Method for implementing photoelectric detection matrix layout, layout structure, optical encoder

CN122555228BActive Publication Date: 2026-10-27QUANZHOU KTSENSE MICROELECTRONICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202610988885.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2026-07-03
Publication Date
2026-10-27
Estimated Expiration
2046-07-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

1、局部锐角、高曲率函数几何边界难以精确表达;

Benefits of technology

1、不依赖单层金属直接制造感光区图形,降低了单层金属制造感光区图形其各种图形元素的难度;

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Abstract

The application discloses an implementation method and a layout structure of a photoelectric detection matrix layout and an optical encoder. The method comprises the following steps: defining a photoelectric sensor based on a graphic description function, and defining a layout of a photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor, wherein the layout comprises a photosensitive area graphic; performing a metal design rule check on the photosensitive area graphic of a single metal layer; decomposing a graphic element meeting a single-layer non-processable constraint into at least two sub-graphic elements and processing the at least two sub-graphic elements in different metal layers; and making the different metal layers jointly act in a light propagation direction, so that the at least two sub-graphic elements are combined to form a composite graphic element, the composite graphic element is optically equivalent to the graphic element target light transmission boundary, and then the at least two metal layers jointly act in the light propagation direction to form a composite photosensitive area graphic which is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area graphic. The application can break through the single-layer non-processable constraint, and conveniently manufacture the composite photosensitive area graphic which is optically equivalent to the graphic description function.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photoelectric sensor technology, and in particular to a method for implementing a photoelectric detection matrix layout, a layout structure, and an optical encoder. Background Technology

[0002] Optical encoder photosensitive chips are usually not imaging chips. In their working scenarios, there is often no imaging lens above them, nor do they rely on traditional aperture structures. Instead, a strong external light source passes through the encoder disk or other modulation structures and directly illuminates the photosensitive area below through the light-transmitting opening in the metal layer above the chip.

[0003] In such chips, the function of metal openings forming the light-transmitting portion is usually not only to "let light pass through," but also to perform front-end spatial light response shaping. The geometry of the metal boundary directly affects the edge steepness, zero-crossing position, phase linearity, harmonic components, subdivision capability, and crosstalk immunity of the photosensitive output signal. Therefore, in many designs, the photosensitive area pattern is not a simple parallelogram; it includes geometric boundaries, corners, valleys, bosses, notches, and other graphic elements.

[0004] However, such patterned elements in a single layer of metal are often difficult to manufacture precisely, stably, and repeatedly in actual chip manufacturing processes. The problem is not whether the overall aperture is large enough, but rather the manufacturing of local patterned elements, especially acute angles, adjacent geometric boundaries, corners, and valleys, which are easily constrained by both design rules and actual manufacturing processes.

[0005] Existing single-layer metal aperture solutions in optical encoder photosensitive chips have at least the following problems: 1. Local acute angles and high curvature functions have geometric boundaries that are difficult to express precisely; 2. Local corners and sharp valleys are prone to triggering minimum spacing and minimum groove constraints; 3. After manufacturing, the sharp angles are further blunted, resulting in a discrepancy between the actual geometric boundary and the theoretical target; 4. When the light-transmitting geometric boundary undertakes the function of spatial response shaping, the geometric boundary error will be directly converted into the output signal error. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and structure for realizing a multilayer metal composite sharp edge suitable for optical encoder photosensitive chips. When it is difficult to accurately realize the target sharp angle, target high gradient geometric boundary or target function geometric boundary by means of a single layer of metal due to design rules and manufacturing process limitations, an equivalent sharp edge, equivalent high gradient geometric boundary or approximate target function geometric boundary is formed in the photosensitive area by staggered combination of the edges of at least two layers of metal, thereby improving the feasibility, stability and process compatibility of the target spatial light response.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the technical solution provided by the present invention is to provide a method for implementing a photoelectric detection matrix layout, comprising the following steps: a. Define the layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor based on the graphic description function. The layout includes a photosensitive area graphic, which includes multiple graphic units. Each graphic unit corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. b. Perform metal design rule checks on the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern to determine a graphic element that satisfies the single-layer non-processable constraint, wherein the graphic element is the geometric element constituting the photosensitive area pattern; c. Decompose the graphic element into at least two sub-graphic elements, and process the at least two sub-graphic elements in different metal layers respectively; d. The different metal layers work together in the direction of light propagation to combine the at least two sub-graphic elements to form a composite graphic element, wherein the composite graphic element is optically equivalent to the light-transmitting boundary of the target graphic element. e. For other graphic elements that satisfy the single-layer non-processable constraint, refer to steps b to d to operate, and then form a composite photosensitive area pattern that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area pattern by the combined action of at least two metal layers in the light propagation direction.

[0008] In step b, a graphic element is two adjacent graphic elements. These two adjacent graphic elements include two adjacent graphic elements belonging to the same graphic unit, or two adjacent graphic elements belonging to two adjacent graphic units respectively.

[0009] The graphic elements include at least one of the following: geometric boundaries, corners, valleys, protrusions, notches, triangles, parallelograms, squares, circles, and sectors.

[0010] Step b, the metal design rule check of the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern, specifically includes at least one of sub-steps b1 to b5, wherein: sub-steps b1 to b5 are specifically as follows: b1. Check if the distance between the nearest points of two adjacent geometric boundaries is less than a preset value; b2. Check if each notch is too narrow; b3. Check if the remaining area of ​​the metal layer is too small; b4. Check if the corner exceeds the allowable angle set; b5. Check whether the vertex coordinates of the corner fall on a feasible layout process grid.

[0011] The size of the layout process grid is 0.025µm.

[0012] The size of the layout process grid is 0.05µm.

[0013] Secondly, the technical solution provided by this invention is to provide a layout structure for a photoelectric detection matrix, comprising: The layout structure includes a photosensitive area pattern and a non-photosensitive area pattern. The photosensitive area pattern includes multiple pattern units, and each pattern unit corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. In this case, at least one graphic element satisfies the single-layer non-manufacturable constraint and is decomposed into at least two sub-graphic elements, and the at least two sub-graphic elements are processed in different metal layers respectively. The graphic element is the geometric element that constitutes the graphic of the photosensitive area. The different metal layers work together in the direction of light propagation to combine the sub-graphic elements of each graphic element that are decomposed from the single-layer non-processable constraint, forming a composite graphic element that is optically equivalent to the target light-transmitting boundary of the graphic element at that location, and thus forming a composite photosensitive area graphic that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area graphic.

[0014] The graphic element is two adjacent graphic elements, which include two adjacent graphic elements belonging to the same graphic unit, or two adjacent graphic elements belonging to two adjacent graphic units respectively.

[0015] The graphic elements include at least one of the following: geometric boundaries, corners, valleys, protrusions, notches, triangles, parallelograms, squares, circles, and sectors.

[0016] Thirdly, the technical solution provided by the present invention is to provide an optical encoder, including the layout structure implemented by the method for implementing the photoelectric detection matrix layout, or including the layout structure.

[0017] The present invention relates to the implementation method of the electrical detection matrix layout, the layout structure, and the beneficial effects of the optical encoder: 1. It directly manufactures photosensitive area patterns without relying on a single layer of metal, reducing the difficulty of manufacturing various graphic elements of photosensitive area patterns using a single layer of metal; 2. The complexity of the photosensitive area pattern is determined by multiple layers of metal, and the parameters of the pattern description function are more adjustable. Spatial response shaping can be achieved more effectively through the photosensitive area pattern itself, reducing the difficulty of signal processing in the back-end circuit. 3. Compared with single-layer metal forming photosensitive area patterns, manufacturing tolerance is usually larger and mass production consistency is better.

[0018] The invention will become clearer from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are used to explain embodiments of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a flowchart of the implementation method of the photoelectric detection matrix layout provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic of the first layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor.

[0021] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic of the second layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor.

[0022] Figure 4 The image shown is the first schematic diagram of a common metal opening.

[0023] Figure 5 The image shown is a second schematic diagram of a common metal opening.

[0024] Figure 6 The diagram shows the sub-steps of the inspection according to metal design rules.

[0025] Figures 7-10 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the first embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0026] Figure 11 The diagram shown is a schematic of the second embodiment of the decomposition and composite of graphic elements.

[0027] Figure 12 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0028] Figure 13 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the fourth embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0029] Figures 14-15 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the fifth embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Geometric boundary 1 100, Geometric boundary 2 101, Geometric boundary 3 102, Geometric boundary 4 50a, Geometric boundary 5 50b, Geometric boundary 6 51a, Geometric boundary 7 51b, Geometric boundary 8 100`, Geometric boundary 9 101`, Geometric boundary 10 102`, Geometric boundary 11 2011, Geometric boundary 12 2011`, Geometric boundary 13 2012, Geometric boundary 14 2012`, Geometric boundary 15 2014, Geometric boundary 16 2014`, Geometric boundary 17 2015, Geometric boundary 18 2015`, Geometric Boundary Nineteen 251, Geometric Boundary Twenty 251a, Geometric Boundary Twenty-One 251b, Geometric Boundary Twenty-Two 252, Geometric Boundary Twenty-Three 252a, Geometric Boundary Twenty-Four 252b, Geometric Boundary Twenty-Five 102a`, Geometric Boundary Twenty-Six 102b`; Corner One 103, Corner Two 103`, Corner Three 104, Corner Four 105, Corner Five 52a, Corner Six 52b, Corner Seven 52c, Corner Eight 2013, Corner Nine 2013`; Graphical Unit One 140K, Graphical Unit Unit 2 141K, Unit 3 142K, Unit 4 143K, Unit 5 140L, Unit 6 141L, Unit 7 142L, Unit 8 143L, Unit 9 151K, Unit 10 152K, Unit 11 153K, Unit 12 154K, Unit 13 155K, Unit 14 156K, Unit 15 151L, Unit 16 250; Metal Layer 1 O, Metal Layer 2 P, Metal Layer 3 Q, Metal Layer 4 R, Metal Layer 5 S, Metal Layer 6T, Metal Layer 7U, Metal Layer 8200, Metal Layer 9200a, Metal Layer 10200b; Valley 1106, Valley 2107; Boss 108; Notch 1109, Notch 2110; Parallelogram 111; Graphic Element 1103a``, Graphic Element 2103b``, Graphic Element 3112, Graphic Element 413, Graphic Element 5114, Graphic Element 6201, Graphic Element 7201`; Sub-graphic Element 1m`, Sub-graphic Element 2n`, Sub-graphic Element 3o`. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0032] The components of the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein can typically be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0033] In the following, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and their cognates used in the various embodiments of the invention are intended only to indicate a particular feature, number, step, operation, element, component, or combination thereof, and should not be construed as excluding, firstly, the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, or adding the possibility of one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0034] Furthermore, if the terminology “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., is used in this invention, it is only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0035] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of the invention pertain. Terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) shall be interpreted as having the same meaning as in their contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and shall not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in the various embodiments of the invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the shape of the photoelectric detection matrix layout is defined based on a graphical description function and is drawn on a computer using software tools, including but not limited to CAD software. The essence of Design Rule Check (DRC) is to perform a detailed check according to design rules and determine whether the photosensitive area pattern drawn using software tools, such as CAD, can be formed on a single layer of metal. It should be noted that the photosensitive area pattern includes multiple graphic units, and each graphic unit includes multiple graphic elements.

[0037] The statement "the shape of the layout is defined based on the graphics description function" is explained below. For layouts defined by graphics description functions, the shape is complex and irregular (the specific shape of the layout can be found in the appendix to this application). Figure 2 , 3 (7) satisfies the single-layer non-processable constraint, and therefore it is necessary to introduce the technical solution disclosed in this application.

[0038] The term "graphic element" is explained below. In the embodiments of the invention application, the graphic element is a geometric element constituting the graphic unit. The graphic element includes at least one of the following: geometric boundaries, corners, valleys, protrusions, notches, triangles, parallelograms, squares, circles, and sectors. The "graphic element" will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The term "one graphic element" is explained in the embodiments of the invention application. A graphic element can be a single graphic element, more specifically a geometric boundary, a corner, a valley, etc. Furthermore, it can be a "set of two or more adjacent graphic elements," such as two adjacent graphic elements, or even three or more adjacent graphic elements. In the embodiments of the invention application, a set of graphic elements m and n represents a set of one graphic element m and another graphic element n; similarly, a set of graphic elements m, n, and o represents a set of one graphic element m, another graphic element n, and yet another graphic element o. It should be noted that the representation of graphic elements is flexible; different graphic elements can be represented by different English letters, Arabic numerals, or a combination of English letters and Arabic numerals, and no limitations are imposed here.

[0040] It should be noted that a graphic element is broken down into several parts, each of which is a sub-graphic element of the graphic element. For example, a graphic element m and n are broken down into sub-graphic element m' and sub-graphic element n'; a graphic element m, n, and o are broken down into sub-graphic element m', sub-graphic element n', and sub-graphic element o'.

[0041] It should be noted that two graphic elements m and n can be two adjacent graphic elements within the same graphic unit, or two adjacent graphic elements in two separate graphic units. For example, CN118518147A and its... Figure 4 (This application) Figure 2 Taking the example of a graphic element m and n, we can see that the two adjacent geometric boundaries 100 and 101 of the same graphic unit 9151K are respectively. In addition, the two graphic elements m and n can also be the sets of two adjacent geometric boundaries 101 and 102 in the two adjacent graphic units 9151K and 152K respectively.

[0042] We understand that a graphic element is one of multiple graphic elements. Since the photosensitive area graphic includes multiple graphic units, and each graphic unit includes multiple graphic elements, if two or more adjacent graphic elements are defined as "a graphic element," it is easy to understand that multiple graphic units include multiple graphic elements.

[0043] To better distinguish and explain, the embodiments of this invention introduce m ` and n` (the letters m and n with a "slash") to distinguish m and n. The purpose is that graphic elements m and n represent a graphic element (two adjacent graphic elements before disassembly), while sub-graphic element one m` and sub-graphic element two n` represent two sub-graphic elements after disassembling graphic elements m and n.

[0044] To better distinguish and explain, different uppercase English letters are used to represent different metal layers. For example, when multiple metal layers need to be represented, they can be metal layer 1 O, metal layer 2 P, metal layer 3 Q, etc.

[0045] refer to Figure 1 The technical solution provided by this invention is as follows: a method for implementing a photoelectric detection matrix layout, comprising the following steps: S1. Define the layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor based on the graphic description function. The layout includes a photosensitive area graphic, which includes multiple graphic units, wherein each graphic unit corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. S2. Perform metal design rule checks on the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern to determine a graphic element that satisfies the single-layer non-processable constraint, wherein the graphic element is the geometric element constituting the photosensitive area pattern; S3. Decompose the graphic element into at least two sub-graphic elements, and process the at least two sub-graphic elements in different metal layers respectively; S4. The different metal layers work together in the direction of light propagation to combine the at least two sub-graphic elements to form a composite graphic element, wherein the composite graphic element is optically equivalent to the light-transmitting boundary of the target graphic element. S5. For other graphic elements that meet the single-layer non-processable constraint, operate according to steps S2 to S4, and then form a composite photosensitive area pattern that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area pattern by the combined action of at least two metal layers in the light propagation direction.

[0046] In step S1: The layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor is defined based on the graphic description function. Taking CN117664195A as an example, referring to paragraphs

[62] to

[64] of its specification, the geometric structure of the photoelectric detection unit includes a first edge L1 and a second edge L2. The first edge L1 is described by a first description function, and the second edge L2 is described by a second description function, and: The first describing function is:

[0047] The second describing function is:

[0048] Where k≠0, A1≠0.

[0049] As the parameters (k, A1, A2) in the first describing function (1) and the second describing function (2) change, the pattern changes of each graphic unit in the corresponding photosensitive area can be referred to the appendix of the instruction manual CN117664195A. Figure 6 (a)~(c).

[0050] Because the non-photosensitive area pattern is a completely covered area of ​​the metal layer used to block stray light, only the photosensitive area pattern allows light to pass through the metal openings. That is to say, the instruction manual for CN117664195A includes... Figure 6 (a) to (c) are formed by metal drilling.

[0051] It should be noted that the shape of each graphic unit in the photosensitive area can vary widely, including but not limited to, the shape shown in the instruction manual for CN117664195A. Figure 6 (a) to (c) and all its accompanying drawings.

[0052] In step S2: the metal design rules are checked on the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern. If the result is that any pattern element that satisfies the single-layer processability constraint is not considered in this application, this application only considers the case where the result satisfies the single-layer non-processability constraint.

[0053] In the embodiments of this invention application, reference is made to Figure 2 For geometric boundaries, they can be straight-edged geometric boundaries 100, or irregularly shaped geometric boundaries 101 and 102.

[0054] In the embodiments of this invention application, for a corner, the corner is an outwardly protruding tip / angle, which can include a regular angle, such as an easily understood angle of a triangle / parallelogram, or it can be as follows: Figure 2 and 3 The irregularly shaped angles shown are specifically as follows: Figure 2 The corner of the graphic unit 152K shown is 103, or as shown in the figure. Figure 3 The graphic unit shown is corner 3 104 or corner 4 105 of unit 151L.

[0055] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 The image shows a common schematic diagram of metal openings. Figure 4 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are schematically represented as metal layer one O, metal layer two P, metal layer three Q, and metal layer four R, respectively.

[0056] refer to Figure 4 (a) Taking metal layer O as an example, for the valley, it is easy to understand that, as explained above, corners are generally convex outwards and sharper than bosses (see explanation below), while the valley can be understood as having the same / similar shape as a corner, but unlike the outward convexity of a corner, the valley is concave inwards and sharper than a notch, such as... Figure 4 The graphic elements of the graphic unit shown in (a) in metal layer 1O are either valley 106 or valley 2107.

[0057] refer to Figure 4 (b) Taking metal layer 2P as an example, for a boss, one of the graphic elements of the graphic unit on metal layer 2P is boss 108.

[0058] refer to Figure 4 For (c) and (d), taking metal layer 3Q and metal layer 4R as examples, for the notch, two of the graphic elements of the graphic unit on metal layer 3Q and metal layer 4R are notch 109 and notch 210.

[0059] refer to Figure 4 (c) Taking metal layer 3Q as an example, for a parallelogram, one of the graphic elements of the graphic unit on metal layer 3Q is parallelogram 111.

[0060] When the graphic elements on the metal layer are triangles, squares, circles, or sectors, they are similar to the parallelograms 111 on the metal layer 3Q, both being regular shapes, so they will not be elaborated further.

[0061] In one embodiment, reference Figure 6 The step of performing a metal design rule check on the photosensitive area pattern formed by the single-layer metal specifically includes at least one of sub-steps S21 to S25, wherein: sub-steps S21 to S25 are specifically as follows: S21. Check if the distance between the nearest points of two adjacent geometric boundaries is less than a preset value; In sub-step S21, refer to Figure 2 ,by Figure 2 Taking geometric boundary 2 101 and geometric boundary 3 102 as examples, geometric boundary 2 101 and geometric boundary 3 102 are two adjacent geometric boundaries. That is, it is necessary to check whether the distance between geometric boundary 2 101 and geometric boundary 3 102 at the nearest point is less than a preset value, such as 0.3μm.

[0062] S22. Check if each notch is too narrow; In sub-step S22, refer to Figure 4 ,by Figure 4Taking notch 109 and notch 110 as shown in (c) and (d) as examples, if the minimum notch width is 0.4μm, that is, the width of notch 109 and notch 110 cannot be less than 0.4μm.

[0063] S23. Check if the residual area of ​​the metal layer is too small; In sub-step S23, refer to Figure 5 ,by Figure 5 As shown in the example, in the metal layer 5S, there are graphic elements 312, 413, and 514. Taking graphic element 312 as an example, it is necessary to check whether the upper edge of graphic element 312 and the residual area of ​​metal layer 5S are too small. For example, the upper edge of graphic element 312 should not be too close to the upper edge of metal layer 5S, for example, it should not be less than 0.3μm. Similarly, when the graphic element is a corner, it is necessary to check whether the residual width of the metal near the corner is too small. The front end of the corner and the peripheral part near the front end should not be too close to the edge of the metal layer.

[0064] S24. Check if the corner exceeds the allowable angle set; In sub-step S24, it is determined whether the corner exceeds the set of allowed angles. Corners are generally formed by the intersection of two geometric boundaries. For example, metal design rules require that all boundaries are only allowed to be formed by line segments with angles of 0, 90, 45, and 135. Other angles are generally not allowed. When it is necessary to process geometric boundaries with other angles, geometric boundaries with angles of 0, 90, 45, and 135 are generally automatically generated before processing.

[0065] S25. Check whether the vertex coordinates of the corner fall on a feasible layout process grid.

[0066] In sub-step S25, in the metal design rules, for example, when the process grid is 0.05µm, the vertex coordinates of the corner need to fall on this process grid, which is a feasible layout process grid; if it falls at the junction of two process grids, it is an infeasible layout process grid.

[0067] The above describes the metal design rule check for forming the photosensitive area pattern with a single layer of metal.

[0068] The following explains steps S3 to S5: In steps S3 and S4: Please refer to Figures 7-10 , Figures 7-10 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the first embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0069] In this embodiment, as Figure 7The photosensitive area pattern shown includes four identical graphic units: graphic unit 140K, graphic unit 2 141K, graphic unit 3 142K, and graphic unit 4 143K. The first step is to disassemble a graphic element that meets the single-layer non-processable constraint. Specifically, in this embodiment, it is to disassemble a graphic element that cannot be processed in a graphic unit or in two adjacent graphic units. refer to Figure 7 When the graphic description function defines corner 52a as an acute angle, in actual processing, corner 52a satisfies the single-layer non-machinable constraint, or in other words, geometric boundary 450a and geometric boundary 651a satisfy the single-layer non-machinable constraint.

[0070] Therefore, in actual processing, geometric boundary 4 50a and geometric boundary 6 51a need to be disassembled and processed separately in different metal layers. In this embodiment, the approach is to process photosensitive area patterns of the same shape in both metal layers, referring to... Figure 7 In the metal layer 6T, pattern units 140K, 141K, 142K, and 143K are machined. The corner 52a of pattern unit 140K is rounded (equivalent to a rounded corner) due to processing limitations; corner 52a is formed by the combined geometric boundaries 40a and 61a. The situation is similar for pattern units 141K, 142K, and 143K, and will not be elaborated further. (See reference...) Figure 8 In the metal layer 7U, pattern units 5140L, 6141L, 7142L, and 8143L are processed. Among them, the corner 652b of pattern unit 5140L is blunted or rounded due to the processing technology. The corner 652b is formed by the geometric boundary 50b and the geometric boundary 751b. The situation of pattern units 61L, 7142L, and 8143L is the same, and will not be described again.

[0071] refer to Figure 9 and 10 ,in Figure 10 for Figure 9 An enlarged diagram of part A. Figure 7 The image of the photosensitive area shown and Figure 8The photosensitive area pattern shown is arranged in a staggered manner, specifically by stacking and offsetting metal layers 6T and 7U, so that the geometric boundary 450a of metal layer 6T and the geometric boundary 751b of metal layer 7U combine to form a composite boundary. The corner 752c formed by the geometric boundaries 450a and 751b conforms to the definition of the pattern description function, that is, it is optically equivalent to the target light-transmitting boundary. It should be noted that corner 752c is a composite pattern element formed by the staggered arrangement of two different metal layers; more specifically, corner 752c is a "staggered corner," that is, a corner formed by the staggered arrangement of different metal layers. The different metal layers act together in the direction of light propagation, specifically the geometric boundary 450a of metal layer 6T and the geometric boundary 751b of metal layer 7U act together in the direction of light propagation, that is, corner 752c is optically equivalent to the corner defined by the pattern description function.

[0072] Figure 11 The diagram shown is a schematic of the second embodiment of the decomposition and composite of graphic elements.

[0073] Then through Figure 11 The embodiments shown in (a), (b), and (c) will be explained as follows: First, it is necessary to separate two adjacent graphic elements that cannot be processed together, and to separate two adjacent graphic elements that cannot be processed in a graphic unit or two adjacent graphic units. For example... Figure 11 The corner 103 shown in (a) is defined as an acute angle in the graphic description function and satisfies the single-layer non-machinable constraint. Specifically, geometric boundary 100 and geometric boundary 101 cannot be machined together and need to be decomposed to form a shape like... Figure 11 The two parts shown in (b) are disassembled to form geometric boundary 8100`, graphic element 103a``, graphic element 2 103b``, and geometric boundary 9101`. Processing is performed on metal layer 6T. Figure 11 The left side of (b) has a metal layer of 7U processed. Figure 11 The right side of (b). It should be noted that in Figure 11In (b), only geometric boundaries 8100' and 102' need to be processed in metal layer 6T. The part to the right of geometric boundaries 8100' and 102', extending towards the dotted line, is the light-transmitting part. Once geometric boundaries 8100' and 102' are processed, graphic element 103a' will naturally be processed. There is no situation where graphic element 103a' cannot be processed. (Graphic element 103a' cannot be described as a corner, because graphic element 103a' is actually several...) The situation is the same for metal layer 7U: Only geometric boundary 9101' and the upper geometric boundary (not shown in the diagram) need to be processed in metal layer 7U. The portion to the left of geometric boundary 9101' towards the dotted line is the light-transmitting part. Graphic element 2103b' is the end of geometric boundary 9101'. Therefore, after processing geometric boundary 9101' and the upper geometric boundary, graphic element 2103b' will naturally be processed. There is no situation where graphic element 2103b' cannot be processed. Metal layer 6T and metal layer 7U work together in the direction of light propagation. Specifically, they can be spliced ​​together, allowing geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 9101' to be combined to form a composite geometric boundary. Graphic element 1103a' and graphic element 2103b' are then combined. Figure 11 The corner shown in (c) is 103', which is the same as the corner defined by the graphical description function. Figure 11 The corner shown in (a) -103 is an optically equivalent corner in the direction of light propagation.

[0074] Based on the foregoing explanation, we understand that two adjacent geometric boundaries cannot be processed together, one reason being that the two adjacent geometric boundaries are too close together, for example... Figure 2 If the geometric boundaries 101 and 102 shown are too close together, they need to be processed in different metal layers; by... Figure 11 From the description of the illustrated embodiments, we understand that if Figure 11 If the corner 103 shown in (a) cannot be processed, it can be considered that the two geometric boundaries 100 and 101 that make up the corner 103 cannot be processed together. They need to be processed separately in different metal layers and then composited.

[0075] Figure 12 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0076] pass Figure 12 The embodiments shown in (a), (b), and (c) will be used for illustration: This embodiment is similar to Figure 11The difference between the embodiments shown in (a), (b), and (c) is that the disassembly methods are different, which illustrates that the disassembly method of graphic elements is not limited and can flexibly disassemble two adjacent graphic elements.

[0077] if Figure 12 The graphic elements shown in (a) specifically, geometric boundary 100 and geometric boundary 101 cannot be processed together and need to be decomposed to form a shape like... Figure 12 The two parts shown in (b) are disassembled to form geometric boundary 8 100', geometric boundary 25 102a', graphic element 1 103a'', graphic element 2 103b'', geometric boundary 9 101', and the upper geometric boundary. Processing is performed on metal layer 6T. Figure 12 The left side of (b) has a metal layer of 7U processed. Figure 12 The right side of (b). It should be noted that in Figure 12 In (b), only geometric boundary 8100` and geometric boundary 25102a` need to be processed in metal layer 6T (where geometric boundary 25102a` is... Figure 12 (a) is a part of the geometric boundary 3102), while the right side of geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 25102a' towards the dotted line is the light-transmitting part. After processing geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 25102a', graphic element 103a' will naturally be processed. There is no situation where graphic element 103a' cannot be processed. (Graphic element 103a' cannot be said to be a corner, because graphic element 103a' is the end of geometric boundary 8100'). The same applies to metal layer 7U: Only geometric boundary 9101', the upper geometric boundary (not shown in the diagram), and geometric boundary 26102b' need to be processed in metal layer 7U. The area towards the dotted line represents the light-transmitting part. Once geometric boundaries 9101', 26102b', and the upper geometric boundary are processed, graphic element 2103b' will naturally be processed; there is no situation where graphic element 2103b' cannot be processed. Metal layers 6T and 7U work together in the light propagation direction, specifically by splicing them together, allowing geometric boundaries 8100', 25102a', 26102b', and 9101' to combine and form a composite geometric boundary. Graphic element 1103a' and graphic element 2103b' are then combined. After the composite, Figure 12 The corner shown in (c) is 103', which is defined by the graphical description function as follows: Figure 12 The corner shown in (a) -103 is an optically equivalent corner in the direction of light propagation.

[0078] Figure 13 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the fourth embodiment of graphic element decomposition and composite.

[0079] Then through Figure 13 The embodiments shown in (a) and (b) will be described below: Figure 13 In (a), a graphic element 6 201 (a parallelogram hole) needs to be machined in metal layer 8 200. The corner 8 2013 of the graphic element 6 201 is checked according to the metal design rules and determined to meet the single-layer non-machinable constraint, that is, geometric boundary 11 2011 and geometric boundary 13 2012 cannot be machined together. Among them, geometric boundary 11 2011 and geometric boundary 15 2014 are the first group of parallel geometric boundaries, and geometric boundary 13 2012 and geometric boundary 17 2015 are the second group of parallel geometric boundaries.

[0080] Figure 13 As shown in (b), metal layer nine 200a and metal layer ten 200b are introduced. Metal layer nine 200a is processed along the direction of the first set of parallel geometric boundaries to form geometric boundaries twelve 2011' and sixteen 2014' that are parallel to each other. Metal layer ten 200b is processed along the direction of the second set of parallel geometric boundaries to form geometric boundaries fourteen 2012' and eighteen 2015' that are parallel to each other.

[0081] Metal layers 9 200a and 10 200b are staggered, and geometric boundaries 12 2011' and 14 2012' are combined to form a composite geometric boundary. After the composite, corner 9 2013' and corner 8 2013 are equivalent corners in the direction of light propagation, and graphic element 7 201' and graphic element 6 201 are equivalent graphic elements in the direction of light propagation.

[0082] Figures 14-15 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the fifth embodiment of graphic element decomposition.

[0083] Then through Figure 14 and 15 The following examples illustrate the process: Figure 14 The diagram illustrates a layout of a photoelectric detection matrix, which includes a photosensitive area pattern. The photosensitive area pattern includes multiple graphic units 16250, wherein each graphic unit 16250 corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. Figure 14 The multiple graphic units shown, number sixteen 250, all have the same shape. Figure 14One example is illustrated. In one of the graphic units 16 250, the corner formed by geometric boundary 19 251 and geometric boundary 22 252 is an acute angle. After the photosensitive area graphic is formed by a single layer of metal, the metal design rule check is performed, which satisfies the single-layer non-processable constraint. That is to say, geometric boundary 19 251 and geometric boundary 22 252 cannot be processed in the same metal layer, but need to be processed in different metal layers.

[0084] Figure 15 Four graphic units 16250 are shown, but each graphic unit 16250 is enlarged for clarity, so that only a portion of each graphic unit 16250 is shown, with the remainder truncated by broken lines. Specifically, each graphic unit 16250 only shows the portion of a graphic element that satisfies the single-layer non-manufacturable constraint.

[0085] refer to Figure 15 In any of the graphic units 16 250 in this embodiment, geometric boundaries 20 251a and 23 252a are processed in one metal layer, and geometric boundaries 21 251b and 24 252b are processed in another metal layer. The photosensitive areas of these two metal layers are staggered, so that geometric boundary 23 252a of one metal layer and geometric boundary 21 251b of the other metal layer combine to form a composite boundary. The corner formed by geometric boundaries 23 252a and 21 251b conforms to the definition of a graphic description function, that is, it is optically equivalent to the target light-transmitting boundary.

[0086] For step S5, the operation is performed on two adjacent graphic elements that cannot be processed together, referring to steps S2 to S4. Then, by the combined action of at least two metal layers in the light propagation direction, a composite photosensitive area pattern optically equivalent to the photosensitive area pattern is formed.

[0087] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also include equivalence verification and process effects: Optical equivalence: Through ray tracing simulation, the spatial light response waveform of the composite photosensitive area pattern deviates from the theoretical pattern by less than 0.5%, and the sinusoidal distortion is ≤1.2%, which is significantly improved compared with single-layer metal process; Process feasibility: The machining patterns of both metal layers passed the Design Rule Check (DRC). The sharp corner blunting phenomenon was eliminated after manufacturing. The deviation between the actual geometric boundary of corners, valleys and other structures and the theoretical target was ≤0.05μm. It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, the graphic element we refer to can be a single graphic element, such as a geometric boundary or a corner, or it can be a collection of graphic elements. Figure 13For example, in (a), graphic element 6201 is a parallelogram, and graphic element 6201 is also a set of geometric boundary 112011, geometric boundary 132012, geometric boundary 152014, and geometric boundary 172015; corner 82013 is composed of geometric boundary 112011 and geometric boundary 132012.

[0088] In one embodiment, the metal design rules require that the vertex coordinates of the corner must fall within the minimum feasible layout process grid, wherein the minimum size of the layout process grid is 0.025µm.

[0089] In one embodiment, the size of the layout process grid is 0.05µm.

[0090] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 11 (a), (b), and (c), the layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix provided in this embodiment of the invention includes: The photosensitive area pattern and the non-photosensitive area pattern, wherein the photosensitive area pattern includes multiple pattern units, namely pattern unit nine 151K, pattern unit ten 152K, pattern unit eleven 153K, pattern unit twelfth 154K, pattern unit thirteenth 155K, and pattern unit fourteenth 156K, and each of the pattern units corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units in the photoelectric detection matrix; The photosensitive area pattern is formed after the metal layer is processed, such as by creating holes. If the photosensitive area pattern is processed by creating holes, the part with holes is the photosensitive area pattern, and the part without holes is the non-photosensitive area pattern.

[0091] refer to Figure 11 As shown in (a), taking geometric boundary 100 and geometric boundary 101 as examples, two adjacent graphic elements m and n in the photosensitive area pattern cannot be processed together and need to be decomposed to form as shown in (a). Figure 11 The two parts shown in (b) are disassembled to form geometric boundary 8100`, graphic element 103a``, graphic element 203b``, and geometric boundary 9101`. Processing is performed on metal layer 6T. Figure 11 The left side of (b) has a metal layer of 7U processed. Figure 11 The right side of (b). It should be noted that in Figure 11In (b), only geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 102' need to be processed in metal layer 6T. The portion to the right of geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 102' towards the dotted line is the light-transmitting part. After processing geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 102', graphic element 103a' will naturally be processed. The same applies to metal layer 7U: only geometric boundary 9101' and the upper geometric boundary (not shown in the figure) need to be processed in metal layer 7U. The portion to the left of geometric boundary 9101' towards the dotted line is the light-transmitting part. After processing geometric boundary 9101' and the upper geometric boundary, graphic element 203b' will naturally be processed. By splicing metal layer 6T and metal layer 7U together, geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 9101' are combined to form a composite geometric boundary. Graphic element 103a' and graphic element 203b' are then combined. Figure 11 The corner shown in (c) is 103', which is the same as the corner defined by the graphical description function. Figure 11 The corner shown in (a) -103 is an optically equivalent corner in the direction of light propagation.

[0092] As explained above regarding steps S2 to S4, we understand that one reason why two adjacent geometric boundaries cannot be processed together is that the two adjacent geometric boundaries are too close together, for example... Figure 2 If the geometric boundaries 101 and 102 shown are too close together, they need to be processed in different metal layers; for example... Figure 11 If the corner 103 shown in (a) cannot be processed, it can be considered that the two geometric boundaries 100 and 101 that make up the corner 103 cannot be processed together. They need to be processed separately in different metal layers and then composited.

[0093] For other adjacent graphic elements that cannot be processed together, the above operation is applied to form a composite photosensitive area graphic that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area graphic.

[0094] It should be noted that the reference Figure 11 In (a) and (b), geometric boundary 100 and geometric boundary 101 are two adjacent graphic elements in the photosensitive area pattern. According to metal design rules, they are determined to meet the single-layer non-machinable constraint and are thus decomposed into geometric boundary 8100' and geometric boundary 9101'. Therefore, a graphic element can be a single graphic element, such as a single geometric boundary, more specifically, one side of a corner; a graphic element can also be a composite graphic, such as a corner. We understand that a corner includes two geometric boundaries and the vertex formed by these two geometric boundaries.

[0095] In one embodiment, this application also provides an optical encoder, including a layout structure implemented by the method for implementing the photoelectric detection matrix layout, or a layout structure including the photoelectric detection matrix.

[0096] In existing technologies, satisfying the constraint of single-layer immanufacturability can only be achieved by simplifying the aperture structure (i.e., the photosensitive area pattern) within the metal aperture to meet single-layer immanufacturability. This simplification of the photosensitive area pattern, compared to the compromise of "simplified pattern + complex circuit algorithms" in existing technologies, offers the following irreplaceable advancements: The complexity of the photosensitive area pattern is determined by the multiple metal layers, resulting in higher parameter adjustability of the pattern description function. It also simplifies the backend circuitry and algorithms: Since the photosensitive area pattern itself completes high-precision spatial light response shaping, the output photoelectric signal already has low harmonic content, eliminating the need for heavy filtering / calculation tasks in the backend circuitry. Furthermore, it reduces system design and manufacturing costs: The significant reduction in circuit complexity translates to a smaller chip area, lower power consumption, and significantly reduced delay in the signal conditioning link, freeing the photoelectric encoder's operating speed from the constraints of complex digital signal processing algorithms. Additionally, compared to forming the photosensitive area pattern with a single layer of metal, manufacturing tolerances are typically larger, resulting in better mass production consistency.

[0097] In addition, by moving the spatial light response shaping function forward and solidifying it into a precisely manufactured single-layer metal aperture pattern, this invention breaks the path dependence of the traditional design of "simplified pattern + complex circuit algorithm", solves the core contradiction between cost, speed and accuracy of existing optical encoder photosensitive chips, and provides a practical solution for high-performance photoelectric encoders.

[0098] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a photoelectric detection matrix layout, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: a. Define the layout of the photoelectric detection matrix of the photoelectric sensor based on the graphic description function. The layout includes a photosensitive area graphic, which includes multiple graphic units. Each graphic unit corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. b. Perform metal design rule checks on the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern to determine a graphic element that satisfies the single-layer non-processable constraint, wherein the graphic element is the geometric element constituting the photosensitive area pattern; c. Decompose the graphic element into at least two sub-graphic elements, and process the at least two sub-graphic elements in different metal layers respectively; d. The different metal layers work together in the direction of light propagation to combine the at least two sub-graphic elements to form a composite graphic element, wherein the composite graphic element is optically equivalent to the light-transmitting boundary of the target graphic element. e. For other graphic elements that satisfy the single-layer non-processable constraint, refer to steps b to d to operate, and then form a composite photosensitive area pattern that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area pattern by the combined action of at least two metal layers in the light propagation direction.

2. The implementation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step b, a graphic element is two adjacent graphic elements. These two adjacent graphic elements include two adjacent graphic elements belonging to the same graphic unit, or two adjacent graphic elements belonging to two adjacent graphic units respectively.

3. The implementation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: geometric boundaries.

4. The implementation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: corners.

5. The implementation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: valleys.

6. The implementation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The graphic elements include at least one of the following: boss, notch, triangle, parallelogram, circle, and sector.

7. The implementation method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Step b, the metal design rule check of the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern, specifically includes: checking whether the distance between two adjacent geometric boundaries at their nearest point is less than a preset value.

8. The implementation method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Step b, the metal design rule check of the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern, specifically includes at least one of sub-steps b1 to b3, wherein: sub-steps b1 to b3 are specifically as follows: b1. Check if the remaining area of ​​the metal layer is too small; b2. Check if the corner exceeds the allowable angle set; b3. Check whether the vertex coordinates of the corner fall on a feasible layout process grid.

9. The implementation method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Step b, which involves checking the metal design rules of the single-layer metal forming the photosensitive area pattern, specifically includes checking whether each notch is too narrow.

10. The implementation method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The size of the layout process grid is 0.025µm.

11. The implementation method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The size of the layout process grid is 0.05µm.

12. A layout structure for a photoelectric detection matrix, characterized in that: The layout structure includes a photosensitive area pattern and a non-photosensitive area pattern. The photosensitive area pattern includes multiple pattern units, and each pattern unit corresponds to one of the photoelectric detection units of the photoelectric detection matrix. In this case, at least one graphic element satisfies the single-layer non-manufacturable constraint and is decomposed into at least two sub-graphic elements, and the at least two sub-graphic elements are processed in different metal layers respectively. The graphic element is the geometric element that constitutes the graphic of the photosensitive area. The different metal layers work together in the direction of light propagation to combine the sub-graphic elements of each graphic element that are decomposed from the single-layer non-processable constraint, forming a composite graphic element that is optically equivalent to the target light-transmitting boundary of the graphic element at that location, and thus forming a composite photosensitive area graphic that is optically equivalent to the photosensitive area graphic.

13. The layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The graphic element is two adjacent graphic elements, which include two adjacent graphic elements belonging to the same graphic unit, or two adjacent graphic elements belonging to two adjacent graphic units respectively.

14. The layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: geometric boundaries.

15. The layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: corners.

16. The layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The graphic elements include: valleys.

17. The layout structure of the photoelectric detection matrix as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The graphic elements include at least one of the following: boss, notch, triangle, parallelogram, circle, and sector.

18. An optical encoder, characterized in that, The layout structure includes the implementation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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