Focus detection apparatus, electronic apparatus, manufacturing apparatus, and manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9467619-B2
Application number	US-201514934915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a focus detection apparatus including: microlenses; light reception units that receive light which is incident through the microlenses; waveguides that cause light, which is incident to the microlenses at a predetermined angle, to be received by the light reception units and that are provided between the microlenses and the light reception units; and a detection unit that detects focusing using output values from the light reception units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a plurality of microlenses;
a plurality of photodiodes that receive light which is incident on the plurality of microlenses; and
a plurality of waveguides disposed between the plurality of microlenses and the plurality of photodiodes, wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is asymmetrically shaped in a cross section view.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes a sloped side wall, and wherein the slope of the side wall is based on a light reception angle.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein two waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are provided over two photodiodes of the plurality of photodiodes, and wherein a light shield film is provided between the two waveguides.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein one of the plurality of microlenses is arranged at locations that are disposed over the two photodiodes.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein an inside and an outside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides are formed of different materials.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5 , wherein the inside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes SiN, and the outside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes SiO.

7. The imaging device according to claim 5 , wherein a difference between a refractive index of the material of the inside and a refractive index of the material of the outside is equal to or greater than 0.2.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of waveguides include reflective plates that reflect light which is incident at or greater than a predetermined angle.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8 , wherein microlenses are arranged above the plurality of waveguides and are configured to have lower lens power than microlenses which are not arranged above the plurality of waveguides.

10. The imaging device according to claim 8 , wherein a difference in refractive indexes of materials which form the reflective plates is equal to or greater than 0.2.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detector that detects focusing using output values from the plurality of photodiodes.

12. A method of manufacturing an imaging device, the method including:
providing a plurality of microlenses;
providing a plurality of photodiodes that receive light which is incident on the plurality of microlenses; and
providing a plurality of waveguides disposed between the plurality of microlenses and the plurality of photodiodes, wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is asymmetrically shaped in a cross section view.

13. An apparatus comprising:
an imaging device including:
a plurality of microlenses,
a plurality of photodiodes that receive light which is incident on the plurality of microlenses, and
a plurality of waveguides disposed between the plurality of microlenses and the plurality of photodiodes, wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is asymmetrically shaped in a cross section view; and

a lens configured to provide incident light onto an imaging surface of the imaging device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein a portion of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes a sloped side wall, and wherein the slope of the side wall is based on a light reception angle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein two waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are provided over two photodiodes of the plurality of photodiodes, and wherein a light shield film is provided between the two waveguides.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of microlenses is arranged at locations that are disposed over the two photodiodes.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein an inside and an outside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides are formed of different materials.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the inside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes SiN, and the outside of each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides includes SiO.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein a difference between a refractive index of the material of the inside and a refractive index of the material of the outside is equal to or greater than 0.2.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a detector that detects focusing using output values from the photodiodes.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kikuchi Koji

Classifications

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• G02B3/0043 Primary

  Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height · CPC title

• H10F39/8067

  Reflectors · CPC title

• H10F39/8063

  Microlenses · CPC title