| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080230861 | CMOS front end process compatible low stress light shield - An improved imaging device having a pixel arrangement featuring a multilayer light shield. The multilayer light shield includes stacked layers of light-shielding and light-transparent material. The light-transparent material, such as a dielectric, is selected to have a stress, such as a tensile stress, that offsets the stress, such as a compressive stress, of the light shielding material. Without the stress offset, the high compressive stress of the refractory metal could damage the integrity of the nearby silicon. The refractory metal is capable of withstanding the high temperatures associated with front end CMOS processing. The laminate structure allows the light shield to be placed close to the pixel surface. The light-transparent material has a thickness equal to about one-quarter wavelength of the light to be blocked, to act as an anti-reflective coating. An aperture in the light shield exposes the active region of the pixel's photoconversion device. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080237443 | Microelectronic imagers with curved image sensors and methods for manufacturing microelectronic imagers - Microelectronic imagers with curved image sensors and methods for manufacturing curved image sensors. In one embodiment, a microelectronic imager device comprises an imager die having a substrate, a curved microelectronic image sensor having a face with a convex and/or concave portion at one side of the substrate, and integrated circuitry in the substrate operatively coupled to the image sensor. The imager die can further include external contacts electrically coupled to the integrated circuitry and a cover over the curved image sensor. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080278820 | TETRAFORM MICROLENSES AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME - A lens is formed to support and tilt at least one microlens formed on the lens. The degree and direction of slope of the microlens can be controlled based on desired focal characteristics to direct light to or from a pixel of a pixel array. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20090109541 | PROCESS FOR CREATING TITLED MICROLENS - A microlens structure that includes a wedge formed to support and tilt the microlens is disclosed. The wedge results from heating a layer of patterned flowable material. The degree and direction of incline given to the wedge can be controlled in part by the type of patterning that is performed. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090256228 | MICRO-LENSES FOR CMOS IMAGERS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MICRO-LENSES - A micro-lens and a method for forming the micro-lens is provided. A micro-lens includes a substrate and lens material located within the substrate, the substrate having a recessed area serving as a mold for the lens material. The recessed can be shaped such that the lens material corrects for optical aberrations. The micro-lens can be part of a micro-lens array. The recessed area can serve as a mold for lens material for the micro-lens array and can be shaped such that the micro-lens array includes arcuate, non-spherical, or non-symmetrical micro-lenses. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090315201 | METHOD OF FORMING MICRO-LENSES - A method of fabricating micro-lenses is provided. A first layer is formed on a substrate. The first layer is comprised of a first material and the substrate is comprised of a second material. An opening is formed in the first layer and an etchant is provided in the opening to etch both the substrate and the first layer to form a first mold for a first micro-lens. The etchant etches the first layer at a different rate than the substrate. A lens material is added to the etched molds to form micro-lenses. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100255190 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING REFRACTIVE INDEX STRUCTURE FOR A DEVICE CAPTURING OR DISPLAYING IMAGES - A transient index stack having an intermediate transient index layer, for use in an imaging device or a display device, that reduces reflection between layers having different refractive indexes by making a gradual transition from one refractive index to another. Other embodiments include a pixel array in an imaging or display device, an imager system having improved optical characteristics for reception of light by photosensors and a display system having improved optical characteristics for transmission of light by photoemitters. Enhanced reception of light is achieved by reducing reflection between a photolayer, for example, a photosensor or photoemitter, and surrounding media by introducing an intermediate layer with a transient refractive index between the photolayer and surrounding media such that more photons reach the photolayer. The surrounding media can include a protective layer of optically transparent media. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20110180695 | LAYERED LENS STRUCTURES AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION - A microlens structure includes lower lens layers on a substrate. A sputtered layer of glass, such as silicon oxide, is applied over the lower lens layers at an angle away from normal to form upper lens layers that increase the effective focal length of the microlens structure. The upper lens layers can be deposited in an aspherical shape with radii of curvature longer than the lower lens layers. As a result, small microlenses can be provided with longer focal length. The microlenses are arranged in arrays for use in imaging devices. | 07-28-2011 |
