS may be disposed between the nanostructures NS. For example, the surrounding material may include SiO 2 The surrounding material may be formed in the form of a protection layer (not shown) filling between the nanostructures NS and completely covering the nanostructures NS.

[0090] A buffer layer BU may be further disposed between the first resonant structure 101 and the metadevice 501. The buffer layer BU may support the plurality of nanostructures NS, and may include a material having a refractive index lower than that of the nanostructures NS.

[0091] The first beam steering region BS11 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a first unit filter F1, the first beam steering region BS12 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a second unit filter F2, and the first beam steering region BS13 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a third unit filter F3.

[0092] The transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3 of the first unit filter F1, the second unit filter F2 and the third unit filter F3 may correspond to the first resonant wavelength (i.e., the resonant wavelength of the first resonant structure 101) or less. Each of λ1, λ2 and λ3 may be the first resonant wavelength or less, and may be approximately 70%, 50% or 30% of the first resonant wavelength. The central transmission wavelengths presented by the plurality of unit filters are respectively the first resonant wavelength or less, and fall within a range of 30% or more of the first resonant wavelength. As the deflection angle of the first beam steering areas BS11, BS12 and BS13 increases, i.e., as the deflection angle moves from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, λ1, λ2 and λ3 may represent a smaller wavelength that is further deviated from the first resonant wavelength. In other words, the transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3 may have a relationship of λ1<λ2<λ3.

[0093] The transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3 of the first unit filter F1, the second unit filter F2 and the third unit filter F3 are adjusted by adjusting the light incident on the filter having the resonance wavelength λ R This is achieved by incident angles θ1, θ2 and θ3 on the first resonant structure 101.

[0094] For example, λ1, λ2, and λ3 can be expressed as follows.

[0095] λ1=λ R *cosθ1

[0096] λ2=λ R *cosθ2

[0097] λ3=λ R *cosθ3

[0098] The first resonant structure 101 may be designed to generate a resonant wavelength that is sensitive to the incident angle. Assuming that the effective refractive index of the cavity layer 30 is ne, the thickness of the first resonant structure 101 may be greater than, for example, λ R / (2ne). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0099] Figure 4 To show the basis Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram of the transmission spectrum of the first resonant structure 101 arranged in the spectral filter 1001 at different incident angles.

[0100] It can be seen that as the angle at which light is incident on the first resonant structure 101 increases from 0 degrees to about 40 degrees, the central wavelength of the transmission band decreases.

[0101] In other words, it can be seen that by providing a metadevice that deflects vertically incident light differently depending on the region, various different types of transmission bands can be formed.

[0102] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1002 according to an example embodiment.

[0103] The spectral filter 1002 of the example embodiment can be used with Figure 3 The spectral filter 1001 is substantially the same as that of Figure 3 The spectral filter 1001 is arranged outside the band pass filter array 400 at the position of the buffer layer BU.

[0104] The bandpass filter array 400 may include a first filter 410, a second filter 420, and a third filter 430. The first filter 410 may be a bandpass filter, the transmission band of which includes the transmission band presented by the first unit filter F1, and is wider than the transmission band of the first unit filter F1. The second filter 420 and the third filter 430 may each be a bandpass filter, which includes the transmission band presented by the second filter F2 and the third filter F3, and has a transmission band wider than the corresponding transmission band. The first filter 410, the second filter 420, and the third filter 430 may be respectively configured to supplement the filtering performance of the first unit filter F1, the second unit filter F2, and the third unit filter F3. The first filter 410, the second filter 420, and the third filter 430 may be, for example, a blue filter, a green filter, and a red filter, respectively, but are not limited thereto.

[0105] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1003 according to an example embodiment.

[0106] The spectral filter 1003 of this embodiment can be Figure 3 The spectral filter 1001 is substantially the same except that the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 forming the metadevice 503 are arranged to form different layers.

[0107] The first protective layer 51 is formed to completely cover the first nanostructure NS1, and the second nanostructure NS2 is formed on the first protective layer 51. The second protective layer 52 may be formed to completely cover the second nanostructure NS2. The first protective layer 51 and the second protective layer 52 may each include a material having a refractive index lower than that of each of the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2.

[0108] An anti-reflection layer 600 may be further disposed on the second protective layer 52 .

[0109] As in the example embodiment, in consideration of the beam steering performance to be exhibited by each of the first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13, the metadevice 503 may be configured by using the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 arranged in a two-layer structure. For example, when the shape size of the nanostructure requires a large aspect ratio, the manufacturing process of the metadevice may be difficult, and the formation of the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 may be performed by forming the first nanostructure NS1 of the first layer and the second nanostructure NS2 of the second layer. Alternatively, for other design reasons, the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 may be arranged in a multilayer structure. In the multilayer shown in the figure, the arrangement rule of the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 is shown to be the same in the first layer and the second layer, but this is only an example and is not limited thereto.

[0110] For ease of explanation, the description of the following embodiments omits the two-layer (or any other multi-layer) nanostructure arrangement described in the above embodiments, the first protective layer 51 and the second protective layer 52 covering the first nanostructure NS1 and the second nanostructure NS2 respectively, and the anti-reflection layer 600, but these configurations can also be applied to any of the following embodiments.

[0111] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1004 according to an example embodiment.

[0112] The spectrum filter 1004 of the example embodiment includes a first resonant structure 101 designed to have a first resonant wavelength and a second resonant structure 102 designed to have a second resonant wavelength different from the first resonant wavelength. The first resonant structure 101 is divided into a plurality of first resonator regions RC1, and the second resonant structure 102 is divided into a plurality of second resonator regions RC2. The first resonant structure 101 and the second resonant structure 102 have similar configurations, but the thickness L1 of the cavity layer 30 of the first resonant structure 101 and the thickness L2 of the cavity layer 32 of the second resonant structure 102 may be different from each other.

[0113] Metadevice 504 includes a plurality of nanostructures NS, and the plurality of nanostructures NS are arranged to form a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12 and BS13 respectively facing the plurality of first resonator regions RC1 and a plurality of second beam steering regions BS21, BS22 and BS23 respectively facing the plurality of second resonator regions RC2.

[0114] The first beam steering region BS11 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a first unit filter F1, the first beam steering region BS12 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a second unit filter F2, and the first beam steering region BS13 and the first resonator region RC1 may form a third unit filter F3.

[0115] The second beam steering region BS21 and the second resonator region RC2 may form a fourth unit filter F4, the second beam steering region BS22 and the second resonator region RC2 may form a fifth unit filter F5, and the second beam steering region BS23 and the second resonator region RC2 may form a sixth unit filter F6.

[0116] The first to sixth unit filters F1 , F2 , F3 , F4 , F5 , and F6 may respectively present different transmission wavelengths λ1 , λ2 , λ3 , λ4 , λ5 , and λ6 .

[0117] The first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 may have the same arrangement form of the nanostructure NS. That is, the first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 may respectively deflect the incident light at the same angle and emit it toward the first resonator area RC1 facing the first beam steering area BS11 and the second resonator area RC2 facing the second beam steering area BS21. The first resonator area RC1 and the second resonator area RC2 are designed to have different resonant wavelengths, so even when the first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 are configured in the same manner, the first unit filter F1 and the fourth unit filter F4 may present different transmission wavelengths λ1 and λ4 from each other. The arrangement form of the nanostructure NS in the first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 is not limited to the same, and may be adjusted differently according to the desired transmission wavelengths λ1 and λ4.

[0118] Similarly, the first beam steering area BS12 and the second beam steering area BS22 may have the same arrangement form of nanostructures NS. Alternatively, the arrangement form of nanostructures NS in the first beam steering area BS12 and the second beam steering area BS22 may be adjusted differently according to the desired transmission wavelengths λ2 and λ5. The first beam steering area BS13 and the second beam steering area BS23 may have the same arrangement form of nanostructures NS. Alternatively, the arrangement form of nanostructures NS in the first beam steering area BS13 and the second beam steering area BS23 may be adjusted differently according to the desired transmission wavelengths λ3 and λ6.

[0119] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1005 according to an example embodiment.

[0120] The spectral filter 1005 of the exemplary embodiment is Figure 7 The difference of the spectral filter 1004 in FIG. 1 is that the thickness of the buffer layer BU2 disposed on the first resonant structure 101 is different from the thickness of the buffer layer BU disposed on the second resonant structure 102 .

[0121] As described above, by adjusting the thickness of the buffer layer BU2 disposed on the first resonant structure 101, a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13 and a plurality of second beam steering regions BS21, BS22, and BS23 forming the metadevice 504 can be formed at the same height, and the manufacturing process of the metadevice 504 can become simpler.

[0122] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1006 according to an example embodiment.

[0123] The spectral filter 1006 includes the first resonant structure 106 and the metadevice 506 .

[0124] The first resonant structure 106 includes a cavity layer 40, which is similar in structure to Figure 3 The cavity layer 30 of the spectral filter 1001 is different.

[0125] The cavity layer 40 may have a dielectric pattern. The cavity layer 40 may have, for example, a pattern including a first dielectric 41 and a second dielectric 42 having different refractive indices. The first dielectric 41 may include, for example, silicon oxide, and the second dielectric 42 may include, for example, titanium oxide. The first dielectric 41 and the second dielectric 42 may have a pattern alternately arranged along the X direction, such as Fig. 9 The materials, stacking numbers and / or widths of the first dielectric 41 and the second dielectric 42 are examples and can be adjusted appropriately so that the cavity layer 40 can present a desired effective refractive index.

[0126] Metadevice 506 includes a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13, and an arrangement rule of nanostructures NS may be determined to adjust the angle of incident light passing through each of the plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13. The arrangement rule of nanostructures NS may be determined in consideration of the resonant wavelength of first resonant structure 106 and the desired transmission band for each of first to third unit filters F1, F2, and F3.

[0127] Fig.10 To show the basis Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram of the transmission spectrum of the first resonant structure 106 arranged in the spectral filter 1006 at different incident angles.

[0128] It can be seen that as the angle at which light is incident on the first resonant structure 106 increases from 0 degrees to about 40 degrees, the central wavelength of the transmission band decreases.

[0129] In other words, it can be seen that by providing a metadevice that deflects vertically incident light differently according to the position of the first resonant structure 106 , various types of transmission bands can be formed.

[0130] In addition, it can be seen that by forming a dielectric pattern on the cavity layer 40, a dielectric layer similar to Figure 4 The transmission bands that appear in the transmission spectrum are different transmission bands.

[0131] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1007 according to an example embodiment.

[0132] The spectral filter 1007 of the example embodiment can be used with Fig. 9 The spectral filter 1006 is substantially the same as Fig. 9 The spectral filter 1006 is arranged outside the band pass filter array 400 at the buffer layer BU.

[0133] The bandpass filter array 400 may include a first filter 410, a second filter 420, and a third filter 430. The first filter 410 may be a bandpass filter, the transmission band of which includes the band presented by the first unit filter F1, and is wider than the transmission band of the first unit filter F1. The second filter 420 and the third filter 430 may each be a bandpass filter, the transmission bands of which include the transmission band of the second filter F2 and the transmission band of the third filter F3, respectively, and are wider than the transmission band of the second filter F2 and the transmission band of the third filter F3, respectively. The first filter 410, the second filter 420, and the third filter 430 may be respectively configured to supplement the filtering performance of the first unit filter F1, the second unit filter F2, and the third unit filter F3. The first filter 410, the second filter 420, and the third filter 430 may be, for example, a blue filter, a green filter, and a red filter, respectively, but are not limited thereto.

[0134] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1008 according to an example embodiment.

[0135] The spectral filter 1008 of the exemplary embodiment includes a first resonant structure 106 designed to have a first resonant wavelength and a second resonant structure 107 designed to have a second resonant wavelength different from the first resonant wavelength. The first resonant structure 106 is divided into a plurality of first resonator regions RC1, and the second resonant structure 107 is divided into a plurality of second resonator regions RC2.

[0136] The metadevice 508 includes first beam steering regions BS11 , BS12 , and BS13 facing the plurality of first resonator regions RC1 , respectively, and second beam steering regions BS21 , BS22 , and BS23 facing the plurality of second resonator regions RC2 , respectively.

[0137] The first resonant structure 106 and the second resonant structure 107 have similar configurations, but the cavity layer 40 of the first resonant structure 106 and the cavity layer 45 of the second resonant structure 107 have different dielectric patterns.

[0138] The cavity layer 40 of the first resonant structure 106 has a dielectric pattern including a first dielectric 41 and a second dielectric 42, and the cavity layer 45 of the second resonant structure 107 has a dielectric pattern including a third dielectric 46 and a fourth dielectric 47. The third dielectric 46 and the fourth dielectric 47 may include the same material as the first dielectric 41 and the second dielectric 42, respectively, and have different widths in the X direction from the first dielectric 41 and the second dielectric 42, respectively. Therefore, the cavity layer 40 of the first resonant structure 106 and the cavity layer 45 of the second resonant structure 107 may have different effective refractive indices.

[0139] The spectrum filter 1008 having such a structure can form the first resonance structure 106 having the first resonance wavelength and the second resonance structure 107 having the second resonance wavelength by including the cavity layer 40 and the cavity layer 45 having the same thickness, so the manufacturing process can become easier.

[0140] The spectral filter 1008 may realize the first to sixth unit filters F1 , F2 , F3 , F4 , F5 , and F6 by using two types of first and second resonant structures 106 and 107 and the metadevice 508 .

[0141] and Figure 7 Similar to the spectral filter 1004, the first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 can have the same arrangement form of the nanostructure NS. However, this is an example, and the arrangement form of the nanostructure NS in the first beam steering area BS11 and the second beam steering area BS21 is not limited to the same, and can be adjusted differently according to the desired transmission band.

[0142] Similarly, the first beam steering area BS12 and the second beam steering area BS22 may have the same arrangement form of the nanostructure NS. Alternatively, the arrangement form of the nanostructure NS may be adjusted differently according to the transmission band to be achieved by the second unit filter F2 and the fifth unit filter F5. The first beam steering area BS13 and the second beam steering area BS23 may have the same arrangement form of the nanostructure NS. Alternatively, the arrangement form of the nanostructure NS may be adjusted differently according to the transmission band to be achieved by the third unit filter F3 and the sixth unit filter F6.

[0143] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a spectral filter 1009 according to an example embodiment.

[0144] The spectral filter 1009 of the exemplary embodiment includes Figure 3 The first resonant structure 101 provided in the spectral filter 1001 shown in FIG. 1 , and Fig. 9 The first resonant structure 106 (serving as the second resonant structure 106 ) provided in the spectral filter 1006 shown in FIG.

[0145] The cavity layer 30 of the first resonant structure 101 and the cavity layer 40 of the second resonant structure 106 may be configured to have the same thickness.

[0146] The metadevice 509 includes first beam steering regions BS11 , BS12 , and BS13 facing the plurality of first resonator regions RC1 , respectively, and second beam steering regions BS21 , BS22 , and BS23 facing the plurality of second resonator regions RC2 , respectively.

[0147] The spectral filter 1009 may implement the first to sixth unit filters F1 , F2 , F3 , F4 , F5 , and F6 by utilizing two types of resonant structures (ie, the first resonant structure 101 and the second resonant structure 106 ) and the metadevice 509 .

[0148] Fig.14 is a block diagram of an image sensor according to example embodiments.

[0149] refer to Fig.14 , the image sensor 2000 may include a spectral filter array 2200, a pixel array disposed on a sensor substrate 2100, a timing controller 2010, a row decoder 2020, and an output circuit 2030. The plurality of light sensing units disposed on the sensor substrate 2100 include a light detection element that senses light and generates an electrical signal. The light detection element may include, but is not limited to, a photodiode, a charge coupled device (CCD), or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

[0150] The spectral filter array 2200 may include a plurality of spectral filters 2210 arranged in two dimensions. The spectral filter 2210 includes a plurality of unit filters F1, F2 and F3 having different transmission bands. The spectral filter 2210 may be one of the spectral filters 1000 to 1009 mentioned in the above embodiments, or a combination thereof or a modified form thereof.

[0151] A plurality of light sensing units disposed on the sensor substrate 2100 operate as a plurality of pixels that sense light that has passed through a plurality of unit filters disposed in the spectral filter array 2200, and the plurality of pixels may be arranged two-dimensionally along a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to face the plurality of unit filters. The row decoder 2020 selects one of the rows of the sensor substrate 2100 in response to a row address signal output from the timing controller 2010. The output circuit 2030 outputs a light sensing signal in columns from a plurality of pixels disposed along the selected row. To this end, the output circuit 2030 may include a column decoder and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). For example, the output circuit 2030 may include a plurality of ADCs disposed for each column between the column decoder and the sensor substrate 2100, or may include an ADC disposed at the output end of the column decoder. The timing controller 2010, the row decoder 2020, and the output circuit 2030 may be implemented as one chip or as separate chips. A processor that processes an image signal output through the output circuit 2030 may be implemented as a single chip together with the timing controller 2010 , the row decoder 2020 , and the output circuit 2030 .

[0152] Image sensor 2000 may be a multi-spectral image (MSI) sensor. An MSI sensor may sense light of various wavelengths different from a general RGB image sensor, or may sense light of various wavelengths including RGB wavelengths. An MSI sensor may sense light of more types of wavelengths by having more channels (e.g., unit filters).

[0153] The similarity between the multiple spectral filters 2210 included in the spectral filter array 2200 is that all of the multiple spectral filters 2210 each include multiple unit filters F1, F2 and F3 with different transmission bands, but the specific structures of the unit filters with the same transmission band (for example, two unit filters F1 with a transmission wavelength λ1) may be different from each other according to the relative positions of the spectral filters 2210 including the unit filters F1 within the image sensor 2000.

[0154] For example, the nanostructure arrangement of the metadevice of the spectral filter 2210 located at the central region of the image sensor 2000 and the nanostructure arrangement of the metadevice of the spectral filter 2210 located at the periphery of the image sensor 2000 among the plurality of spectral filters 2210 may be different from each other.

[0155] Considering that the incident angle of light incident on the spectral filter array 2200 may vary depending on the relative position on the image sensor 2000, example embodiments may adopt this configuration. Figures 15 to 18 This is described in more detail.

[0156] Fig.15 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a chief ray angle (CRA) of light incident on the image sensor 2000 according to example embodiments.

[0157] The image sensor 2000 may be used in a camera module together with the module lens ML, and light directed to the image sensor 2000 through the module lens ML may have different incident angles according to the relative position on the image sensor 2000. The incident angle of the light incident on the image sensor 2000 may be defined as a chief ray angle CRA. The chief ray CR refers to a ray that starts from a point on an object, passes through the center of the module lens ML, and is incident on the pixel array 2100. CRA refers to an angle formed by CR and the optical axis OX.

[0158] The CRA of light incident on the center of the spectral filter array 2200 is 0 degrees, and the CRA of the incident light increases toward the edge of the spectral filter array 2200. As shown in the figure, the CRA of light incident on the spectral filter 2210A located at the center of the spectral filter array 2200 is 0 degrees, and the CRA of light incident on the spectral filter 2210B located outside the center is θ. B , and the CRA of the light incident on the spectral filter 2210C farther from the center is θ C ,θ C Greater than θ B As described above, according to the CRA, specific structures of unit filters having the same transmission band provided in each of the spectral filters 2210A, 2210B, and 2210C may be different from each other.

[0159] Figures 16 to 18 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating structures of spectral filters 2210A, 2210B, and 2210C at a plurality of positions having different CRAs in an image sensor 2000 according to example embodiments.

[0160] Fig.16 The structure of the spectral filter 2210A located at the center of the spectral filter array 2200 (ie, at the position where the CRA is 0 degrees) is shown.

[0161] The metadevice 500A includes a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13. The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS11 are arranged according to an arrangement rule for deflecting vertical incident light to a certain angle (e.g., θ1). The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS12 are arranged according to an arrangement rule for deflecting vertical incident light at an angle θ2, which is less than the deflection angle θ1 of the first beam steering region BS11. The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS13 are arranged so that the incident light is emitted without changing the angle of the incident angle. That is, even after the light passes through the first beam steering region BS13, the CRA remains at 0 degrees, and the light is incident on the first resonator region RC1.

[0162] The first resonator zone RC1 and the first beam steering zone BS11 operate as a first unit filter F1 exhibiting a transmission wavelength λ1, the first resonator zone RC1 and the first beam steering zone BS12 operate as a second unit filter F2 exhibiting a transmission wavelength λ2, and the first resonator zone RC1 and the first beam steering zone BS13 operate as a third unit filter F3 exhibiting a transmission wavelength λ3.

[0163] refer to Fig.17 , when CRA is greater than 0 degrees θ B The specific configuration of the metadevice 500B of the spectral filter 2210B at the position of Fig.16 The specific configuration of the metadevice 500A of the spectral filter 2210A is different.

[0164] In other words, when CRA is greater than 0 degrees θ B The specific configuration of the metadevice 500B of the spectral filter 2210B at the position where the CRA is 0 degrees (for example, the arrangement rule of the nanostructure NS) may be different from the specific configuration of the metadevice 500A of the spectral filter 2210A to implement a first unit filter F1 that exhibits the same transmission band as the first unit filter F1 of the spectral filter 2210A at the position where the CRA is 0 degrees, to implement a second unit filter F2 that exhibits the same transmission band as the second unit filter F2 of the spectral filter 2210A, and to implement a third unit filter F3 that exhibits the same transmission band as the third unit filter F3 of the spectral filter 2210A.

[0165] The metadevice 500B includes a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13. The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS11 are configured to be configured to be oriented at an angle greater than 0 degrees (e.g., θ B ) The incident light is deflected to an angle θ BThe nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS11 are arranged in the order of decreasing width (ie, from highest to lowest) along the X direction, but the specific dimensions shown are only examples.

[0166] The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS12 are arranged so as to be at an angle greater than 0 degrees (eg, angle θ B ) is emitted at an angle θ2 and is incident on the first resonator region RC1. B is equal to θ2, the nanostructure NS of the first beam steering area BS12 is arranged so that the incident light is not deflected.

[0167] The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS13 are arranged so that the nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS13 are arranged at an angle θ B The incident light is deflected and is at an angle less than θ B In contrast to the first beam steering region BS11, the nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS13 are arranged in the X direction in order of increasing width (ie, from the lowest to the highest), but the specific dimensions shown are only examples.

[0168] refer to Fig.18 , when CRA is greater than 0 degrees and greater than θ B θ C The specific configuration of the metadevice 500C of the spectral filter 2210C at the position of Fig.16 The spectral filter 2210A of the Metadevice 500A and Fig.17 The specific configuration of the metadevice 500B of the spectral filter 2210B is different.

[0169] In other words, when CRA is greater than 0 degrees and greater than θ B θ C The specific configuration of the metadevice 500C of the spectral filter 2210C at the position of CRA 0 degrees (for example, the arrangement rule of the nanostructures NS) may be different from the specific configurations of the metadevice 500A of the spectral filter 2210A and the metadevice 500B of the spectral filter 2210B to realize the following unit filters: the first unit filter F1 exhibits the same characteristics as the first unit filter F1 of the spectral filter 2210A at the position of CRA 0 degrees and the first unit filter F1 at the position of CRA 0 degrees. BThe second unit filter F2 presents the same transmission band as the second unit filter F2 of the spectral filter 2210A and the second unit filter F2 of the spectral filter 2210B; and the third unit filter F3 presents the same transmission band as the third unit filter F3 of the spectral filter 2210A and the third unit filter F3 of the spectral filter 2210B.

[0170] The metadevice 500C includes a plurality of first beam steering regions BS11, BS12, and BS13. The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS11 are arranged such that the nanostructures NS are C The incident light is emitted at an angle θ1 and is incident on the first resonator region RC1. In the figure, assuming that θ C is equal to θ1, that is, the nanostructure NS in the first beam steering area BS11 is arranged so that the incident light is not deflected.

[0171] The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS12 are arranged so as to be at an angle greater than 0 degrees (eg, angle θ C ) The incident light is at an angle less than θ C The nanostructures NS may be arranged along the X direction in order of increasing width (ie, from the lowest to the highest).

[0172] The nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS13 are arranged so that the nanostructures NS of the first beam steering area BS13 are arranged at an angle θ C The incident light is deflected and is at an angle less than θ C Similar to the first beam steering region BS12, the nanostructures NS of the first beam steering region BS13 are arranged in the X direction in increasing order of width and have a greater width increasing inclination than the first beam steering region BS12.

[0173] Fig.19 FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic device ED01 according to an example embodiment. Fig. 20 For schematic illustration Fig.19 A block diagram of a camera module ED80 provided in an electronic device ED01.

[0174] refer to Fig.19In the network environment ED00, the electronic device ED01 can communicate with another electronic device ED04 or with the server ED08. The electronic device ED01 may include a processor ED20, a memory ED30, an input device ED50, an audio output device ED55, a display device ED60, an audio module ED70, a sensor module ED76, an interface ED77, a tactile module (not shown), a camera module ED80, a power management module ED88, a battery ED89, a communication module ED90 and / or an antenna module ED97. In the electronic device ED01, some components (for example, the display device ED60, etc.) may be omitted or other components may be added. Some components may be implemented by an integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module ED76 (for example, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, an illumination sensor, etc.) may be implemented by being embedded in the display device ED60 (for example, a display, etc.). Furthermore, when the image sensor 2000 includes a spectral function, some functions of the sensor module ED76 (eg, functions of a color sensor and an illumination sensor) may be implemented by the image sensor 2000 rather than by a separate sensor module.

[0175] The processor ED20 can control one or more other components (e.g., hardware and software components, etc.) of the electronic device ED01 connected to the processor ED20 by executing software (e.g., program ED40, etc.), and perform various data processing or calculations. As part of the data processing or calculation, the processor ED20 can load commands and / or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module ED76, communication module ED90, etc.) into the volatile memory ED32, process the commands and / or data stored in the volatile memory ED32, and store the result data in the non-volatile memory ED34.

[0176] The memory ED30 can store various data to be used in the constituent elements of the electronic device ED01 (e.g., the processor ED20, the sensor module ED76, etc.). The data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program ED40, etc.) and input data and / or output data about commands related thereto. The memory ED30 may include a volatile memory ED32 and / or a non-volatile memory ED34. The non-volatile memory ED34 may include an internal memory ED36 fixedly installed in the electronic device ED01 and a removable external memory ED38.

[0177] The program ED40 may be stored as software in the memory ED30, and may include an operating system ED42, middleware ED44, and / or an application ED46. The camera module ED80 may capture still images and videos. The camera module ED80 may include a lens assembly including one or more lenses, an image sensor 2000, an image signal processor, and / or a flash. The lens assembly included in the camera module ED80 may collect light emitted from an object for image capture.

[0178] refer to Fig. 20 The camera module ED80 may include a lens assembly CM10, a flash CM20, an image sensor 2000 (eg, Fig.14 The camera module ED80 may include an image sensor 2000, etc.), a memory CM50 (e.g., a buffer memory, etc.), and / or an image signal processor CM60. The lens assembly CM10 may collect light emitted from an object for image capture. The camera module ED80 may include a plurality of lens assemblies CM10, and in this case, the camera module ED80 may include a dual camera, a 360-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some lens assemblies CM10 may have the same lens properties (e.g., viewing angle, focal length, autofocus, F number, optical zoom, etc.), or have different lens properties. The lens assembly CM10 may include a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens. A dual camera or multi-camera module may have a combination of different properties of a filter array.

[0179] The flash CM20 may emit light for enhancing light emitted or reflected from an object. The flash CM20 may include one or more light emitting diodes (e.g., red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs, white LEDs, infrared LEDs, ultraviolet LEDs, etc.) and / or xenon lamps. The image sensor 2000 may include Fig.14 The image sensor 2000 includes an image sensor and converts light emitted or reflected from an object and transmitted through the lens assembly CM10 into an electrical signal, thereby obtaining an image corresponding to the object. The image sensor 2000 may include one or more sensors selected from image sensors with different properties, for example, an RGB sensor, a black and white (BW) sensor, an IR sensor, or a UV sensor. Each sensor included in the image sensor 2000 may be implemented by a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor and / or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

[0180] The memory CM50 can store part or all of the data of the image acquired by the image sensor 2000 for subsequent image processing operations. For example, when acquiring multiple images at high speed, only the low-resolution image is displayed, and the acquired raw data (e.g., Bayer pattern data, high-resolution data, etc.) is stored in the memory CM50. Then, the memory CM50 can be used to transmit the raw data of the selected image (e.g., by user selection, etc.) to the image signal processor CM60. The memory CM50 can be incorporated into the memory ED30 of the electronic device ED01, or configured as a separate memory that operates independently.

[0181] The image signal processor CM60 may perform image processing on the image acquired by the image sensor 2000 or the image data stored in the memory CM50. Image processing may include, for example, depth map generation, three-dimensional modeling, panorama generation, feature point extraction, image synthesis and / or image compensation (e.g., noise reduction, resolution adjustment, brightness adjustment, blur, sharpening, softening, etc.). The image signal processor CM60 may perform control (e.g., exposure time control or readout timing control, etc.) on the constituent elements (e.g., image sensor 2000, etc.) included in the camera module ED80. The image processed by the image signal processor CM60 may be stored again in the memory CM50 for additional processing or provided to the external constituent elements (e.g., memory ED30, display device ED60, electronic device ED04, server ED08, etc.) of the camera module ED80. The image signal processor CM60 may be incorporated into the processor ED20, or configured as a separate processor that operates independently of the processor ED20. When the image signal processor CM60 is configured as a separate processor with respect to the processor ED20 , an image processed by the image signal processor CM60 may be subjected to additional image processing by the processor ED20 and then displayed by the display device ED60 .

[0182] Reference again Fig.19 , the electronic device ED01 may include multiple camera modules ED80 having different properties or functions. In this case, one of the camera modules ED80 may be a wide-angle camera, and another camera module in the camera module ED80 may be a telephoto camera. Similarly, one of the camera modules ED80 may be a front camera, and another camera module in the camera module ED80 may be a rear camera. In addition, the camera module ED80 may be a combined camera module, in which an image sensor including an existing RGB three-color filter and a spectral image sensor including a spectral filter are combined, and data of the combined two image sensors are integrated and processed.

[0183] The image sensor 2000 according to some example embodiments may be applied to various electronic devices.

[0184] The image sensor 2000 according to some example embodiments may be applied to a mobile phone or smart phone, a tablet computer or smart tablet computer, a digital camera or video camera, a notebook computer, a television or smart TV, etc. For example, a smart phone or smart tablet computer may include a plurality of high-resolution cameras, each of which is equipped with a high-resolution image sensor. The high-resolution camera may be used to extract the depth information of an object in an image, adjust the defocus of the image, or automatically recognize an object in an image.

[0185] In some example embodiments, the image sensor 2000 can be applied to smart refrigerators, security cameras, robots, medical cameras, and the like. For example, a smart refrigerator can automatically identify the food in the refrigerator by using an image sensor, and notify the user through a smartphone of the presence of specific food or ingredients, the type of food put in or taken out, and the like. Security cameras can provide ultra-high-resolution images, and can identify objects or people in images by utilizing high sensitivity in dark environments. Robots can be set up at disaster or industrial sites that people cannot directly access, and can provide high-resolution images. Medical cameras can provide high-resolution images for diagnosis or surgery, so the field of view can be dynamically adjusted.

[0186] In some example embodiments, the image sensor 2000 may be applied to a vehicle. The vehicle may include a plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras disposed at different locations. Each vehicle-mounted camera may include the image sensor 2000 according to an example embodiment. By using the vehicle-mounted camera, the vehicle may provide the driver with various information about the interior or periphery of the vehicle, thereby providing objects or persons automatically recognized in the image and information required for autonomous driving.

[0187] The above-mentioned spectral filter can use a resonant structure with a constant cavity thickness and form various transmission bands.

[0188] The above-mentioned spectral filter can be used as various image sensors, for example, a multispectral sensor, etc.

[0189] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects in each embodiment should generally be considered as other similar features or aspects that can be used in other embodiments. Although one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A spectral filter, comprising: A first resonant structure; as well as A meta-device is disposed on the first resonant structure, The meta-device includes a plurality of first beam steering regions, in which the incident angles of incident light are adjusted differently for emission, wherein each of the plurality of first beam steering regions includes a plurality of nanostructures, and each of the plurality of nanostructures has a shape size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light.

2. The spectral filter according to claim 1, wherein: The first resonant structure includes a plurality of first resonator regions, wherein the plurality of first resonator regions exhibit a first resonant wavelength for vertically incident light. The plurality of first beam steering regions face the plurality of first resonator regions respectively, and At least one first resonator region among the plurality of first resonator regions transmits light in a wavelength band different from the first resonant wavelength.

3. The spectral filter according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of nanostructures in one first beam steering region are arranged according to an arrangement rule that is different from an arrangement rule of the plurality of nanostructures in another first beam steering region.

4. The spectral filter according to claim 2, wherein: The spectral filter operates as a plurality of unit filters, the number of the plurality of unit filters being the same as the number of the plurality of first beam steering regions, and Central transmission wavelengths respectively exhibited by the plurality of unit filters are the first resonant wavelength or less and fall within a range of 30% or more of the first resonant wavelength.

5. The spectral filter according to claim 2, wherein: The first resonant structure comprises: A first reflector and a second reflector are disposed to face each other and to be spaced apart from each other; and A cavity layer is between the first reflector and the second reflector.

6. The spectral filter according to claim 5, wherein: Each of the first reflector and the second reflector independently includes a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR).

7. The spectral filter according to claim 2, further comprising: a second resonant structure, comprising a plurality of second resonator regions, wherein the plurality of second resonator regions exhibit a second resonant wavelength for vertically incident light, wherein the second resonant wavelength is different from the first resonant wavelength, The meta-device further comprises a plurality of second light beam steering regions, the plurality of second light beam steering regions respectively face the plurality of second resonator regions, and At least one second resonator region among the plurality of second resonator regions transmits light in a wavelength band different from the second resonant wavelength.

8. The spectral filter according to claim 7, wherein: Each of the first resonant structure and the second resonant structure independently comprises: A first reflector and a second reflector are disposed to face each other and to be spaced apart from each other; and A cavity layer is between the first reflector and the second reflector.

9. The spectral filter according to claim 8, wherein: The thickness of the cavity layer of the second resonant structure is different from the thickness of the cavity layer of the first resonant structure.

10. The spectral filter according to claim 8, wherein: The cavity layer of the second resonant structure includes a dielectric pattern including two dielectrics having different refractive indices.

11. The spectral filter according to claim 10, wherein: The thickness of the cavity layer of the second resonance structure is equal to the thickness of the cavity layer of the first resonance structure.

12. The spectral filter according to claim 11, wherein: The cavity layer of the first resonant structure and the cavity layer of the second resonant structure have different effective refractive indices.

13. The spectral filter according to claim 7, wherein: The spectral filter operates as a plurality of unit filters having different transmission bands, and The number of the plurality of unit filters is the sum of the number of the plurality of first beam steering areas and the number of the plurality of second beam steering areas.

14. The spectral filter according to claim 1, further comprising: A buffer layer is disposed between the first resonant structure and the metadevice, and supports the plurality of nanostructures in each first light beam steering region.

15. The spectral filter according to claim 1, further comprising: A bandpass filter is arranged between the first resonant structure and the metadevice.

16. The spectral filter according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of nanostructures of the metadevice are arranged in two or more layers.

17. An image sensor comprising: a sensor substrate including a plurality of light sensing units configured to sense light; as well as A plurality of spectral filters are arranged on the sensor substrate, Wherein, each of the plurality of spectral filters comprises: a first resonant structure; and A meta-device is disposed on the first resonant structure and includes a plurality of first light beam steering regions, in which incident light is emitted with incident angles adjusted differently, and Each of the plurality of first light beam steering regions comprises a plurality of nanostructures, and each of the plurality of nanostructures has a shape and size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light.

18. The image sensor according to claim 17, wherein: Each of the plurality of spectral filters further comprises a second resonant structure, the second resonant structure comprising a plurality of second resonator regions, the plurality of second resonator regions exhibiting a second resonant wavelength for vertically incident light, the second resonant wavelength being different from a first resonant wavelength of the first resonant structure, The meta-device further comprises a plurality of second beam steering regions, the plurality of second beam steering regions respectively facing the plurality of second resonator regions, and At least one second resonator region among the plurality of second resonator regions transmits light in a wavelength band different from the second resonant wavelength.

19. The image sensor according to claim 17, wherein: The arrangement of the multiple nanostructures in the first beam steering area corresponding to the spectral filter located at the central area of ​​the image sensor among the multiple spectral filters is different from the arrangement of the multiple nanostructures in the first beam steering area corresponding to the spectral filter located at the periphery of the image sensor.

20. An electronic device, comprising: Lens assembly; as well as an image sensor configured to sense light transmitted through the lens assembly; Wherein, the image sensor comprises: a sensor substrate including a plurality of light sensing units for sensing light; and A plurality of spectral filters are arranged on the sensor substrate, Wherein, each of the plurality of spectral filters comprises: a first resonant structure; and A meta-device is disposed on the first resonant structure and includes a plurality of first light beam steering regions, in which incident light is emitted with incident angles adjusted differently, and Each of the plurality of first light beam steering regions comprises a plurality of nanostructures, and each of the plurality of nanostructures has a shape and size corresponding to a sub-wavelength of the incident light.

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