Electronic device including optical image sensor having metallization layers and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018356915-A1
Application number	US-201815987543-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device may include an optical image sensor that includes optical image sensing circuitry and metallization layers above the optical image sensing circuitry. Each layer may have at least one light transmissive collimation opening therein aligned with the optical image sensing circuitry. The electronic device may also include a light source layer above the optical image sensor and a transparent cover layer above the light source layer defining a finger placement surface configured to receive a finger adjacent thereto.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
an optical image sensor comprising
optical image sensing circuitry, and
a plurality of metallization layers above the optical image sensing circuitry, each layer having at least one light transmissive collimation opening therein aligned with the optical image sensing circuitry;
a light source layer adjacent the optical image sensor; and a transparent cover layer above the light source layer defining a finger placement surface configured to receive a finger adjacent thereto.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of light transmissive collimation openings has a cylindrical shape.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of light transmissive collimation openings has a frusto-conical shape.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the optical image sensor further comprises a passivation layer above the plurality of metallization layers.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the optical image sensor further comprises a plurality of inter-level dielectric layers respectively carrying each of the plurality of metallization layers.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the optical image sensing circuitry comprises an array of photodiodes and readout circuitry coupled thereto.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the light source layer comprises a plurality of spaced apart light emitting diodes.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the light source layer comprises a display layer comprising a plurality of spaced apart display pixels.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an optically transparent adhesive layer between the light source layer and the optical image sensor.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an optically transparent adhesive layer between the transparent cover layer and the light source layer.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
an optical image sensor comprising
optical image sensing circuitry comprising an array of photodiodes and a readout circuitry coupled thereto, and
a plurality of metallization layers above the optical image sensing circuitry, each layer having at least one light transmissive collimation opening therein aligned with the optical image sensing circuitry, the plurality of light transmissive collimation openings having a cylindrical shape;
a light source layer adjacent the optical image sensor; and a transparent cover layer above the light source layer defining a finger placement surface configured to receive a finger adjacent thereto.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the optical image sensor further comprises a passivation layer above the plurality of metallization layers.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the optical image sensor further comprises a plurality of inter-level dielectric layers respectively carrying each of the plurality of metallization layers.

14 . The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising an optically transparent adhesive layer between the light source layer and the optical image sensor.

15 . The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising an optically transparent adhesive layer between the transparent cover layer and the light source layer.

16 . A method for making an electronic device comprising:
forming an optical image sensor comprising optical image sensing circuitry, and a plurality of metallization layers above the optical image sensing circuitry, each layer formed to have at least one light transmissive collimation opening therein aligned with the optical image sensing circuitry; positioning a light source layer adjacent the optical image sensor; and positioning a transparent cover layer above the light source layer to define a finger placement surface configured to receive a finger adjacent thereto.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of light transmissive collimation openings are formed to have a cylindrical shape.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of light transmissive collimation openings are formed to have a frusto-conical shape.

19 . The method of claim 16 wherein forming the optical image sensor further comprises forming a passivation layer above the plurality of metallization layers.

20 . The method of claim 16 wherein forming the optical image sensor further comprises forming a plurality of inter-level dielectric layers respectively carrying each of the plurality of metallization layers.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• YEKE YAZDANDOOST Mohammad
• Gozzini Giovanni

Classifications

• G06K9/00087

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/042 Primary

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06V40/1318

  using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing · CPC title

• G06V40/1365

  Matching; Classification · CPC title