Image sensor including pixels having plural photoelectric converters configured to convert light of different wavelengths and imaging apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10115753-B2
Application number	US-201715670375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Provided are an image sensor and an imaging apparatus. The image sensor of a multi-layered sensor structure, the image sensor includes a plurality of sensing pixels, each of the plurality of sensing pixels including a micro lens configured to collect light, a first photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a first wavelength band into an electric signal, and a second photoelectric converter formed on a substrate configured to convert incident light into the electric signal, wherein a central axis of the second photoelectric converter is spaced apart from an optical axis of the micro lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor of a multi-layered sensor structure, the image sensor comprising:
a plurality of sensing pixels, each of the plurality of sensing pixels including,
a micro lens configured to collect light,
a first photoelectric converter configured to convert the light of a first wavelength band into an electrical signal, and
a second photoelectric converter configured to convert the light of a second wavelength band into the electrical signal, the second photoelectric converter including a first photoelectric conversion device and a second photoelectric conversion device, the first photoelectric conversion device being spaced apart from the second photoelectric conversion device based on an optical axis of the micro lens, wherein the first photoelectric converter includes,
a first color selection layer configured to photoelectrically convert the light of the first wavelength band into the electrical signal, and
a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the optical axis, the first electrode and the second electrode configured to output converted electrical signals.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein a horizontal cross-sectional area of the first photoelectric conversion device and a horizontal cross-sectional area of the second photoelectric conversion device are equal to each other.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the first photoelectric conversion device is spaced apart from the optical axis in a first direction, and
the second photoelectric conversion device is spaced apart from the optical axis in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second photoelectric converter further comprises:
a third photoelectric conversion device and a fourth photoelectric conversion device, wherein
the first photoelectric conversion device, the second photoelectric conversion device, the third photoelectric conversion device, and the fourth photoelectric conversion device are spaced apart from each other based on the optical axis.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
a first one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter includes an organic silicon photodiode, and
a second one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter includes a silicon photodiode or a semiconductor compound photodiode.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first photoelectric conversion device and the second photoelectric conversion device include inorganic photodiodes formed in a substrate.

7. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first photoelectric converter further comprises:
an upper electrode on an upper surface of the first color selection layer; and wherein
the first electrode and the second electrode are placed on a lower surface of the first color selection layer.

8. The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein an area of the first lower electrode and an area of the second lower electrode are equal to each other.

9. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first photoelectric conversion device and the second photoelectric conversion device are stacked on a substrate.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the first photoelectric conversion device and the second photoelectric conversion device comprises:
a second color selection layer configured to photoelectrically convert light of the second wavelength band into the electrical signal; and
an electrode configured to output the electrical signal.

11. An image sensor of a multi-layered sensor structure, the image sensor comprising:
a plurality of sensing pixels, each of the plurality of sensing pixels including,
a micro lens configured to collect light;
a first photoelectric converter configured to convert the light of a first wavelength band into an electrical signal;
a second photoelectric converter configured to convert the light of a second wavelength band into the electrical signal, the second photoelectric converter including a first photoelectric conversion device and a second photoelectric conversion device, the first photoelectric conversion device being spaced apart from the second photoelectric conversion device based on an optical axis of the micro lens; and
a third photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a third wavelength band into the electrical signal.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor of a multi-layered sensor structure, the image sensor including a pixel array having a plurality of pixels, at least one of the plurality of pixels being a focusing pixel, the focusing pixel including,
a micro lens,
a first photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a first wavelength band into an electrical signal,
a second photoelectric converter including a first photoelectric conversion device spaced apart from an optical axis of the micro lens, the second photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a second wavelength band into the electrical signal, and
a color filter configured to reflect light of a wavelength band that is complementary to the second wavelength band, wherein the first photoelectric converter includes,
a first color selection layer configured to photoelectrically convert the light of the first wavelength band into the electrical signal, and
a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the optical axis, the first electrode and the second electrode configured to output converted electrical signals.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the first photoelectric converter includes an organic photodiode, and
the second photoelectric converter includes a silicon photodiode or a semiconductor compound photodiode.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the focusing pixel comprises:
a first focusing pixel and a second focusing pixel, the first focusing pixel being adjacent to the second focusing pixel, the first focusing pixel and the second focusing pixel each including one of the first photoelectric conversion device therein such that the first photoelectric conversion device included in each of the first focusing pixel and the second focusing pixel is spaced apart from the optical axis of the micro lens in opposite directions.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second photoelectric converter further comprises:
a second photoelectric conversion device spaced apart from the first photoelectric conversion device based on the optical axis.

16. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a third wavelength band into the electrical signal.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
an auto-focus (AF) processor configured to perform a focus detection by detecting a phase-difference of light based on the electrical signal output from the second photoelectric converter; and
an AF controller configured to adjust a location of an object lens based on the detected focus.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Baek Byung-Joon

Classifications

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H01L31/047

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14605 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/1464

  Electricity · mapped topic