Eastman-kodak Company

Michael John Hanrahan

Gilbert Allan Hawkins

David L Losee

Robert Leroy Nielsen

Sharlene A Wilson

Eric T Prince

An image sensor which includes an integral color filter array and a method of making such sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having an overlying support layer with an optically planar surface, a plurality of spaced image pixels formed in the substrate; and an array of contiguous color filter elements overlying the planar surface whose top surfaces are coplanar and which have no overlap of color filter material between adjacent color filter elements.

Method of making a planar color filter array for CCDS from dyed and

Planar color filter array for CCDs from dyed and mordant layers

A method of patterning a multilayer, dielectric color filter is described. The method includes depositing a multilayer, dielectric color filter on a substrate having top, bottom and multiple intermediate layers; and applying a patternable mask onto the top layer to provide selected openings through the mask. The method further includes removing the top layer through the selected openings in the patterned mask using a first dry etch, the patterned mask and the multiple intermediate layers of the filter being resistant to this first dry etch, to provide openings to the multiple intermediate layers of the filter. It is a feature of the invention to remove the patterned mask using a second dry etch, the top layer and multiple intermediate layers of the filter being resistant to this second dry etch; and to remove through the openings in the top layer the multiple intermediate layers of the filter, down to the bottom layer, using a third dry etch, the top layer and bottom layer being resistant to this third dry etch.

Method for patterning multilayer dielectric color filter

A lithographic patterning process which produces a lift-off structure uses two separate layers, the bottom being deep ultraviolet patternable and the top being patternable at an appropriate wavelength other than deep ultraviolet and having low optical transmission properties at the wavelength used in a deep ultraviolet exposure step and characterized by decreased solubility and/or increased crosslink density after such deep ultraviolet exposure.

Growing community of inventors

Hilton, NY, United States of America

Michael John Hanrahan