Image sensor and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9906706-B2
Application number	US-201514757475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides an image sensor, including: a sensor array layer including a plurality of normal sensor units and a pair of autofocus sensor units; a plurality of color filter units disposed on the sensor array layer to cover the plurality of normal sensor units; a pair of IR-pass filter units disposed on the sensor array layer to respectively cover the pair of autofocus sensor units; a micro-lens layer including a plurality of micro-lenses disposed on the color filter units and the IR-pass filter units, wherein one of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a first side, and the other of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a second side opposite to the first side to perform a phase detection autofocus function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor, comprising:
a sensor array layer comprising a plurality of normal sensor units and a pair of autofocus sensor units;
a plurality of color filter units disposed on the sensor array layer to cover the plurality of normal sensor units;
an IR-pass filter unit disposed on the sensor array layer to cover the pair of autofocus sensor units;
a micro-lens layer comprising a plurality of micro-lenses disposed on the color filter units and the IR-pass filter unit,
wherein one of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a first side, and the other of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a second side opposite to the first side to perform a phase detection autofocus function,
wherein the one of the pair of autofocus sensor units is adjacent to the other of the pair of autofocus sensor units, and
wherein the plurality of micro-lenses comprise a plurality of first micro-lenses and a second micro-lens, wherein any of the plurality of first micro-lenses is disposed on one of the plurality of the color filter units to cover one of the plurality of normal sensor units, and the second micro-lens is disposed on the IR-pass filter unit to cover the pair of autofocus sensor units.

2. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of IR-pass filter units is divided into two halves, wherein one half is filled with an opaque material and the other half is filled with an IR-pass material.

3. The image sensor as claimed in claim 2 , wherein in the one of the pair of IR-pass filter units, the opaque material is located at the second side, and the IR-pass material is located at the first side, and
in the other of the pair of IR-pass filter units, the opaque material is located at the first side, and the IR-pass material is located at the second side.

4. The image sensor as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the opaque material is metal.

5. The image sensor as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the IR-pass material allows light with wavelengths longer than 800 nm or 900 nm to pass through.

6. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two adjacent autofocus sensor units, the IR-pass filter unit, and the second micro-lens compose a first phase detection autofocus set;
the two adjacent autofocus sensor units of the first phase detection autofocus set is arranged along the row direction; and
the image sensor further comprises a second phase detection autofocus set having the same components as the first phase detection autofocus set, but two adjacent autofocus sensor units of the second phase detection autofocus set is arranged along the column direction.

7. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the IR-pass filter unit allows light with wavelengths longer than 800 nm or 900 nm to pass through.

8. An imaging device, comprising:
an image sensor, comprising:
a sensor array layer comprising a plurality of normal sensor units and a pair of autofocus sensor units;
a plurality of color filter units disposed on the sensor array layer to cover the plurality of normal sensor units;
a IR-pass filter unit disposed on the sensor array layer to cover the pair of autofocus sensor units;
a micro-lens layer comprising a plurality of micro-lenses disposed on the color filter units and the IR-pass filter unit,
wherein one of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a first side, and the other of the pair of autofocus sensor units detects infrared light came from a second side opposite to the first side to perform a phase detection autofocus function;
a lens group disposed above the image sensor; and
a dual band pass filter disposed above the lens group or between the lens group and the image sensor,
wherein the dual band pass filter allows visible light and infrared light within a predetermined main wavelength to pass through,
wherein the one of the pair of autofocus sensor units is adjacent to the other of the pair of autofocus sensor units, and
wherein the plurality of micro-lenses comprise a plurality of first micro-lenses and a second micro-lens, wherein any of the plurality of first micro-lenses is disposed on one of the plurality of the color filter units to cover one of the plurality of normal sensor units, and the second micro-lens is disposed on the IR-pass filter unit to cover the pair of autofocus sensor units.

9. The imaging device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each of the pair of IR-pass filter units is divided into two halves, wherein one half is filled with an opaque material and the other half is filled with an IR-pass material.

10. The imaging device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein in the one of the pair of IR-pass filter units, the opaque material is located at the second side, and the IR-pass material is located at the first side, and
in the other of the pair of IR-pass filter units, the opaque material is located at the first side, and the IR-pass material is located at the second side.

11. The imaging device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the two adjacent autofocus sensor units, the IR-pass filter unit, and the second micro-lens compose a first phase detection autofocus set;
the two adjacent autofocus sensor units of the first phase detection autofocus set is arranged along the row direction; and
the image sensor further comprises a second phase detection autofocus set having the same components as the first phase detection autofocus set, but two adjacent autofocus sensor units of the second phase detection autofocus set is arranged along the column direction.

12. The imaging device as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
a Notch infrared filter pattern inserted between the plurality of color filter units and the plurality of micro-lenses or between the plurality of color filter units and the plurality of normal sensor units,
wherein the Notch infrared filter pattern blocks the infrared light with the main wavelength from reaching the plurality of normal sensor units.

13. The imaging device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
an assistant infrared light source irradiating the infrared light with the main wavelength.

14. The imaging device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the predetermined main wavelength is 850 nm, and the passband of the infrared light is 840˜860 nm.

15. The imaging device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the predetermined main wavelength is 940 nm, and the passband of the infrared light is 930˜950 nm.

Assignees

• Visera Technologies Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Wei Ko

Classifications

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/133

  including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N25/135

  based on four or more different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• G02B5/201

  in the form of arrays · CPC title