Image sensor including color separating lens array and electronic apparatus including the image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449567-B2
Application number	US-202418654786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2024
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Provided is an image sensor including a color separating lens array. The image sensor includes: a sensor substrate including a first pixel configured to sense light of a first wavelength and a second pixel configured to sense light of a second wavelength; a transparent spacer layer on the sensor substrate; and a color separating lens array on the spacer layer, wherein the color separating lens array condenses the light of the first wavelength toward the first pixel, and includes a first lens layer on the spacer layer, a second lens layer on the first lens layer, and an etch prevention layer between the first lens layer and the second lens layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate including a first pixel configured to sense light of a first wavelength and a second pixel configured to sense light of a second wavelength;
a spacer layer on the sensor substrate;
a color separating lens array configured to condense the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength incident on the color separating lens array respectively toward the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, the color separating lens array including a first lens layer on the spacer layer and a second lens layer on the first lens layer, the first lens layer comprising a first pixel region and a second pixel region corresponding respectively to the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region comprising a plurality of nanoposts and a dielectric material provided between the plurality of nanoposts; and
an etch prevention layer on the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material of the first lens layer of the color separating lens array.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the etch prevention layer has a thickness of about 3 nm to about 30 nm.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the etch prevention layer has a thickness of about 5 nm to about 15 nm.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the etch prevention layer includes HfO 2 .

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-reflection layer on the color separating lens array.

6. The image sensor of claim 5 ,
wherein the anti-reflection layer includes a SiO 2 layer.

7. The image sensor of claim 5 ,
wherein the anti-reflection layer has a thickness of about 80 nm to about 120 nm.

8. The image sensor of claim 5 ,
wherein the anti-reflection layer includes a first anti-reflection layer and a second anti-reflection layer, the first anti-reflection layer including a first material, and the second anti-reflection layer including a second material that is different from the first material.

9. The image sensor of claim 8 ,
wherein the first material includes SiO2 and the second material includes Si3N4.

10. The image sensor of claim 8 ,
wherein the second anti-reflection layer has a thickness of about 20 nm to about 60 nm.

11. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising another etch prevention layer between the spacer layer and the first lens layer of the color separating lens array,
wherein the another etch prevention layer is provided on an upper surface of the spacer layer, and
wherein the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material of the first lens layer are provided on the another etch prevention layer.

12. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the second lens layer comprises a first pixel region and a second pixel region corresponding respectively to the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate,
wherein each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region of the second lens layer comprises a plurality of nanoposts and a dielectric material provided between the plurality of nanoposts, and
wherein the plurality of nanoposts in the second lens layer are shifted in a direction toward a center of the color separating lens array as compared with corresponding nanoposts of the plurality of nanoposts in the first lens layer.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 ,
wherein an amount by which the plurality of nanoposts in the second lens layer are shifted is proportional to a distance to the center of the color separating lens array from the plurality of nanoposts.

14. The image sensor of claim 12 ,
wherein the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material in the second lens layer are provided on the etch prevention layer.

15. An image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate including a first pixel configured to sense light of a first wavelength and a second pixel configured to sense light of a second wavelength;
a spacer layer on the sensor substrate;
a color separating lens array configured to condense the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength incident on the color separating lens array respectively toward the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, the color separating lens array including a first pixel region and a second pixel region corresponding respectively to the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region comprising a plurality of nanoposts and a dielectric material provided between the plurality of nanoposts; and
an etch prevention layer between the spacer layer and the color separating lens array and below the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material of the color separating lens array.

16. The image sensor of claim 15 ,
wherein the etch prevention layer has a thickness of about 3 nm to about 30 nm.

17. The image sensor of claim 15 ,
wherein the color separating lens array comprises a first lens layer on the etch prevention layer, another etch prevention layer on the first lens layer, and a second lens layer on the another etch prevention layer,
wherein each of the first lens layer and the second lens layer comprises the first pixel region and the second pixel region including the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material, and
wherein the plurality of nanoposts in the second lens layer are shifted in a direction toward a center of the color separating lens array as compared with corresponding nanoposts of the plurality of nanoposts in the first lens layer.

18. The image sensor of claim 15 ,
wherein the etch prevention layer includes HfO2.

19. The image sensor of claim 15 , further comprising an anti-reflection layer on the color separating lens array.

20. An electronic apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to convert an optical image into an electrical signal; and
a processor configured to control operations of the image sensor and store and output a signal generated by the image sensor,
wherein the image sensor comprises:
a sensor substrate including a first pixel configured to sense light of a first wavelength and a second pixel configured to sense light of a second wavelength;
a spacer on the sensor substrate;
a color separating lens array configured to condense the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength incident on the color separating lens array respectively toward the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, the color separating lens array including a first pixel region and a second pixel region corresponding respectively to the first pixel and the second pixel of the sensor substrate, each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region comprising a plurality of nanoposts and a dielectric material provided between the plurality of nanoposts; and
an etch prevention layer between the spacer and the color separating lens array and below the plurality of nanoposts and the dielectric material of the color separating lens array.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hongkyu
• Yun Seokho
• Lim Minwoo

Classifications

• H04N25/11

  Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• G02B1/115

  Multilayers · CPC title

• H10F39/8053

  Colour filters · CPC title

• H10F39/024

  of coatings or optical elements · CPC title