Image acquisition system and method for the manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742968-B2
Application number	US-29506307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2007
Priority date	Mar 28, 2006
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An image acquisition system, in particular for automotive applications, includes: a substrate; an image sensor mounted on the substrate and contacted via contact points; an optically transparent sealing compound that covers the image sensor, the contact points, and a portion of the upper substrate side; an optical device being arranged or secured in or on the sealing compound. The optical device can be placed into the sealing compound after shaping of the sealing compound or directly. Furthermore, the optical device can also be arranged directly by shaping the sealing compound. Manufacture of the image acquisition system can be incorporated into a board populating process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image acquisition system, comprising:
a substrate;
an image sensor mounted on the substrate and contacted via contact points;
an uncovered, optically transparent sealing compound that covers the image sensor, the contact points, and a portion of an upper substrate side, wherein:
the sealing compound includes an uneven outer surface in the shape of a receiving depression, and
the receiving depression is directly above the image sensor; and

an optical device secured in the receiving depression of the uncovered optically transparent sealing compound,
wherein the optical device is pressed into the sealing compound and positively held thereby so that light that impinges on the image sensor in a direction perpendicular to a light receiving surface of the image sensor first travels through the optical device in the receiving depression and through the sealing compound prior to impinging on the image sensor.

2. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition system is adapted for an automobile application.

3. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device includes at least one of (a) a lens element and (b) a lens element system.

4. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device is adapted to focus incident light onto the image sensor.

5. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device is adhesively bonded to the receiving depression of the sealing compound.

6. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is completely encapsulated on the substrate.

7. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing compound is delimited by at least one delimiter mounted on the substrate.

8. A method for manufacturing an image acquisition system, comprising:
securing and contacting at least one image sensor on a substrate;
applying an uncovered optically transparent sealing compound onto the substrate such that it covers the image sensor and its contact points;
pressing an optical device into an uneven outer surface of the uncovered, optically transparent sealing compound that is in the shape of a receiving depression, so that light that impinges on the image sensor in a direction perpendicular to a light receiving surface of the image sensor first travels through the optical device in the receiving depression and through the sealing compound prior to impinging on the image sensor.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the receiving depression is formed by impression by a punch in the sealing compound while the sealing compound is uncured.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the optical device is pressed into an as-yet-uncured sealing compound.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of (a) the arranging and (b) the mounting of the optical device includes a populating method for populating the substrate.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein real-time focusing of the image sensor is accomplished in the populating method.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein upon at least one of (a) adhesive bonding and (b) placement into the sealing compound, the optical device is held, until at least one of (a) an adhesive material and (b) the sealing compound that immobilizes it has cured, in a best-focus position in which an image plane is located on the image sensor.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein during a curing operation of at least one of (a) the adhesive material and (b) the sealing compound, at least one of (a) light and (b) radiation is radiated along an optical axis onto the optical device, and a measured signal of the image sensor is evaluated, the position of the optical device being modified as applicable.

15. The image acquisition system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one of (a) the lens element and (b) the lens element system includes at least one of (i) a convex lens element, (ii) a biconvex lens element, and (iii) multiple lens elements connected to one another.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the curing operation of at least one of (a) the adhesive material and (b) the sealing compound is performed by applying UV radiation.

17. The image acquisition system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one delimiter includes an at least one stop edge.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the curing operation of at least one of (a) the adhesive material and (b) the sealing compound is performed by applying UV radiation.

19. The image acquisition system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one delimiter includes an at least one stop edge.

20. The image acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein a clearance is present between a surface of the receiving depression and a surface of the optical device.

21. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising providing a clearance between a surface of the receiving depression and a surface of the optical device.

Assignees

• Seger Ulrich
• Franz Gerald
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Seger Ulrich
• Franz Gerald

Classifications

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• H10W72/884

  Die-attach connectors and bond wires · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N5/2254 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic