Imaging Sensor Tile Splicing for Precise Edge-to-Edge Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for joining photosensitive plates in CMOS or CCD imaging sensors are complex, expensive, and inflexible, leading to alignment issues, risk of breakage, and non-conformity detection only after completion, resulting in material waste and long cycle times.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the fixation of imaging sensors on substrates, precise cutting, and edge-to-edge joining of tiles, allowing for individual testing and flexible dimensions, using standard equipment and processes to reduce misalignment and electrostatic risks, and enabling early conformity testing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If complex industrial means are used for splicing photosensitive plates, then alignment precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidsplicing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The photosensitive plate is divided into multiple smaller sensor tiles that are processed and tested individually. Each tile is mounted on a carrier substrate, allowing independent handling, testing, and assembly. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex alignment systems while maintaining precision through modular construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Conformity testing is performed on each sensor tile before final assembly into the complete photosensitive plate. This preliminary testing identifies defective tiles early in the manufacturing process, preventing waste of materials and time that would occur if testing were delayed until after complete assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If complex industrial means are used for splicing photosensitive plates, then alignment precision is improved, but production time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidproduction cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The photosensitive plate is divided into multiple smaller sensor tiles that are processed and tested individually. Each tile is mounted on a carrier substrate, allowing independent handling, testing, and assembly. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex alignment systems while maintaining precision through modular construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Conformity testing is performed on each sensor tile before final assembly into the complete photosensitive plate. This preliminary testing identifies defective tiles early in the manufacturing process, preventing waste of materials and time that would occur if testing were delayed until after complete assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If single plate dimension equipment is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different sensor dimensions is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment simplicityVSAvoidsensor dimension flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier substrate and splicing equipment are designed to accommodate sensor tiles of various dimensions. The modular tile-based approach allows the same equipment to process different sensor sizes by simply adjusting the number and arrangement of tiles, providing universal capability across multiple product configurations without requiring dedicated equipment for each dimension.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3937244B1Manufacturing method for an imaging device
Publication Date: 2024.02.07 TRIXELL S
  • EP3937244B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3937244B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3937244B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for making an imager comprising the following steps: a. fixing (100) an imaging sensor on a first substrate; b. cutting (101) the first substrate at a predefined distance around the fixed imaging sensor; c. fixing (102) an electronic control board for the imaging sensor on the first cut substrate, near the fixed imaging sensor; d. connecting (103) the electronic control board for the imaging sensor with the fixed imaging sensor to obtain a first tile; e. Repeating the steps of fixing, cutting, fixing, and connecting to obtain a second tile; f. joining (104) the first tile and the second tile obtained by bringing the first cut substrates into edge-to-edge contact; g. fixing (105) the joined tiles onto a main substrate; h.connection (106) of the electronic control boards of the imaging sensors of the first tile and the second tile joined to a motherboard of the imager.