Solid-state image sensor, manufacturing method for solid-state image sensor, and camera having an offsetting arrangement between light receiving elements and micro-lenses
View Patent ↗A solid-state image sensor includes a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in a light-receiving area, and a plurality of micro-lenses corresponding to the light-receiving elements, and has a flattening film formed on the plurality of the micro-lenses. At a center of the light-receiving area, the micro-lenses are placed in positions directly above corresponding photodiodes, and placed in positions which are progressively offset from positions directly above the corresponding photodiodes, towards a center of the light receiving area, as micro-lenses are located farther from the center of the light-receiving area.
1. A solid-state image sensor comprising:
light-receiving elements arranged in a light-receiving area;
in-layer lenses on said light-receiving elements;
micro-lenses on said in-layer lenses, with a curvature of said micro-lenses being greater than a curvature of said in-layer lenses; and
a transparent film on said micro-lenses,
wherein, in a central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said micro-lenses is directly above a corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in a portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to a periphery of said light-receiving area than a center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said micro-lenses are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area; and
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, micro-lenses and transparent film are constructed and arranged such that when oblique light enters the solid-state image sensor from above the solid-state image sensor at the periphery of said light-receiving area, the oblique light is refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said transparent film and further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said micro-lenses.
2. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
in said central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said in-layer lenses is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said in-layer lenses are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said micro-lenses being greater than an amount of offset of a respective one of said corresponding ones of said in-layer lenses.
3. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
color filters between said in-layer lenses and said micro-lenses,
wherein, in said central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said color filters is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said color filters are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said color filters being greater than an amount of offset of a respective one of said in-layer lenses.
4. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
color filters between said in-layer lenses and said micro-lenses,
wherein, in aid central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said color filters is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said color filters are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said color filters being less than an amount of offset of a respective one of said corresponding ones of said micro-lenses.
5. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said transparent film comprises a transparent flattening film.
6. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a refractive index of said transparent film is less than a refractive index of said micro-lenses.
7. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a size of an individual cell including one of said light-receiving elements is at most 3 μm in both length and width.
8. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a distance from one of said light-receiving elements to a bottom of a corresponding one of said micro-lenses is within a range of from 3 μm inclusive to 5 μm inclusive.
9. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said solid-state image in an MOS-type image senor.
10. A solid-state image sensor comprising:
light-receiving elements arranged in a light-receiving area;
in-layer lenses on said light-receiving elements;
micro-lenses on said in-layer lenses, with a thickness of said micro-lenses being greater than a thickness of said in-layer lenses; and
a transparent film on said micro-lenses,
wherein, in a central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said micro-lenses is directly above a corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in a portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to a periphery of said light-receiving area than a center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said micro-lenses are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area; and
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, micro-lenses and transparent film are constructed and arranged such that when oblique light enters the solid-state image sensor from above the solid-state image sensor at the periphery of said light-receiving area, the oblique light is refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said transparent film and further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said micro-lenses.
11. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
in said central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said in-layer lenses is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said in-layer lenses are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said micro-lenses being greater than an amount of offset of a respective one of said corresponding ones of said in-layer lenses.
12. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , further comprising:
color filters between said in-layer lenses and said micro-lenses,
wherein, in said central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said color filters is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said color filters are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said color filters are being greater than an amount of offset of a respective one of said in-layer lenses.
13. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , further comprising:
color filters between said in-layer lenses and said micro-lenses,
wherein, in said central portion of said light-receiving area a corresponding one of said color filters is directly above said corresponding one of said light-receiving elements, and in said portion of said light-receiving area that is closer to the periphery of said light-receiving area than the center of said light-receiving area corresponding ones of said color filters are offset from directly above corresponding ones of said light-receiving elements towards the center of said light-receiving area,
with an amount of offset of each of said corresponding ones of said color filters being less than an amount of offset of a respective one of said corresponding ones of said micro-lenses.
14. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
said transparent film comprises a transparent flattening film.
15. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
a refractive index of said transparent film is less than a refractive index of said micro-lenses.
16. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
a size of an individual cell including one of said light-receiving elements is at most 3 μm in both length and width.
17. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
a distance from one of said light-receiving elements to a bottom of a corresponding one of said micro-lenses is within a range of from 3 μm inclusive to 5 μm inclusive.
18. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
said solid-state image sensor is an MOS-type image sensor.
19. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, micro-lenses and transparent film are constructed and arranged such that the oblique light refracted by said micro-lenses is further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said in-layer lenses.
20. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 10 ,
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, micro-lenses and transparent film are constructed and arranged such that the oblique light refracted by said micro-lenses is further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said in-layer lenses.