IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,610,925
Granted Patent B2
US 11,610,925 · App. 16/859,708 · Granted Mar 21, 2023

Imaging system and method of creating composite images

Inventors: Jinxin Fu (Fremont, CA); Yongan Xu (Santa Clara, CA); Ludovic Godet (Sunnyvale, CA); Naamah Argaman (San Jose, CA); Robert Jan Visser (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L27/14627G02B1/002G02B27/005H01L27/14621H04N5/374
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,610,925
App. No.
16/859,708
Granted
Mar 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging system and a method of creating composite images are provided. The imaging system includes one or more lens assemblies coupled to a sensor. When reflected light from an object enters the imaging system, incident light on the metalens filter systems creates filtered light, which is turned into composite images by the corresponding sensors. Each metalens filter system focuses the light into a specific wavelength, creating the metalens images. The metalens images are sent to the processor, wherein the processor combines the metalens images into one or more composite images. The metalens images are combined into a composite image, and the composite image has reduced chromatic aberrations.

Claims (39)

1. An imaging system, comprising:

two or more lens assemblies, wherein each of the lens assemblies has a different focal length, each lens assembly comprising:

a plurality of metalens filter systems, comprising:

a plurality of metalenses; and

a plurality of color filters, each color filter corresponding to one of the plurality of metalenses, with the central pass-through wavelengths of the color filter being the same as the working wavelengths of the corresponding metalens; and

a plurality of sensors, each sensor coupled to a metalens filter system; and a controller comprising a processor configured to:

combine a metalens image from each of the plurality of metalenses of each lens assembly into a first composite image from a first lens assembly and a second composite image from a second lens assembly; and

determine at least one composite image of a plurality of composite images to provide to a screen of the imaging system, wherein the plurality of composite images includes the first composite image, the second composite image, and a third composite image formed by combining the first composite image and the second composite image.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems comprises at least one red metalens filter system, at least one green metalens filter system, and at least one blue metalens filter system.

3. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems comprise at least two green metalens filter systems.

4. The imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems are arranged in a grid, one of the at least one red metalens filter system is disposed adjacent to two green metalenses filter systems, and one of the at least one blue metalens filter systems is disposed adjacent to two green metalenses filter systems.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are arranged in a grid.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are four in number, and the lens assemblies are arranged in a 2×2 grid.

7. An imaging system, comprising:

two or more lens assemblies, wherein each of the lens assemblies has a different focal length, each lens assembly comprising:

a plurality of metalens filter systems, comprising:

a plurality of metalenses; and

a plurality of color filters, each color filter corresponding to one of the plurality of metalenses, with the central pass-through wavelengths of the color filter being the same as the working wavelengths of the corresponding metalens, wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems comprises at least one red metalens filter system, at least one green metalens filter system, and at least one blue metalens filter system; and

a plurality of sensors, each sensor coupled to a metalens filter system; and a controller comprising a processor configured to:

combine a metalens image from each of the plurality of metalenses of each lens assembly into a first composite image from a first lens assembly and a second composite image from a second lens assembly; and

determine at least one composite image of a plurality of composite images to provide to a screen of the imaging system, wherein the plurality of composite images includes the first composite image, the second composite image, and a third composite image formed by combining the first composite image and the second composite image.

8. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems comprise at least two green metalens filter systems.

9. The imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems are arranged in a grid, one of the at least one red metalens filter system is disposed adjacent to two green metalenses filter systems, and one of the at least one blue metalens filter systems is disposed adjacent to two green metalenses filter systems.

10. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are arranged in a grid.

11. The imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are four in number, and the lens assemblies are arranged in a 2×2 grid.

12. A method of creating one or more composite images, comprising:

exposing an imaging system comprising two or more lens assemblies to light, wherein each of the lens assemblies has a different focal length, wherein each lens assembly comprises:

a plurality of metalens filter systems, comprising:

a plurality of metalenses; and

a plurality of color filters, each color filter coupled to one of the plurality of metalenses, with the central pass-through wavelengths of the color filter being the same as the working wavelengths of the corresponding metalens, the plurality of metalens filter systems comprises at least one red metalens with a red color filter, at least one green metalens with a green color filter, and at least one blue metalens with a blue color filter; and

a plurality of sensors, each sensor coupled to a metalens filter system, wherein the light passes through the plurality of metalenses filter systems such that each of the plurality of metalenses filter systems creates a metalens image;

exposing a plurality of sensors to each of the plurality of metalens images, the sensor coupled to the metalens filter systems;

sending the plurality of metalens images to a processor;

combining the plurality of metalens images of each lens assembly into a first composite image from a first lens assembly and a second composite image from a second lens assembly using the processor; and

determining at least one composite image of a plurality of composite images to provide to a screen of the imaging system, wherein the plurality of composite images includes the first composite image, the second composite image, and a third composite image formed by combining the first composite image and the second composite image.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of metalens filter systems comprise at least two green metalenses filter systems.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are arranged in a grid.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more lens assemblies are four in number, and the lens assemblies are arranged in a 2×2 grid.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more composite images are created using an image stitching algorithm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2020
From: FU, JINXIN; XU, YONGAN; GODET, LUDOVIC; ARGAMAN, NAAMAH; VISSER, ROBERT JAN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 052747/0303 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62858258 · Jun 6, 2019
Related Publication 20200388642A1 · Dec 10, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,518,353