Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Other

Zhiqiang Lin

Duli Mao

Gang Chen

Dyson Hsinchih Tai

Bill Phan

Alireza Bonakdar

Keiji Mabuchi

Chen-Wei Lu

Oray Orkun Cellek

Cheng Zhao

Sohei Manabe

Dajiang Yang

Chengming Liu

Cunyu Yang

Boyd Fowler

Hui Zang

Johannes Solhusvik

Lindsay Alexander Grant

Seong Yeol Mun

Sing-Chung Hu

Trygve Willassen

Chao Niu

Philip John Cizdziel

Yifei Du

Yin Qian

Vincent Venezia

Hsin-Chih Tai

Ming Zhang

Rongsheng Yang

Chih-Wei Hsiung

Yuanwei Zheng

Yuanliang Liu

Kevin W Johnson

Xianmin Yi

Chia-Chun Miao

Woon Il Choi

Dyson Hsin-Chih Tai

Bowei Zhang

Badrinath Padmanabhan

Young Woo Jung

Libo Weng

Siguang Ma

Ping-Hsu Chen

Eric Webster

Sang Joo Lee

Lingtao Jiang

Jens Landgraf

Jingming Yao

A pixel array includes 2×2 groupings of photodiodes to generate image charge in response to incident light directed through a back side of the semiconductor layer. A Quad Bayer filter is disposed over the back side of the semiconductor layer over the 2×2 groupings of photodiodes. Each color filter of the Quad Bayer CFA is disposed over a respective one of the plurality of 2×2 groupings of photodiodes. Trench balance structures are disposed in the semiconductor layer. Each of the trench balance structures is disposed in the semiconductor layer between one of the photodiodes and a respective one of the red color filters of the Quad Bayer filter. None of the trench balance structures are disposed between any of the photodiodes and respective green color filters or blue color filters of the Quad Bayer filter.

Trench balance structure pattern in red photodiodes of a pixel array with quad bayer color filter

CMOS image sensor with multiple sensitivities for high dynamic range imaging and LED flicker mitigation. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array that is disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel includes a plurality of cells. A plurality of color filters is disposed over corresponding plurality of cells. The plurality of color filters corresponding to the plurality of cells of an individual pixel have more than one filtering strength for each color of the plurality of color filters.

CMOS image sensor with multiple sensitivities for high dynamic range imaging and led flicker mitigation

Electrical Phase Detection Auto Focus. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array disposed in a semiconductor material. Each pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes configured to receive incoming light through an illuminated surface of the semiconductor material. The plurality of pixels includes at least one autofocusing phase detection (PDAF) pixel having: a first subpixel without a light shielding, and a second subpixel without the light shielding. Autofocusing of the image sensor is at least in part determined based on different electrical outputs of the first subpixel and the second sub pixels.

Electrical phase detection auto focus

A dark-current-inhibiting image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a thin and a thin junction. The semiconductor substrate includes a front surface, a back surface opposite the front surface, a photodiode, and a concave surface between the front surface and the back surface. The concave surface extends from the back surface toward the front surface, and defines a trench that surrounds the photodiode in a cross-sectional plane parallel to the back surface. The thin junction extends from the concave surface into the semiconductor substrate, and is a region of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first substrate region, located between the thin junction and the photodiode, that has a first conductive type. The photodiode and the thin junction have a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type.

Dark-current inhibiting image sensor and method

A pixel circuit includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. A floating diffusion is coupled to receive the image charge from the photodiode. A transfer transistor is coupled between the photodiode and the floating diffusion. The transfer transistor is configured to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion. A reset transistor is coupled between a reset voltage and the floating diffusion. A lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) network is coupled between the reset transistor and a bias voltage source. The LOFIC network includes a main LOFIC coupled between the reset transistor and the bias voltage source, and a plurality of subordinate capacitor-switch pairs, each including a subordinate LOFIC and a switch transistor coupled to the subordinate LOFIC. Each of the plurality of subordinate capacitor-switch pairs is coupled between the reset transistor and the bias voltage source.

LOFIC circuit for in pixel metal-insulator-metal(MIM) capacitor lag correction and associated correction methods

A light-trapping image sensor includes a pixel array and a lens array. The pixel array is formed in and on a semiconductor substrate and including photosensitive pixels each including a reflective material forming a cavity around a portion of semiconductor material to at least partly trap light that has entered the cavity. The cavity has a ceiling at a light-receiving surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the ceiling forms an aperture for receiving the light into the cavity. The lens array is disposed on the pixel array. Each lens of the lens array is aligned to the aperture of a respective cavity to focus the light into the cavity through the aperture.

Light-trapping image sensors

CMOS image sensor with LED flickering reduction and low color cross-talk are disclosed. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array that is disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel includes a plurality of large subpixels (LPDs) and at least one small subpixel (SPD). A plurality of color filters are disposed over individual subpixels. Each individual SPD is laterally adjacent to at least one other SPD.

CMOS image sensor with LED flickering reduction and low color cross-talk

A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed proximate to a front side of a semiconductor layer to generate image charge in response to incident light directed through a backside of the semiconductor layer. A cell deep trench isolation (CDTI) structure is disposed along an optical path of the incident light to the photodiode and proximate to the backside of the semiconductor layer. The CDTI structure includes a plurality of portions arranged in the semiconductor layer. Each of the plurality of portions extends a respective depth from the backside towards the front side of the semiconductor layer. The respective depth of each of the plurality of portions is different than a respective depth of a neighboring one of the plurality of portions. Each of the plurality of portions is laterally separated and spaced apart from said neighboring one of the plurality of portions in the semiconductor layer.

Cell deep trench isolation pyramid structures for CMOS image sensors

A flare-suppressing image sensor includes a first pixel formed in a substrate and a refractive element located above the first pixel. The refractive element has, with respect to a top surface of the substrate, a height profile having at least two one-dimensional local maxima in each of a first cross-sectional plane and a second cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the first cross-sectional plane. Each of the first and second cross-sectional planes is perpendicular to the top surface and intersects the first pixel.

Flare-suppressing image sensor

An image sensor with quantum efficiency enhanced by inverted pyramids includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of microlenses. The semiconductor substrate includes an array of pixels. Each of the pixels is configured to convert light incident on the pixel to an electrical output signal, the semiconductor substrate having a top surface for receiving the light. The top surface forms a plurality of inverted pyramids in each pixel. The plurality of microlenses are disposed above the top surface and aligned to the plurality of inverted pyramids, respectively.

Image sensors with quantum efficiency enhanced by inverted pyramids

An image sensor includes a substrate material, an array of the color filters, an array of waveguides and spacers. The substrate material includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed therein. The array of color filters are disposed over the substrate material. The array of waveguides are disposed over the substrate material. The buffer layer is disposed between the substrate material and the arrays of color filters and waveguides. The spacers are disposed between the color filters in the array of color filters. The spacers are disposed between the waveguides in the array of waveguides. Incident light is adapted to be confined between the spacers. The incident light is adapted to be directed through one of the waveguides and through one of the color filters prior to being directed through the buffer layer into one of the photodiodes in the substrate material.

Image sensor with reduced petal flare

A sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to receive light and convert the light into charge, and a first floating diffusion coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge, and a first transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the second floating diffusion, and an inductor is coupled between a first gate terminal of the first transfer transistor and a second gate terminal of the second transfer transistor. The inductor, the first gate terminal, and the second gate terminal form a resonant circuit.

Sensor comprising gate modulation with inductor to form a resonant circuit

An image sensor includes a two-dimensional photodiode-array formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first waveguide, and a first color filter. The first waveguide is aligned to a first photodiode of the photodiode-array, located above a top substrate surface of the semiconductor substrate. A first core of the first waveguide has a first core width that is less than a pitch of the photodiode-array in a first direction and a second direction corresponding to respective orthogonal dimensions of the photodiode-array. The first color filter is on a top waveguide surface of the first waveguide and has a first non-uniform thickness above the first core. The first waveguide is between the top substrate surface and the first color filter.

Image sensor with micro-structured color filter

Light control for improved near infrared sensitivity and channel separation for an image sensor. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes: a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array; and a light filter layer having a plurality of light filters configured over the plurality of photodiodes. The light filter layer has a first side facing the plurality of photodiodes and a second side facing away from the first side. The image sensor also includes a color filter layer having a plurality of color filters configured over the plurality of photodiodes. The color filter layer has a first surface facing the second side of the light filter layer and a second surface facing away from the first layer. Individual micro-lenses are configured to direct incoming light through corresponding light filter and color filter onto the respective photodiode.

Light control for improved near infrared sensitivity and channel separation

A liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) panel comprises: a silicon substrate having silicon circuit within the silicon substrate; a plurality of metal electrodes disposed on the silicon substrate, where the plurality of metal electrodes are periodically formed on the silicon substrate; a dielectric material disposed in and filling gaps between adjacent metal electrodes; and an oxide layer disposed on the plurality of metal electrodes and the dielectric material in the gaps between adjacent metal electrodes; where the refractive index of the dielectric material is higher than the refractive index of the oxide layer.

Liquid crystal on silicon panel having less diffraction

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Zhiqiang Lin