Wafer Scale Baffle Substrate for Camera Optical Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera devices face challenges in achieving low-cost mass production while maintaining image quality due to issues with conventional baffles, such as reflections, damage susceptibility, and increased optical interfaces, which affect the field of view and overall image quality.
Innovation Solution
A baffle substrate with a transparent substrate and non-transparent layers on both surfaces, featuring first and second openings that define the field of view, eliminating physical side walls and allowing light to enter through these openings, thereby reducing reflections and protecting the lens elements during the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional baffles with through-holes are used to define field of view, then the field of view is defined and light paths are suppressed, but reflections occur at side walls and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the harmful side walls from the baffle structure by using a planar substrate with apertures instead of a through-hole structure. This extraction of the problematic geometric feature eliminates the source of reflections while maintaining the field of view definition function through the apertures in the non-transparent layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a planar aperture structure as a simplified copy of the traditional three-dimensional through-hole baffle. The apertures in the non-transparent layers replicate the light-blocking function of the through-hole walls without creating the harmful side wall reflections, achieving the same optical effect with a superior geometric implementation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional baffles are attached after dicing, then the field of view is defined, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the baffle function directly into the substrate structure by forming apertures in non-transparent layers on the substrate surfaces. This integration eliminates the need for separate baffle components and attachment steps, reducing manufacturing process complexity while maintaining field of view definition functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The baffle structure is prepared in advance as part of the substrate fabrication process, with non-transparent layers and apertures formed before final assembly. This preliminary formation of the field of view defining structure simplifies the overall manufacturing process by eliminating post-dicing attachment operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional baffles with through-holes are used, then light paths are suppressed, but the number of optical interfaces increases and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the unnecessary three-dimensional through-hole structure, retaining only the essential aperture function in planar form. This eliminates the creation of additional optical interfaces that would occur with traditional baffle attachments, reducing the total number of optical interfaces while maintaining light path suppression capability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional baffles are used, then field of view is defined, but lens elements are susceptible to damage during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate structure with integrated apertures serves as both the structural support and the field of view defining element from the beginning of the manufacturing process. This preliminary integration provides inherent protection to lens elements by eliminating the need for separate baffle attachments that could cause damage during handling and assembly operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances image quality by minimizing reflections, protecting optical elements, and enabling efficient wafer-scale manufacturing, reducing the number of optical interfaces and material costs, while allowing for more flexible design and improved light distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a generally non-transparent first layer with a first opening in an inner region of the front surface, and a generally non-transparent second layer on the rear surface which has a second opening in an inner region of the rear surface
Implementation Method 2
The generally transparent baffle substrate has a generally planar front surface and a generally planar rear surface
Data Source
AI summary
An optical module for a camera device, the camera device including an image capturing element arranged on a base substrate portion, and has a top lens element and optionally further lens elements for imaging an object on the image capturing element, and further a baffle defining a predetermined field of view of the image capturing element. The baffle includes a generally transparent baffle substrate portion having a front surface and a rear surface, a generally non-transparent first layer with a plurality of first openings on the front surface and a generally non-transparent second layer with a plurality of second openings on the rear surface. The top lens element is arranged on the front and/or the rear surface of the baffle substrate, which leads to a reduced number layers/substrates in the module and to a reduced number of reflections on material-air interfaces, for example. The baffle has an improved ability to suppress unwanted light and enables protection of the inner part of the device as well as manufacture on wafer scale.