Methods of forming curved image sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286102-A1
Application number	US-201514667457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming curved image sensors may include applying positive pressure to the face of an image sensor, forcing the image sensor to adhere the curved surface of a substrate. The pressure may be applied to the face of the image sensor in a variety of ways, including using pneumatic pressure, hydraulic pressure, or pressure from an elastic or inelastic solid. Processing may occur on either a single image sensor die or an image sensor wafer. When an image sensor wafer is processed, a substrate may be used that has a number of cavities defined by respective curved surfaces with each cavity corresponding to a respective image sensor. When pressure is applied to the image sensor, the image sensor may deform until the curvature of the image sensor matches the curvature of the curved surface of the underlying substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming a curved image sensor, the method comprising:
applying adhesive to a curved surface of a substrate; positioning an image sensor above the curved surface of the substrate; and applying pressure to the image sensor so that the image sensor deforms and adheres to the curved surface.

2 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the image sensor comprises forming an enclosure around the image sensor and pressurizing the enclosure with gas.

3 . The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the gas is a gas selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen and clean dry air (CDA).

4 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the image sensor comprises lowering a bladder into contact with the image sensor and filling the bladder with a fluid.

5 . The method defined in claim 4 , wherein the bladder comprises silicone rubber.

6 . The method defined in claim 4 , wherein the bladder is at least partially surrounded by a rigid peripheral structure.

7 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the image sensor comprises pushing on the surface of the image sensor with a deformable solid.

8 . The method defined in claim 7 , wherein the deformable solid comprises silicone rubber.

9 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the image sensor comprises pushing on the surface of the image sensor with a rigid solid.

10 . The method defined in claim 9 , wherein the rigid solid has a curved surface with curvature that matches curvature of the curved surface of the substrate.

11 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein the rigid solid comprises glass.

12 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the curved surface of the substrate has completely uniform curvature.

13 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the curved surface of the substrate has non-uniform curvature.

14 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.

15 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the image sensor so that the image sensor deforms and adheres to the curved surface comprises applying pressure to the image sensor so that the image sensor has a curved surface with curvature that matches curvature of the curved surface of the substrate.

16 . A method of forming a plurality of curved image sensors, the method comprising:
positioning an image sensor wafer with first and second opposing surfaces above a substrate, wherein the image sensor wafer comprises a plurality of image sensors, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of cavities that are defined by respective curved surfaces, and wherein each image sensor of the plurality of image sensors corresponds to a respective curved surface of the plurality of curved cavities; and applying pressure to the first surface of the image sensor wafer so that the second surface of the image sensor wafer is biased towards the substrate.

17 . The method defined in claim 16 , wherein applying pressure to the first surface of the image sensor wafer comprises lowering a bladder into contact with the image sensor wafer and filling the bladder with a fluid.

18 . The method defined in claim 16 , wherein applying pressure to the first surface of the image sensor wafer comprises forming an enclosure around the image sensor wafer and pressurizing the enclosure with gas.

19 . The method defined in claim 16 , wherein applying pressure to the first surface of the image sensor wafer comprises pushing on the first surface of the image sensor wafer with a deformable solid.

20 . The method defined in claim 16 , wherein applying pressure to the first surface of the image sensor wafer comprises pushing on the first surface of the image sensor wafer with a rigid solid.

21 . The method defined in claim 20 , wherein the rigid solid comprises a plurality of protruding curved portions, wherein each protruding curved portion corresponds to a respective curved surface of the plurality of curved cavities.

22 . The method defined in claim 21 , wherein each protruding curved portion has curvature that matches curvature of each respective curved surface of the plurality of curved cavities.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Components Ind Llc

Inventors

• SULFRIDGE Marc Allen
• Perkins Andrew Eugene
• Lake Rickie Charles
• Stern Jonathan Michael

Classifications

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H10F39/804

  Containers or encapsulations · CPC title

• H10F39/8027

  Geometry of the photosensitive area · CPC title

• H10F39/80 Primary

  Constructional details of image sensors · CPC title