IP Library Granted Patent US 7,768,088
Granted Patent B2
US 7,768,088 · App. 11/230,672 · Granted Aug 3, 2010

Solid-state imaging device that efficiently guides light to a light-receiving part

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,768,088
App. No.
11/230,672
Granted
Aug 3, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a solid-state imaging device including an on-chip microlens and a light-receiving part to receive incident light condensed by the on-chip microlens, an optical waveguide extending from an undersurface part of the microlens to the light-receiving part and for guiding the incident light condensed by the microlens to the light-receiving part is formed to be integrated with the microlens. By this, since the incident light condensed by the microlens is incident on the light-receiving part with little loss, the sensitivity is improved.

Claims (22)

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

an on-chip microlens;

a light-receiving part that receives incident light condensed by the on-chip microlens; and

an optical waveguide that extends from an undersurface part of the on-chip microlens toward the light-receiving part, and guides the incident light condensed by the on-chip microlens to the light-receiving part,

wherein the optical waveguide is in contact with and integrated with the on-chip microlens, and

wherein the on-chip microlens and the optical waveguide are formed of a same material;

wherein the device further comprises a light shielding film in a cylindrical shape above the light-receiving part, and the incident light passing through the optical waveguide passes through an inside of the a cylinder formed by the light shielding film and is incident on the light-receiving part;

wherein the device further comprises a color filter layer filled in the inside of the light shielding film between the optical waveguide and the light-receiving part, and

a diameter of the optical waveguide is reduced toward the light-receiving part such that the optical waveguide has one of a conical shape and a polygonal pyramid shape.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the same material comprises at least one kind of material selected from a group consisting of Si 3 N 4 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , CeO 2 , HfO 2 , ZnO, MgO, AIN and GaN.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the same material is a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.8 or higher.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a transparent resin with which an upper part of the on-chip microlens is sealed.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein the transparent resin is a low refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.6 or lower.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises an antireflection film on an upper surface of the on-chip microlens.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises an antireflection film on end surface of the light-receiving part side of the optical waveguide.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a low-refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the optical waveguide on a side wall of the optical waveguide.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the light shielding film comprises at least one of aluminum, silver, gold, copper and tungsten.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the color filter layer comprises a pigment evaporated film.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein adjacent color filter layers are made different from each other in filter color.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the color filter layer comprises a pigment.

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the on-chip microlens is convex.

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a protection film between the color filter layer and the light-receiving part.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018904/0001 →