Solid-state imaging device, method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9960202-B2
Application number	US-201615370778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of pixels and a plurality of on-chip lenses. The plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern. Each of the pixels has a photoelectric conversion portion configured to photoelectrically convert light incident from a rear surface side of a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of on-chip lenses are arranged for every other pixel. The on-chip lenses are larger in size than the pixels. Each of color filters at the pixels where the on-chip lenses are present has a cross-sectional shape whose upper side close to the on-chip lens is the same in width as the on-chip lens and whose lower side close to the photoelectric conversion portion is shorter than the upper side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix pattern, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit formed in the semiconductor substrate,
wherein the pixels include:
first pixels of a first sensitivity type and a first color;
second pixels of the first sensitivity type and a second color;
third pixels of a second sensitivity type and the first color, wherein each of the third pixels is adjacent at least one of the first pixels; and
fourth pixels of the second sensitivity type and the second color, wherein each of the fourth pixels is adjacent at least one of the second pixels.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and third pixels are disposed along lines extending in a first direction and containing only pixels of the first color.

3. The imaging device of claim 2 , wherein each of the second and fourth pixels are disposed along lines extending in the first direction that include pixels of the first color and pixels of the second color.

4. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each second pixel and each fourth pixel is adjacent a plurality of pixels of the first color.

5. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each first pixel within a line extending in the first direction is adjacent a third pixel within the line.

6. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the first color is white.

7. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the second color is red.

8. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the pixels further include:
fifth pixels of the first sensitivity type and a third color; and
sixth pixels of the second sensitivity type and the third color, wherein each of the sixth pixels is adjacent at least one of the fifth pixels.

9. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein each of the first and third pixels are disposed along lines extending in a first direction and containing only pixels of the first color.

10. The imaging device of claim 9 , wherein each of the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth pixels are disposed along lines extending in the first direction that includes pixels of the second color and pixels of the third color.

11. The imaging device of claim 10 , wherein each line of pixels extending in the first direction that contains only pixels of the first color is adjacent a line of pixels extending in the first direction that contains pixels of the first and second colors.

12. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the first color is white.

13. The imaging device of claim 12 , wherein the second color is red, and wherein the third color is blue.

14. The imaging device of claim 12 , wherein the second color is red, and wherein the third color is green.

15. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the first color is green.

16. The imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the second color is red, and wherein the third color is blue.

17. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein a pixel of the first sensitivity type and a selected color has a higher sensitivity than a pixel of the second sensitivity type and the selected color.

18. The imaging device of claim 17 , wherein the pixels of the first sensitivity type are alternated with the pixels of the second sensitivity type to form a checkered pattern.

19. The imaging device of claim 17 , further comprising:
light shielding walls forming openings corresponding to pixels, wherein the openings corresponding to pixels of the first sensitivity type are larger than the openings corresponding to pixels of the second sensitivity type.

20. The imaging device of claim 19 , further comprising:
on-chip lenses, wherein on-chip lenses are provided only for the pixels of the first sensitivity type.

21. The imaging device of claim 19 , wherein the photoelectric conversion units of the pixels are a same size.

22. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an optical unit;
an imaging device, wherein the imaging device receives light captured by the optical unit, the imaging device including:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix pattern, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit formed in the semiconductor substrate,
wherein the pixels include:

first pixels of a first sensitivity type and a first color;
second pixels of the first sensitivity type and a second color;
third pixels of a second sensitivity type and the first color, wherein each of the third pixels is adjacent at least one of the first pixels; and
fourth pixels of the second sensitivity type and the second color, wherein each of the fourth pixels is adjacent at least one of the second pixels; and

a digital signal processing circuit that receives and processes signals provided from the imaging device.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Suzuki Rena
• Tojinbara Hiroki
• Yoshita Ryoto
• Ueda Yoichi

Classifications

• H04N25/133

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

• H04N25/135

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

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H01L27/14621

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/374

  Electricity · mapped topic