Image sensor and electronic apparatus including the image sensor
An image sensor includes a sensor substrate including a plurality of pixels sensing incident light, a nano-optical micro-lens array including a plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses respectively corresponding to the plurality of pixels, and a color filter array disposed between the sensor substrate and the nano-optical micro-lens array and including a plurality of color filters. Each of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses includes a plurality of nanostructures to condense the incident light onto a corresponding pixel, and when viewed in a cross-section of the nano-optical micro-lens array, a fill factor denotes a ratio of an area of the nanostructures arranged within a reference circle among the plurality of nanostructures included in one of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses, and the reference has a pixel size corresponding to the one nano-optical micro-lens as a diameter, the fill factor is greater than or equal to 95%.
1 . An image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of pixels configured to sense incident light;
a nano-optical micro-lens array comprising a plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses respectively corresponding to the plurality of pixels; and
a color filter array disposed between the sensor substrate and the nano-optical micro-lens array and comprising a plurality of color filters,
wherein each of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses comprises a plurality of nanostructures to condense the incident light onto a corresponding pixel, and
when viewed in a cross-section of the nano-optical micro-lens array, a fill factor denotes a ratio of an area of the nanostructures arranged within a reference circle among the plurality of nanostructures included in one of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses, and the reference circle has a pixel size corresponding to the one nano-optical micro-lens as a diameter, the fill factor is greater than or equal to 95%,
wherein
the plurality of nanostructures are arranged on a two-dimensional plane that is perpendicular to a direction in which the sensor substrate, the color filter, and the nano-optical micro-lens array are arranged, and
when positions at which the plurality of nanostructures are arranged in a form of an N×N matrix on the two-dimensional plane, the nanostructures are absent from one or more positions among four positions of (1, 1), (1, N), (N, 1), and (N, N),
wherein N is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3.
2 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein, among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses, the fill factor of the nano-optical micro-lens located at a centralmost point of the nano-optical micro-lens array is 100%.
3 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises four light photosensitive cells in a 2×2 arrangement.
4 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses, the plurality of nanostructures included in the nano-optical micro-lens located at a center of the nano-optical micro-lens array are absent from the four positions of (1, 1), (1, N), (N, 1), and (N, N) of the N×N matrix and occupy remaining N 2 −4 positions.
5 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
the plurality of nanostructures included in one nano-optical micro-lens located at the periphery are arranged in an order of increasing size toward the center in one row or one column.
6 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses belonging to the periphery, in two nano-optical micro-lenses having different azimuth angles defined in the two-dimensional plane, positions at which the nanostructures are absent differ among the four positions of (1, 1), (1, N), (N, 1), and (N, N).
7 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses belonging to the periphery, in the nano-optical micro-lens having an azimuth angle of 0 degree defined in the two-dimensional plane, the nanostructures are absent from the positions (1, N) and (N, N).
8 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses belonging to the periphery, in the nano-optical micro-lens having an azimuth angle of 90 degrees defined in the two-dimensional plane, the nanostructures are absent from the positions of (1, 1) and (1, N).
9 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses belonging to the periphery, in the nano-optical micro-lens having an azimuth angle of 180 degrees defined in the two-dimensional plane, the nanostructures are absent from the positions of (1, 1) and (N, 1).
10 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array,
among the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses belonging to the periphery, in the nano-optical micro-lens having an azimuth angle of 270 degrees defined in the two-dimensional plane, the nanostructures are absent from the positions of (N, 1) and (N, N).
11 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein,
when the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses are divided into a center and a periphery according to relative positions within the nano-optical micro-lens array, the fill factor of the nano-optical micro-lens at the center is greater than the fill factor of the nano-optical micro-lens at the periphery.
12 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nano-optical micro lenses comprise
a first nano-optical micro-lens facing a green filter;
a second nano-optical micro-lens facing a blue filter; and
a third nano-optical micro-lens facing a red filter.
13 . The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein a fill factor of the second nano-optical micro-lens is less than a fill factor of the first nano-optical micro-lens or the third nano-optical micro-lens.
14 . The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein a number of nanostructures included in the second nano-optical micro-lens is greater than a number of nanostructures included in the first nano-optical micro-lens or the third nano-optical micro-lens.
15 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of pixels comprise first to fourth pixel groups adjacent in a 2×2 arrangement,
each of the first to fourth pixel groups comprises four first to fourth pixels adjacent in the 2×2 arrangement,
the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses comprise four first to fourth nano-optical micro-lenses respectively corresponding to the four first to fourth pixels adjacent in the 2×2 arrangement,
the color filter array comprises a first green filter, a blue filter, a red filter, and a second green filter, and
the first green filter, the blue filter, the red filter, and the second green filter respectively face the first to fourth pixel groups one-to-one.
16 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of pixels comprise first to fourth pixels adjacent in a 2×2 arrangement,
each of the first to fourth pixels includes four photosensitive cells in the 2×2 arrangement,
the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses comprise first to fourth nano-optical micro-lenses facing the first to fourth pixels, respectively,
the color filter array comprises a first green filter, a blue filter, a red filter, and a second green filter, and
the first green filter, the blue filter, the red filter, and the second green filter respectively face the first to fourth pixels one-to-one.
17 . An electronic apparatus comprising:
a lens assembly comprising one or more lenses to form an optical image of a subject;
the image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to convert the optical image into an electrical signal; and
a processor configured to process the electrical signal generated by the image sensor.
18 . An image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of pixels configured to sense incident light;
a nano-optical micro-lens array comprising a plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses respectively corresponding to the plurality of pixels; and
a color filter array disposed between the sensor substrate and the nano-optical micro-lens array and comprising a plurality of color filters,
wherein each of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses comprises a plurality of nanostructures to condense the incident light onto a corresponding pixel,
when the plurality of nanostructures are arranged in a form of an N×N matrix on a two-dimensional plane, in the nano-optical micro-lens disposed at a center of the nano-optical micro-lens array, the plurality of nanostructures are absent from four positions of (1, 1), (1, N), (N, 1), and (N, N) and are disposed at remaining N 2 −4 positions, and
wherein N is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3.
19 . An image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of pixels configured to sense incident light;
a nano-optical micro-lens array comprising a plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses respectively corresponding to the plurality of pixels; and
a color filter array disposed between the sensor substrate and the nano-optical micro-lens array and comprising a plurality of color filters,
wherein each of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses comprises a plurality of nanostructures to condense the incident light onto a corresponding pixel, and
when viewed in a cross-section of the nano-optical micro-lens array, a fill factor denotes a ratio of an area of the nanostructures arranged within a reference circle among the plurality of nanostructures included in one of the plurality of nano-optical micro-lenses, and the reference circle has a pixel size corresponding to the one nano-optical micro-lens as a diameter, the fill factor is greater than or equal to 95%,
wherein the plurality of nano-optical micro lenses comprise
a first nano-optical micro-lens facing a green filter;
a second nano-optical micro-lens facing a blue filter; and
a third nano-optical micro-lens facing a red filter, and
wherein a fill factor of the second nano-optical micro-lens is less than a fill factor of the first nano-optical micro-lens or the third nano-optical micro-lens.