Camera module and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The invention relates to a camera module and a method of manufacturing the camera module. The camera module includes: a lens barrel in which at least one lens is disposed; a housing configured to support the lens barrel; a fixing pin protruding from the housing and extending in the optical axis direction; a sensor plate having first and second surfaces facing each other and a pin insertion hole into which the fixing pin is inserted; and a welding portion provided in the pin insertion hole, protruding from the first surface and the second surface of the sensor plate, and fixing the fixing pin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a camera module and a method of manufacturing a camera module. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous and driverless vehicles include higher performance electronic cameras. Both emerging and established electronic component companies desire an increasing number of new camera developments. The development of wide field of view (WFoV) cameras with a view angle of 180 degrees or greater and narrow field of view (NFoV) cameras with a view angle of 52 degrees or less is accelerating to provide peripheral perception from the front. In addition, with the development of camera performance, high definition (5M to 12M) sensors for improved recognition and lenses with various view angles are being developed.

[0003] When manufacturing a camera module, active alignment, i.e., the process of placing a lens on an image sensor, may be used. During the active alignment process, it may be desirable to precisely adjust the focus of the lens such that the focus of the lens is precisely aligned with the image sensor. Thus, a resin adhesive such as epoxy resin may be applied to fix the lens housing and the sensor board. The resin adhesive shrinks or expands during the curing process, and defocus deviation may occur, causing process defects.

[0004] The above information is presented as background information only to assist in understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above constitutes prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The present summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In one or more general aspects, a camera module includes: a lens barrel in which at least one lens is disposed; a housing configured to support the lens barrel; a fixing pin protruding from the housing and extending in an optical axis direction; a sensor board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and a pin insertion hole into which the fixing pin is inserted; and a welding portion disposed in the pin insertion hole, protruding from the first surface and the second surface of the sensor board, and fixing the fixing pin.

[0007] The pin insertion hole may be a through hole.

[0008] The welding portion may be partially disposed on the first surface and the second surface of the sensor board.

[0009] The welding part can be arranged on the first surface and the second surface to cover the edge of the pin insertion hole while surrounding the fixing pin.

[0010] The housing can have a bottom surface facing the first surface of the sensor board, and the fixing pin can extend from the bottom surface towards the first surface of the sensor board.

[0011] The fixing pin can be inserted from the first surface of the sensor board into the pin insertion hole to protrude from the second surface of the sensor board.

[0012] A part of the welding part arranged in the pin insertion hole can be connected to another part of the welding part arranged on the first surface or the second surface.

[0013] The fixing pin can include a metallic material.

[0014] The sensor board can include an image sensor mounted on the first surface.

[0015] The welding part can include a thermosetting solder paste surrounding the fixing pin in the pin insertion hole.

[0016] The welding part can include a laser beam thermosetting solder paste.

[0017] In another general aspect, a method of manufacturing a camera module having a housing configured to support a lens barrel and be fixed to a sensor board is provided. The method includes: disposing solder in a pin insertion hole extending through a surface of the sensor board; inserting a fixing pin of the housing into the pin insertion hole; performing active alignment while moving the housing; and curing the solder to fix the fixing pin in the pin insertion hole.

[0018] Curing can include irradiating the solder with a laser beam after performing active alignment.

[0019] Disposing the solder can include applying a solder paste in the pin insertion hole.

[0020] Applying the solder paste can include applying the solder paste on a part of one of the surfaces of the sensor board and in the pin insertion hole.

[0021] Inserting the fixing pin can include inserting the fixing pin when the pin insertion hole is filled with the solder paste.

[0022] Disposing the solder can include placing a solder ring on the sensor board.

[0023] Curing can include laser welding the solder ring.

[0024] In another general aspect, a camera module having a housing configured to support a lens barrel includes: a fixing pin configured to project from the housing and extend in an optical axis direction; a sensor board having opposite surfaces and a pin insertion hole extending through the opposite surfaces; and a welding portion disposed in the pin insertion hole and configured to project from an opposite surface of the sensor board and fix the fixing pin.

[0025] The welding portion may be partially disposed on the opposite surface of the sensor board, and the fixing pin may extend from a bottom surface of the housing toward one of the opposite surfaces of the sensor board.

[0026] Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a camera module according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 is a flowchart explaining a method of manufacturing a camera module according to another embodiment.

[0029] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module shown to explain Figure 2 the method of manufacturing a camera module shown in

[0030] Figures 4 to 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a pin insertion hole of the sensor board shown to explain Figure 2 the method of manufacturing a camera module shown in

[0031] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a camera module according to yet another embodiment.

[0032] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module shown to explain a method of manufacturing a camera module according to yet another embodiment.

[0033] Figure 9 and Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a pin insertion hole of the sensor board shown to explain Figure 7 the method of manufacturing a camera module shown in

[0034] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. For clarity, illustration, and convenience, the drawings may not be drawn to scale, and the relative dimensions, proportions, and depictions of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In the following, although examples of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the examples are not limited thereto.

[0036] The following specific embodiments are provided to assist the reader in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein will be apparent after understanding the present disclosure. For example, the order of operations described herein is merely an example and is not limited to the order set forth herein, but may be changed as will be apparent after understanding the present disclosure, except for operations that must occur in a certain order. In addition, descriptions of features known in the art may be omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness.

[0037] The features described herein may be implemented in different forms and will not be construed as limited to the examples described herein. Instead, the examples described herein are provided only to illustrate some of the many possible ways of implementing the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein that will be apparent after understanding the present disclosure.

[0038] Throughout the specification, when an element (such as a layer, region, or substrate) is described as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly "on," directly "connected to," or directly "coupled to" the other element, or there may be one or more other elements intervening therebetween. In contrast, when an element is described as being "directly" "on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element, there are no other elements intervening therebetween.

[0039] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more of the associated listed items; likewise, "at least one of..." includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] Although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various members, components, regions, layers, or parts, these members, components, regions, layers, or parts are not limited by these terms. Instead, these terms are only used to distinguish one member, component, region, layer, or part from another member, component, region, layer, or part. Thus, the first member, first component, first region, first layer, or first part referred to in the examples described herein may also be referred to as the second member, second component, second region, second layer, or second part without departing from the teachings of the examples.

[0041] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above", "upper", "below", "lower", etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another as shown in the drawings. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as "above" or "upper" relative to another element will then be "below" or "lower" relative to the said another element. Thus, the term "above" includes both the above and below orientations, depending on the spatial orientation of the device. The device may also be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0042] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing various examples only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. The phrases "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" specify the presence of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0043] Due to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, the shapes shown in the drawings may vary. Accordingly, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the drawings, but include shape variations that occur during manufacturing.

[0044] In this document, it should be noted that the term "may" is used with respect to examples, e.g., with respect to what an example may include or implement, meaning that there is at least one example that includes or implements this feature, and not all examples are limited thereto.

[0045] As will be apparent after understanding the disclosure, the features of the examples described herein may be combined in various ways. In addition, although the examples described herein have various configurations, other configurations are possible as will be apparent after understanding the disclosure.

[0046] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a camera module according to an embodiment.

[0047] In Figure 1 , a camera module 100 according to the present embodiment includes a lens barrel 110, an upper housing (or housing) 120 configured to support the lens barrel 110, and a sensor board 130 on which an image sensor 131 is mounted. The upper housing 120 may be fixedly coupled to the sensor board 130. At least one lens (not shown) may be provided in the lens barrel 110. When multiple lenses are provided, the multiple lenses may be mounted in the lens barrel 110 along the optical axis OA.

[0048] The fixing pin 123 can protrude from the upper housing 120. The fixing pin 123 can protrude from the bottom surface of the upper housing 120 and extend in the optical axis direction. The fixing pin 123 can be provided as a plurality of fixing pins 123 arranged around the image sensor 131. The fixing pin 123 can be made of a metal material. The fixing pin 123 can be made of the same material as the upper housing 120 and integrated with the upper housing 120. Alternatively, the fixing pin 123 can be made of a material different from that of the upper housing 120 and configured to be separable from the upper housing 120. For example, the fixing pin 123 integrated with the upper housing 120 can include aluminum (Al). The fixing pin 123 configured to be separable from the upper housing 120 can include nickel (Ni) and tin (Sn). The separable fixing pin 123 can be fixedly inserted into a coupling groove formed on the bottom surface of the upper housing 120.

[0049] The upper housing 120 can be coupled to a lower housing 140 configured to cover the sensor board 130. The upper housing 120 and the lower housing 140 can be coupled to each other to form the housing of the camera module 100. The sensor board 130 on which the image sensor 131 is mounted can be disposed in a space defined by coupling the upper housing 120 and the lower housing 140.

[0050] The sensor board 130 has a first surface 130a and a second surface 130b facing each other. The first surface 130a can be the surface facing the lens barrel 110, and the image sensor 131 can be mounted on the first surface 130a. The sensor board 130 has a pin insertion hole 133, that is, a through hole penetrating the sensor board 130 from the first surface 130a to the second surface 130b. The fixing pin 123 protruding from the upper housing 120 can be inserted into the pin insertion hole 133.

[0051] The bottom surface of the upper housing 120 can face the first surface 130a of the sensor board 130, and the fixing pin 123 can extend from the bottom surface to the first surface 130a. In this case, the fixing pin 123 can be inserted into the pin insertion hole 133 from the first surface 130a of the sensor board 130, penetrate the sensor board 130, and protrude from the second surface 130b.

[0052] The welding part 136 may be disposed in the pin insertion hole 133 to fix the fixing pin 123 inserted into the pin insertion hole 133. The welding part 136 may be located on the first surface 130a and the second surface 130b of the sensor board 130. The welding part 136 disposed on the first surface 130a and the second surface 130b may protrude on the surface of the sensor board 130. In addition, the welding part 136 may be disposed on the first surface 130a and the second surface 130b and configured to cover the edge of the pin insertion hole 133 while surrounding the fixing pin 123. A part of the welding part 136 disposed in the pin insertion hole 133 may be connected to another part of the welding part 136 disposed on the first surface 130a or the second surface 130b.

[0053] The welding part 136 may be thermally cured by irradiating solder with a laser beam. The solder may be solder paste or a solder ring. The cured welding part 136 may be obtained by laser-welding the solder paste disposed in the pin insertion hole 133 or the solder ring disposed on the sensor board 130 on the pin insertion hole 133.

[0054] When using solder paste as the solder, an active alignment process of positioning the solder paste in the pin insertion hole 133 and moving the fixing pin 123 in the optical axis direction in the pin insertion hole 133 may be performed. The solder paste may be thermally cured by a laser beam after the active alignment process, so that the fixing pin 123 may be fixed in the pin insertion hole 133. Therefore, the position of the upper housing 120 relative to the sensor board 130 may also be fixed, and the position of the lens barrel 110 relative to the image sensor 131 may also be fixed.

[0055] When using a solder ring as the solder, the central opening 235a (see Figure 9 ) of the solder ring is located on the sensor board 130 to correspond to the pin insertion hole 133, and an active alignment process may be performed while the fixing pin 123 moves in the optical axis direction in the pin insertion hole 133. The laser beam may melt the solder ring, and after the active alignment process, the fixing pin 123 may be fixed in the pin insertion hole 133 after curing.

[0056] Figure 2 is a flowchart explaining a method of manufacturing a camera module according to another embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module, which is shown to explain Figure 2 the method of manufacturing the camera module shown in Figures 4 to 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the pin insertion hole of the sensor board, which is shown to explain Figure 2 the method of manufacturing the camera module shown in

[0057] The method of manufacturing the camera module 100 according to the present embodiment includes the following process: performing active alignment on the upper housing 120 in which the lens barrel 110 is supported, and then fixing the upper housing 120 to the sensor board 130. At least one lens (not shown) may be provided in the lens barrel 110. For example, a plurality of lenses may be mounted in the lens barrel 110 along the optical axis OA.

[0058] The fixing pin 123 may protrude from the bottom surface of the upper housing 120 and extend in the optical axis direction. The sensor board 130 has a first surface 130a and a second surface 130b facing each other. The first surface 130a may be the surface facing the lens barrel 110, and the image sensor 131 may be mounted on the first surface 130a. The sensor board 130 also has a pin insertion hole 133 provided as a through hole.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 , according to the method of manufacturing the camera module 100 according to the present embodiment, solder paste 136A is applied to the pin insertion hole 133 of the sensor board 130 (step S110). The solder paste 136A is a material in a soft state, and if not thermally cured, allows active alignment to be performed by inserting the fixing pin 123. Reference Figure 4 , the solder paste 136A may also be applied to the pin insertion hole 133 and applied to a part of the surface of the sensor board 130. The solder paste 136A may be applied to the surface of the sensor board 130 and applied at the periphery including the edge of the pin insertion hole 133.

[0060] Next, reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the upper housing 120 or the sensor board 130 is moved so that the fixing pin 123 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 133 (step S120). The fixing pin 123 may reciprocate in the optical axis direction in the pin insertion hole 133. The fixing pin 123 may be inserted into the pin insertion hole 133 in a state where the pin insertion hole 133 is filled with the solder paste 136A. In this case, the fixing pin 123 may be surrounded by the solder paste 136A filling the pin insertion hole 133. However, since the solder paste 136A is in a soft state before being thermally cured, the fixing pin 123 is still movable.

[0061] Next, active alignment is performed while moving the upper housing 120 relative to the sensor board 130 (step S130). Active alignment is a process of aligning the optical axes of the lenses placed on the image sensor when manufacturing the camera module. An active alignment device may be used to accurately align the camera lens part and the image sensor part, and the image sensor and the optical axis may be aligned so that the focal points of the image sensor and the lens are exactly coincident with each other.

[0062] Next, reference Figure 5 andFigure 6 Welding is performed by thermally curing the solder paste 136A (step S140). After performing active alignment, welding can be performed by irradiating the solder paste 136A with the laser beam L. The entire fixing pin 123 and the entire solder paste 136A can be uniformly irradiated with the laser beam L. When the solder paste 136A is irradiated with the laser beam L, the solder paste 136A can be immediately cured while shrinking in the direction toward the center C. In this way, the solder paste 136A can be thermally cured and shrunk to form the welded portion 136.

[0063] The welded portion 136 is cured so that the fixing pin 123 can be fixed in the pin insertion hole 133. The solder paste 136A can be applied not only in the pin insertion hole 133 but also on the surface of the sensor board 130. Therefore, the cured welded portion 136 can be provided around the pin insertion hole 133 and protrude from the surface of the sensor board 130.

[0064] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a camera module according to another embodiment. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module, which is shown to explain a method of manufacturing a camera module according to another embodiment. Figure 9 and Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a pin insertion hole of a sensor board, which is shown to explain Figure 7 the method of manufacturing a camera module shown in

[0065] Refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 According to the method of manufacturing the camera module 200 of the present embodiment, a solder ring 235 is provided on the sensor board 230 corresponding to the pin insertion hole 233 (step S210). The solder ring 235 can be formed into an annular welding member having a central opening 235a by molding solder. The solder ring 235 can be placed on the second surface 230b of the sensor board 230 such that the central opening 235a corresponds to the pin insertion hole 233. That is, the solder ring 235 can be pre-placed on the sensor board 230 before performing active alignment. The second surface 230b can be a surface opposite to the first surface 230a on which the image sensor 231 is mounted.

[0066] Next, move the upper housing 220 or the sensor board 230 such that the fixing pin 223 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 233 (step S220). The fixing pin 223 can reciprocate in the optical axis direction within the pin insertion hole 233. Since the central opening 235a of the solder ring 235 is provided to correspond to the pin insertion hole 233, the fixing pin 223 can move while passing through the pin insertion hole 233 and the central opening 235a of the solder ring 235. In this case, the diameter of the pin insertion hole 233 and the diameter of the central opening 235a of the solder ring 235 are larger than the diameter of the cross-section of the fixing pin 223, such that the movement of the fixing pin 223 in the optical axis direction can be unrestricted.

[0067] Next, perform active alignment while moving the upper housing 220 relative to the sensor board 230 (step S230). Since the lens barrel 210 is fixedly supported by the upper housing 220, the lens barrel 210 can also move when the upper housing 220 is operated. An active alignment device can be used to accurately align the camera lens portion and the image sensor portion, and the image sensor and the optical axis can be aligned such that the foci of the image sensor and the lens are precisely coincident with each other.

[0068] Next, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , and weld the fixing pin 223 in the pin insertion hole 233 by laser-welding the solder ring 235 (step S240). When the solder ring 235 is irradiated with the laser beam L, the solder ring 235 melts and solidifies. When the solder ring 235 irradiated with the laser beam L melts and flows around the fixing pin 223, the pin insertion hole 233 can be filled with the solder ring 235. In this case, a flux can be applied to the fixing pin 223 to cause solder flow. The flux is an acidic mixture that removes metal oxides during the welding process and enables smooth metallurgical bonding.

[0069] The solder filling the pin insertion hole 233 can be rapidly solidified such that the fixing pin 223 can be fixed in the pin insertion hole 233, and a welded portion 236 can be formed. Accordingly, the upper housing 220 can be fixed to the sensor board 230. The solidified welded portion 236 can be provided to protrude upward and downward from the surface of the sensor board 230.

[0070] One or more embodiments disclose a method capable of rapidly fixing a lens housing and a sensor board during an active alignment process without using an epoxy resin and a curing process.

[0071] One or more embodiments disclose a camera module and a method of manufacturing a camera module, which are capable of rapidly fixing a lens housing and a sensor board during an active alignment process without causing defects.

[0072] One or more embodiments disclose a camera module and a method of manufacturing a camera module that are configured to rapidly fix a lens housing and a sensor board during an active alignment process without causing process defects due to the occurrence of defocus deviation.

[0073] In one or more embodiments, after the active alignment process, the lens portion and the image sensor portion may be welded and fixed by laser welding, thereby improving process throughput and production capacity.

[0074] Although specific examples have been shown and described above, it will be apparent after understanding the present disclosure that various changes in form and detail may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are considered to be illustrative only and not for purposes of limitation. The description of a feature or aspect in each example is considered applicable to a similar feature or aspect in other examples. Suitable results may also be obtained if the described techniques are performed in a different order and / or if the components in the described systems, architectures, devices, or circuits are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined not by the specific embodiments but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents will be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising: a lens barrel, in which at least one lens is disposed; a housing configured to support the lens barrel; A fixing pin protrudes from the housing and extends in the direction of the optical axis; a sensor plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and a pin insertion hole into which the fixing pin is inserted; as well as A welding portion is provided in the pin insertion hole, protrudes from the first surface and the second surface of the sensor board, and fixes the fixing pin.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The pin insertion hole is a through hole.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The welding portion is partially provided on the first surface and the second surface of the sensor plate.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The welding portion is provided on the first surface and the second surface to cover an edge of the pin insertion hole while surrounding the fixing pin.

5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The housing has a bottom surface facing the first surface of the sensor board, and The fixing pins extend from the bottom surface toward the first surface of the sensor plate.

6. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing pin is inserted into the pin insertion hole from the first surface of the sensor board to protrude from the second surface of the sensor board.

7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: A portion of the welding portion disposed in the pin insertion hole is connected to another portion of the welding portion disposed on the first surface or the second surface.

8. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing pin includes a metal material.

9. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor board includes an image sensor mounted on the first surface.

10. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The soldering portion includes a thermosetting solder paste surrounding the fixing pin in the pin insertion hole.

11. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein: The welding portion includes a laser beam thermally cured solder paste.

12. A method of manufacturing a camera module having a housing configured to support a lens barrel and secured to a sensor board, the method comprising: providing solder in a pin insertion hole extending through a surface of the sensor board; inserting a fixing pin of the housing into the pin insertion hole; performing active alignment while moving the housing; as well as The solder is cured to fix the fixing pin in the pin insertion hole.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The solidifying includes irradiating the solder with a laser beam after performing the active alignment.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Providing the solder includes applying solder paste in the pin insertion hole.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Applying the solder paste includes applying the solder paste on a portion of one of the surfaces of the sensor board and in the pin insertion hole.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: Inserting the fixing pin includes inserting the fixing pin when the pin insertion hole is filled with the solder paste.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Providing the solder includes placing a solder ring on the sensor board.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The curing includes laser welding the weld ring.

19. A camera module having a housing configured to support a lens barrel housing at least one lens, the camera module comprising: a fixing pin configured to protrude from the housing and extend in the optical axis direction; a sensor plate having opposing surfaces and a pin insertion hole extending through the opposing surfaces; as well as A welding portion, provided in the pin insertion hole, is configured to protrude from the opposite surface of the sensor board and fix the fixing pin.

20. The camera module according to claim 19, wherein: The welding portion is partially provided on the opposite surface of the sensor plate, and The fixing pin extends from a bottom surface of the housing toward one of the opposing surfaces of the sensor board.

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