Wafer Level Curved Image Sensor Lens Aberration Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image sensor modules, spherical camera lenses cause spherical aberration, leading to varying light-receiving amounts among pixels, affecting their photoelectric conversion capability depending on location and focus points.
Innovation Solution
A wafer level curved image sensor is designed with supporting patterns and fixed patterns forming a concavely-curved upper surface, combined with a buffer layer, to uniformly compensate for the camera lens curvature, ensuring consistent light reception across the image sensing chip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a spherical camera lens is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but spherical aberration occurs causing non-uniform light reception across pixels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the image sensor surface to match the spherical geometry of the camera lens. The image sensor is formed with a concavely curved upper surface that corresponds to the convex curvature of the lens, allowing light rays from different regions of the lens to converge uniformly on the sensor surface, thereby eliminating spherical aberration and achieving uniform light reception across all pixels.
2Area of stationary object
If pixels are positioned at different distances from the lens, then the field of view is increased, but photoelectric conversion capability varies across pixels
Solution Approach 1:
The concavely curved upper surface of the image sensor is designed with a specific radius of curvature that matches the lens geometry. This curvature ensures that all pixels, regardless of their position (central or peripheral), are located at the appropriate distance from the lens surface, maintaining uniform optical path lengths and consistent photoelectric conversion capability across the entire sensor area.
3Ease of manufacture
If a planar image sensor is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but image distortion occurs due to lens curvature mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor is fabricated with a concavely curved upper surface using semiconductor manufacturing techniques. This curved surface structure compensates for the convex curvature of the camera lens, ensuring that light rays from the entire lens aperture converge correctly on the sensor surface. The result is elimination of image distortion and aberration while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through wafer-level processing.
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
The solution effectively reduces image distortion by uniformly distributing light reception across the image sensor pixels, improving photoelectric conversion capability and reducing aberration effects.
Implementation Method 1
The supporting patterns and the first fixed patterns, in combination, form a planar lower surface and a concavely-curved upper surface
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer level curved image sensor may include a substrate having a central region, a peripheral region, and an edge region, the peripheral region being formed between the central region and the edge region, supporting patterns formed over the substrate, first fixed patterns formed between the supporting patterns, and an image sensing chip formed over the supporting patterns. The supporting patterns and the first fixed patterns, in combination, form a planar lower surface and a concavely-curved upper surface. The image sensing chip has a curved lower surface and a curved upper surface.