Solid-state image sensor, manufacturing method for solid-state image sensor, and camera having plural color filters and dual transparent film
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;
color filters above said in-layer lenses;
micro-lenses on said color filters;
a first transparent film on said micro-lenses; and
a second transparent film between said in-layer lenses and said color filters,
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 color filters are formed not on an uneven surface resulting from said in-layer lenses, but on said second transparent film.
2. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said second transparent film has a flat surface.
3. 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 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 in-layer lenses being less than an amount of offset of a respective one of said corresponding ones of said micro-lenses.
4. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , 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.
5. 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, and
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 corresponding ones of said in-layer lenses.
6. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said first transparent film comprises a transparent flattening film.
7. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a refractive index of said first transparent film is less than a refractive index of said micro-lenses.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said solid-state image sensor is a CCD-type image sensor.
11. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
said solid-state image sensor is an MOS-type image sensor.
12. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, mirco-lenses and first and second transparent films 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 first transparent film and further refracted towards said light-receiving elements by said micro-lenses.
13. The solid-state image sensor according to claim 12 ,
wherein said light-receiving elements, in-layer lenses, micro-lenses and first and second transparent films 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.