Finger sensor using polarized light and associated methods

1. A multi-biometric finger sensor comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) substrate for receiving a user's finger;

an optical source for projecting light of a known polarization angle onto the user's finger;

at least one optical sensing pixel on said IC substrate for detecting a relative depolarization angle of the light reflected from the user's finger; and

at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel on said IC substrate for sensing at least one other biometric characteristic from the user's finger.

2. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 further comprising a processor coupled to said at least one optical sensing pixel and said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel and cooperating therewith to reduce spoofing.

3. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said optical source is on said IC substrate.

4. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 further comprising at least one polarization filter in an optical path between said optical source and said at least one optical sensing pixel.

5. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 4 wherein said at least one polarization filter comprises a respective polarizing filter associated with each of said optical source and said at least one optical detector.

6. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 4 wherein said at least one polarization filter comprises a material having at least one dichroic polarization property.

7. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 further comprising a dielectric passivation layer over said at least one optical sensing pixel and said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel.

8. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said IC substrate comprises silicon.

9. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said optical source comprises an LED.

10. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said optical source comprises a laser diode.

11. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said optical source produces at least one circularly polarized light, elliptically polarized light, and linearly polarized light.

12. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel comprises an electric field sensing pixel.

13. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel comprises a capacitive sensing pixel.

14. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel comprises a thermal sensing pixel.

15. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 1 wherein said optical sensing pixel and said at least one other biometric sensing pixel are operable based upon at least one of static placement of the user's finger and sliding placement of the user's finger adjacent to said IC substrate.

16. A multi-biometric finger sensor comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) substrate for receiving a user's finger;

an optical source on said IC substrate for projecting light of a known polarization angle onto the user's finger;

at least one optical sensing pixel on said IC substrate for detecting a relative depolarization angle of the light reflected from the user's finger;

at least one polarization filter in an optical path between said optical source and said at least one optical sensing pixel;

at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel on said IC substrate for sensing at least one other biometric characteristic from the user's finger; and

a processor coupled to said at least one optical sensing pixel and said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel and cooperating therewith to reduce spoofing.

17. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 16 wherein said at least one polarization filter comprises a respective polarizing filter associated with each of said optical source and said at least one optical sensing pixel.

18. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 16 wherein said at least one polarization filter comprises a material having at least one dichroic polarization property.

19. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 16 wherein said optical source comprises at least one of an LED and a laser diode.

20. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 16 wherein said optical source produces at least one of circularly polarized light, elliptically polarized light, and linearly polarized light.

21. The multi-biometric finger sensor as in claim 16 wherein said at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel comprises at least one of an electric field sensing pixel, a capacitive sensing pixel, and a thermal sensing pixel.

22. A method for multi-biometric finger sensing comprising:

receiving the user's finger adjacent an integrated circuit (IC) substrate;

projecting light on the user's finger from an optical source;

sensing a depolarization angle of reflected light from the user's finger by using at least one optical sensing pixel on the IC substrate; and

sensing another biometric characteristic of the user's finger by using at least one other biometric sensing pixel on the IC substrate.

23. The method as in claim 22 further comprising coupling a processor to the at least one optical sensing pixel and the at least one other biometric sensing pixel and cooperating therewith to reduce spoofing.

24. The method as in claim 22 further comprising positioning at least one polarization filter in an optical path between the optical source and the at least one optical sensing pixel.

25. The method as in claim 24 wherein the at least one polarization filter comprises a respective polarizing filter associated with each of the optical source and the at least one optical detector.

26. The method as in claim 24 wherein the at least one polarization filter comprises a material having at least one dichroic polarization property.

27. The method as in claim 22 wherein the optical source comprises at least one of an LED and a laser diode.

28. The method as in claim 22 wherein the optical source produces at least one of circularly polarized light, elliptically polarized light, and linearly polarized light.

29. The method as in claim 22 wherein the at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel comprises at least one of an electric field sensing pixel, a capacitive sensing pixel, and a thermal sensing pixel.