Image sensor with shared microlens and polarization pixel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367744-B2
Application number	US-201916704877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

An image sensor pixel comprises a subpixel and a polarization pixel. The subpixel includes a group of photodiodes disposed in semiconductor material, a shared microlens optically aligned over the group of photodiodes, and a subpixel color filter disposed between the group of photodiodes and the shared microlens. The polarization pixel includes a first photodiode disposed in the semiconductor material, an unshared microlens optically aligned over the first photodiode, and a polarization filter disposed between the first photodiode and the unshared microlens. The shared microlens has a first lateral area. The unshared microlens has a second lateral area less than the first lateral area of the shared microlens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor pixel, comprising:
a subpixel, including:
a group of photodiodes disposed in a semiconductor material;
a shared microlens optically aligned over the group of photodiodes, the shared microlens having a first lateral area; and
a subpixel color filter disposed between the group of photodiodes and the shared microlens; and

a plurality of polarization pixels, each polarization pixel included in the plurality of polarization pixels, including:
a polarization photodiode disposed in the semiconductor material;
an unshared microlens optically aligned over the polarization photodiode, the unshared microlens having a second lateral area less than the first lateral area of the shared microlens; and
a polarization filter disposed between the polarization photodiode and the unshared microlens; and

a shared color filter, wherein the polarization filter of at least two adjacent polarization pixels included in the plurality of polarization pixels are disposed between the shared color filter and the polarization photodiode of the at least two adjacent polarization pixels.

2. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the subpixel color filter has a third lateral area greater than the first lateral area of the shared microlens, wherein the polarization filter has a fourth lateral area greater than the second lateral area of the unshared microlens, and wherein the third lateral area is greater than the fourth lateral area.

3. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the group of photodiodes includes four photodiodes collectively arranged in a two-by-two pattern.

4. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the polarization filter is configured to provide linear polarization of light incident upon a corresponding one of the plurality of polarization pixels.

5. The image sensor pixel of claim 4 , wherein a degree of the linear polarization is zero, forty-five, ninety, or one hundred thirty-five.

6. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of polarization pixels provide different degrees of linear polarization to incident light.

7. The image sensor pixel of claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of subpixels, including the subpixel, and wherein the plurality of subpixels collectively form an “L” shape disposed, at least partially, around the plurality of polarization pixels.

8. The image sensor pixel of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of polarization pixels includes four polarization pixels collectively arranged in a two-by-two pattern that is, at least partially, surrounded by the plurality of subpixels.

9. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , further comprising deep trench isolation structures disposed in the semiconductor material between the polarization photodiode of adjacent polarization pixels included in the plurality of polarization pixels.

10. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein a lateral area of the shared color filter is greater than a corresponding lateral area of the polarization filter of one or more of the at least two adjacent polarization pixels.

11. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein a first thickness of the subpixel color filter is greater than a second thickness of the shared color filter.

12. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the group of photodiodes includes at least nine photodiodes arranged in a three-by-three pattern such that the shared microlens is optically aligned with the at least nine photodiodes and the subpixel color filter is disposed between the at least nine photodiodes and the shared microlens, wherein the plurality of polarization pixels include at least nine polarization pixels arranged in the three-by-three pattern.

13. The image sensor pixel of claim 1 , wherein the shared color filter has a spectral photoresponse corresponding to green.

14. An imaging system, comprising:
an image sensor including a plurality of photodiodes arranged as a photodiode array disposed in a semiconductor material to form a plurality of image pixels, each of the plurality of image pixels including:
a plurality of subpixels, each subpixel included in the plurality of subpixels including:
a group of photodiodes included in the photodiode array, the group of photodiodes disposed in the semiconductor material;
a shared microlens optically aligned over the group of photodiodes, the shared microlens having a first lateral area; and
a subpixel color filter disposed between the group of photodiodes and the shared microlens; and

a plurality of polarization pixels, each polarization pixel included in the plurality of polarization pixels including:
a polarization photodiode included in the plurality of photodiodes, the polarization photodiode disposed in the semiconductor material;
an unshared microlens optically aligned over the polarization photodiode, the unshared microlens having a second lateral area less than the first lateral area of the shared microlens; and
a polarization filter disposed between the polarization photodiode and the unshared microlens; and

a shared color filter, wherein the polarization filter of at least two adjacent polarization pixels included in the plurality of polarization pixels are disposed between the shared color filter and the polarization photodiode of the at least two adjacent polarization pixels, and

wherein a first image pixel included in the plurality of image pixels includes a first subpixel included in the plurality of subpixels, wherein the group of photodiodes included in a first subpixel includes at least nine photodiodes arranged in a three-by-three pattern, wherein the shared microlens of the first subpixel is optically aligned over the at least nine photodiodes, and wherein the plurality of polarization pixels of the first image pixel includes at least nine polarization pixels arranged in the three-by-three pattern.

15. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein for each of the plurality of subpixels the subpixel color filter has a third lateral area greater than the first lateral area of the shared microlens, wherein for each of the plurality of polarization pixels the polarization filter has a fourth lateral area greater than the second lateral area of the unshared microlens, and wherein the third lateral area is greater than the fourth lateral area.

16. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the polarization filter included in each of the polarization pixels is configured to provide linear polarization of incident light, and wherein the plurality of polarization pixels provides different degrees of the linear polarization.

17. The imaging system of claim 16 , wherein the different degrees of linear polarization include zero, forty-five, ninety, and one hundred thirty-five.

18. The imaging system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a controller coupled to the image sensor and logic that when executed by the controller causes the imaging system to perform operations including:
reading out electrical signals generated in response to incident light, each of the electrical signals generated by a corresponding photodiode included in the plurality of photodiodes.

19. The imaging system of claim 18 , further comprising additional logic that when executed by the controller causes the imaging system to perform further operations including:
comparing the electrical signals associated with the plurality of subpixels to provide phase-detection auto focus (PDAF) for the imaging system.

20. The imaging system of claim 19 , further comprising additional logic that when executed by

Assignees

• Omnivision Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pang Chin Poh
• Zhang Boyang
• Liu Guansong
• Lin Peng

Classifications

• H04N25/705

  Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H10F39/8053 Primary

  Colour filters · CPC title

• H10F39/802

  Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes · CPC title