Curved Image Sensor Surfaces for Spherical Aberration Correction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Image sensors with spherical camera lenses suffer from spherical aberration, causing varying light reception across different pixel locations, leading to uneven photoelectric conversion capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Designing image sensors with concavely curved upper surfaces, including a circuit board, supporting board, and image sensor chip, where the supporting board features a concavely curved surface and varying-sized supporting members to align with the camera lens, ensuring uniform light reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a spherical camera lens is used, then the imaging system is simple and easy to manufacture, but spherical aberration occurs causing uneven light reception across different pixel locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the upper surface of the image sensor chip to match the spherical surface of the camera lens. This allows the light-receiving surface to correspond to the curved surface of the lens, correcting spherical aberration and ensuring uniform light reception across all pixel locations while maintaining the simplicity of using a spherical lens.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different surface heights at different locations on the image sensor chip. The light-receiving surface is formed at a different height than the back surface, with the height difference varying by location to match the spherical curvature of the lens. This local variation in surface quality corrects the optical aberration while preserving the overall spherical lens design.
2Manufacturing precision
If the light-receiving surface is made concavely curved to match the lens surface, then spherical aberration is corrected and light reception uniformity improves, but the structural complexity of the image sensor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms the concavely curved light-receiving surface by creating a height difference between the light-receiving surface and the back surface of the image sensor chip. This is achieved through selective removal of insulating films and conductive patterns from specific regions, creating a thin-film structure that provides the necessary curvature without adding significant structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the image sensor chip into different regions with different surface heights. The light-receiving region is separated from the back surface region by creating a stepped structure, where the light-receiving surface is formed at a higher level. This segmentation allows the curved surface to be created through localized modifications rather than restructuring the entire chip.
3Shape
If supporting members are added to create the concave surface, then the curved geometry is achieved for aberration correction, but the number of components and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the supporting function with the surface-forming function. The supporting members are integrated into the insulating film structure, and the height difference created by these members simultaneously provides both mechanical support and the concave surface geometry needed for optical correction. This eliminates the need for separate supporting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating film and supporting members serve multiple functions: they provide electrical insulation, mechanical support, and simultaneously create the concave surface geometry for aberration correction. By making these components multi-functional, the patent avoids adding extra components solely for shaping the surface.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an image sensor. The image sensor may include a circuit board, a supporting board provided under the circuit board, and an image sensor chip provided over the circuit board. The circuit board, the supporting board, and the image sensor chip respectively have concavely curved upper surfaces. The supporting board comprises a central area and a peripheral area. The central area is thinner than the peripheral area.