The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 24, 2018

Filed:

Jul. 20, 2016
Applicant:

Omnivision Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Inventors:

Dajiang Yang, San Jose, CA (US);

Gang Chen, San Jose, CA (US);

Oray Orkun Cellek, Santa Cruz, CA (US);

Xin Wang, San Jose, CA (US);

Chen-Wei Lu, San Jose, CA (US);

Duli Mao, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Dyson H. Tai, San Jose, CA (US);

Assignee:

OmniVision Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 5/355 (2011.01); H04N 9/04 (2006.01); H04N 5/378 (2011.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 5/35563 (2013.01); H01L 27/14609 (2013.01); H01L 27/14621 (2013.01); H01L 27/14627 (2013.01); H01L 27/14643 (2013.01); H04N 5/378 (2013.01); H04N 9/045 (2013.01);
Abstract

An image sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors that are identically sized and fabricated in semiconductor material with identical semiconductor processing conditions. The photodetectors are organized into virtual high-low sensitivity groupings, each including a first photodetector and a second photodetector. A plurality of attenuators is disposed over the semiconductor material. Each one of the plurality of attenuators is disposed along an optical path between a microlens and the first photodetector of each virtual high-low sensitivity grouping such that all incident light directed into the first photodetector is directed through a respective one of the plurality of attenuators. There is no attenuator along a second optical path between a microlens and the second photodetector of each virtual high-low sensitivity grouping such that all the incident light directed into the second photodetector is not directed through one of the plurality of attenuators.


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