Image sensor and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023411420-A1
Application number	US-202018031160-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2020
Publication date	Dec 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An imaging element includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and being arranged in a two-dimensional direction; a transparent layer which faces the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups and which extends in the two-dimensional direction as a planar direction; and a plurality of structure groups arranged in a planar direction of the transparent layer so as to correspond to the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups on the transparent layer or inside the transparent layer, wherein each of the plurality of structure groups includes a plurality of structures arranged in a same pattern and is arranged so as to disperse incident light toward each of the photoelectric conversion elements of a corresponding photoelectric conversion element group, and in a plan view, relative positions of the corresponding photoelectric conversion element group and a structure group differ according to two-dimensional positions.

First claim

1 . An imaging element, comprising:
a plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and being arranged in a two-dimensional direction; a transparent layer which faces the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups and which extends in the two-dimensional direction as a planar direction; and a plurality of structure groups arranged in a planar direction of the transparent layer so as to correspond to the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups on the transparent layer or inside the transparent layer, wherein each of the plurality of structure groups includes a plurality of structures arranged in a same pattern and is arranged so as to disperse incident light toward each of the photoelectric conversion elements of a corresponding photoelectric conversion element group, and in a plan view, relative positions of the corresponding photoelectric conversion element group and a structure group differ according to two-dimensional positions.

2 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein
when the relative positions in a two-dimensional central portion are used as a benchmark, the relative positions deviate more toward a two-dimensional outer peripheral portion.

3 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of structures are columnar structures having a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of portions between the plurality of structures, in a plan view, at least some structures among the plurality of structures have widths that differ from each other, and in a side view, the plurality of structures have a same height.

4 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of structures are columnar structures having a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of portions between the plurality of structures, wherein at least some structures among the plurality of structures have different refractive indices from each other, and in a side view, the plurality of structures have a same height.

5 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , including:
a plurality of lenses each provided corresponding to each of the plurality of structure groups, wherein in a plan view, relative positions of a corresponding structure group and the lens differ according to two-dimensional positions.

6 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , including:
a plurality of lenses each provided corresponding to each of the plurality of structure groups and having a shape according to the two-dimensional positions.

7 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , including:
a plurality of diffraction gratings which are periodically provided so as to cover at least a part of the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups and which have an effective refractive index with a magnitude which differs from that of a refractive index of the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups.

8 . The imaging element according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of diffraction gratings do not cover a specific photoelectric conversion element among a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups and causes the specific photoelectric conversion element to be exposed, and the imaging element includes a film which is provided so as to cover the exposed photoelectric conversion element in a gapless manner and which has a refractive index with a magnitude which differs from that of a refractive index of the plurality of photoelectric conversion element groups.

9 . An imaging apparatus, comprising:
the imaging element according to claim 1 ; and a signal processing unit, including one or more processors, configured to generate an image signal based on an electric signal obtained from the imaging element.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Miyata Masashi
• Nemoto Naru
• Nakajima Mitsumasa
• Hashimoto Toshikazu

Classifications

• H10F39/182

  Colour image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/18

  Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/8067

  Reflectors · CPC title

• H10F39/8063 Primary

  Microlenses · CPC title

• H10F39/805

  Coatings · CPC title