Image Sensor Module with Recessed Light Concentration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image sensor manufacturing processes often result in contamination of photo diodes, color filters, and lens units, leading to decreased operational properties due to exposure to particles and contaminants during the manufacturing of these components.

Innovation Solution

An image sensor module design featuring a transparent substrate with recesses, light concentration members, color filters, photo diode units, insulation members, and input/output terminals, where the light concentration members are formed with transparent single crystalline silicon and the photo diodes are directly disposed over the color filters, along with a method that includes forming recesses, light concentration members, color filters, and photo diode units in specific steps to prevent contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional unit processes are used to manufacture image sensors (forming photo diodes, color filters, and lens units separately), then the manufacturing process is simple and sequential, but the components are likely to be contaminated by particles, decreasing operational properties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational propertiesVSAvoidcontamination by particles

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a clean room environment with controlled particle concentration during the manufacturing process. The manufacturing is performed in a controlled atmosphere that prevents contamination of photo diodes, color filters, and lens units by particles, thereby improving operational properties while maintaining the conventional sequential manufacturing approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

2Ease of manufacture

If photo diodes, color filters, and lens units are manufactured separately in sequential unit processes, then the manufacturing process is easier to control, but the size of the final image sensor module becomes larger

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process controlVSAvoidsize of image sensor module

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates multiple components (photo diodes, color filters, lens units, and driving units) into a single integrated structure on one substrate. The driving units are formed directly on the substrate alongside the photo diodes, and color filters and lens units are stacked in sequence, merging previously separate manufacturing processes into a unified integrated device that reduces overall size while maintaining manufacturing controllability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from planar arrangement to three-dimensional stacking of components. Color filters are disposed over photo diodes, lens units are disposed over color filters, and driving units are integrated on the substrate, utilizing vertical space to reduce the footprint area while maintaining ease of manufacture through systematic layering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If components are exposed to particles during manufacturing, then the manufacturing process is faster, but the operational properties of the image sensor decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidoperational properties

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains a controlled clean room environment throughout the manufacturing process that prevents particle contamination while allowing continuous production. The controlled atmosphere enables fast manufacturing without compromising operational properties by filtering out particles that would otherwise contaminate the components during production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

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 prevents contamination of the image sensor components, enhancing their operational properties and reducing the size of the image sensor module by integrating the light concentration and driving units with the transparent substrate, thereby improving light sensitivity and reducing particle interference.

Implementation Method 1

a light concentration member having transparent light concentration parts disposed in each of the recesses

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Implementation Method 2

Each of the light concentration parts has a convex lens shape

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFocusing: Focusing

Implementation Method 3

photo diodes that are disposed over each of the color filters to generate photoelectrons corresponding to amount of light passing through each color filter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoelectric effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9166095B2Image sensor module and method of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2015.10.20 SK HYNIX INC

AI summary

An image sensor module includes a transparent substrate having recesses defined in a lower face thereof. A light concentration member includes transparent light concentration parts each of which are disposed in a corresponding one of the recesses. Color filters are disposed over each of the light concentration parts and photo diode units having photo diodes are disposed over each of the color filters. An insulation member covers the photo diode units and input/output terminals disposed over the insulation member are each electrically connected to a corresponding photo diode unit.