Image Sensor Microlens Structure for Accurate Phase Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image sensors face challenges in accurately detecting phase differences under various image capturing conditions, which affects autofocusing performance.
Innovation Solution
The image sensor design includes a substrate with both image sensing pixels and phase detection pixels, featuring a light blocking pattern, color filters, and a microlens layer with integrated filling portions and microlenses made of the same light-transmitting material, ensuring optimal light transmission and reception for phase detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate structures are used for filling portions and microlenses in phase detection pixels, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but interface reflections occur reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The filling portion and microlens are merged into a single integrated structure formed from the same transparent resin material. This eliminates the interface between separate components, preventing reflection and scattering of incident light, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while still allowing flexible manufacturing through unified formation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Both the filling portion and microlens are formed using the same transparent resin material with identical optical properties. This homogeneity ensures uniform light transmission without interface reflections, solving the precision problem while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single material system.
2Measurement precision
If integrated structure is used for filling portions and microlenses, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filling portion and microlens are combined into a single integrated component formed from one continuous transparent resin layer. This reduces the number of discrete components and interfaces, simplifying the overall device structure while eliminating interface reflections to improve measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Using the same transparent resin material for both filling portion and microlens creates a homogeneous structure with uniform optical properties throughout. This single-material approach reduces manufacturing steps and material interfaces, decreasing device complexity while maintaining high precision.
3Ease of manufacture
If microlenses are disposed at different heights, then manufacturing ease is improved, but light transmission uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
All microlenses including those in phase detection pixels are positioned at the same height, creating an equipotential optical surface. This uniform positioning ensures consistent light transmission characteristics across the entire sensor array, improving optical stability while the common-height formation process maintains manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The microlenses are formed at a uniform height across all pixel types using the same transparent resin material and formation process. This homogeneous positioning ensures equal optical path lengths and consistent light transmission, stabilizing the optical composition while simplifying manufacturing through standardized processes.
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 design enhances the image sensor's ability to accurately detect phase differences, improving autofocusing capabilities across diverse image capturing conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a microlens layer including a plurality of first microlenses respectively disposed on the plurality of color filters, at least one filling portion disposed in the at least one second space, and at least one second microlens disposed on the at least one filling portion
Implementation Method 2
a substrate including a plurality of first pixels configured to generate image data and a plurality of second pixels configured to detect phase information of light incident to the plurality of pixels
Data Source
AI summary
An image sensor includes: a substrate including a plurality of first and second pixels; a light blocking pattern providing a plurality of first spaces respectively disposed on the first pixels and at least one second space disposed on the plurality of second pixels; a plurality of color filters respectively disposed in the plurality of first spaces; and a microlens layer including a plurality of first microlenses respectively disposed on the plurality of color filters, at least one filling portion disposed in the at least one second space, and at least one second microlens disposed on the at least one filling portion, wherein the microlenses are disposed at the same height as each other, and wherein the at least one filling portion and the at least one second microlens comprise an integrated structure without an interface between the at least one filling portion and the at least one second microlens.