Spatial phase integrated wafer-level imaging
In a general aspect, integrated spatial phase wafer-level imaging is described. In some aspects, an integrated imaging system an integrated image sensor and an edge processor. The integrated image sensor may include: a polarizer pixel configured to filter electromagnetic (EM) radiation and to allow filtered EM radiation having a selected polarization state to pass therethrough; a radiation-sensing pixel configured to detect the filtered EM radiation and to generate a signal in response to detecting the filtered EM radiation; and readout circuitry configured to perform analog preprocessing on the signal generated by the radiation-sensing pixel. The edge processor may be configured to: generate first-order primitives and second-order primitives based on the analog preprocessed signal from the readout circuitry; and determine a plurality of features of an object located in a field-of-view of the radiation-sensing pixel based on the first-order primitives and the second-order primitives.
1. An integrated imaging system, comprising:
an integrated image sensor, comprising:
a polarizer pixel configured to filter electromagnetic (EM) radiation and to allow filtered EM radiation having a selected polarization state to pass therethrough;
a radiation-sensing pixel configured to detect the filtered EM radiation and to generate a signal in response to detecting the filtered EM radiation; and
readout circuitry configured to perform analog preprocessing on the signal generated by the radiation-sensing pixel; and
a microlens array disposed above the integrated image sensor, the microlens array being configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation on the radiation-sensing pixel;
an edge processor of an array of edge processors, wherein the edge processor is dedicated to processing signals received from the integrated image sensor and configured to:
generate first-order primitives and second-order primitives based on the analog preprocessed signal from the readout circuitry; and
determine a plurality of features of an object located in a field-of-view of the radiation-sensing pixel based on the first-order primitives and the second-order primitives.
2. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the polarizer pixel is vertically aligned and is disposed over the radiation-sensing pixel, and boundaries of the polarizer pixel coincide with boundaries of the radiation-sensing pixel.
3. The integrated imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the boundaries of the polarizer pixel are defined by metal barriers, and the boundaries of the radiation-sensing pixel are defined by metal trench isolation features.
4. The integrated imaging system of claim 3 , wherein a material of the metal barriers and the metal trench isolation features includes aluminum, copper, tungsten, tin, chromium, indium, gold, or a combination thereof.
5. The integrated imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the radiation-sensing pixel is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and the metal trench isolation features extend from a frontside of the semiconductor substrate to a backside of the semiconductor substrate.
6. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a backside illuminated sensor comprising the radiation-sensing pixel.
7. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a frontside illuminated sensor comprising the radiation-sensing pixel.
8. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the polarizer pixel is integrated into the radiation-sensing pixel.
9. The integrated imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the polarizer pixel is disposed at an anode level or a cathode level of the radiation-sensing pixel.
10. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the polarizer pixel comprises one or more material constructs exhibiting birefringence and including plenoptic 3D, a structure including one or more meta-materials, antenna structures, aligned quantum dots, aligned carbon nanotubes, subwavelength structures other than meta-materials, or a combination thereof.
11. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the polarizer pixel comprises a grid of metal wires having a selected orientation, and a line width and pitch of the grid of metal wires is less than a wavelength of the filtered EM radiation.
12. The integrated imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the polarizer pixel is configured to be sensitive to the wavelength of the filtered EM radiation based on the line width and the pitch of the grid of metal wires.
13. The integrated imaging system of claim 12 , wherein a material of the grid of metal wires includes aluminum, copper, tungsten, tin, chromium, indium, gold, or a combination thereof.
14. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the radiation-sensing pixel comprises an electromagnetic detector configured to be sensitive to EM wavelengths in a visible light range, a near infrared range, a short-wave infrared range, a mid-wave infrared range, a long-wave infrared range, an ultraviolet range, a microwave range, an X-ray range, a Gamma ray range, a radio-frequency range, or a terahertz range.
15. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of features comprises:
a full rendering of the object and a scene;
a distance of the object from the integrated imaging system, machine vision analysis of the object and the scene; and
a three-dimensional model or image of the object, a frequency distribution of electromagnetic radiation emanating from the object, angles of one or more surfaces or shapes of the object, surface normal vectors associated with the one or more surfaces of the object, velocity and acceleration of the surface normal vectors, an identification of a material of the object, interior volume features of the object, gradients of the object, segmentation of the object, surface features within segments of the object, or a combination thereof.
16. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the edge processor is further configured to identify, characterize, quantify, replicate, or determine a variation of the features determined by the edge processor.
17. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first-order primitives or the second-order primitives comprises at least one of an orientation of EM radiation emitted by, reflected off, or transmitted through the object, a degree of linear polarization of the EM radiation, an amount of unpolarized scatter of the EM radiation, a primary angle of reflected linearly polarized EM radiation, an ellipticity of the EM radiation, albedo, an index of refraction of a material of the object, an angle of linear polarization, a degree of linear polarization, or a depolarization factor.
18. The integrated imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the EM radiation is an incoherent illumination, an active illumination, or a passive illumination.
19. The integrated imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the orientation of the EM radiation comprises an orientation of an electric field of the EM radiation.
20. The integrated imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the orientation of the EM radiation comprises an orientation of a magnetic field of the EM radiation.
21. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated image sensor is disposed on an imaging wafer, and the edge processor is disposed on a processing wafer attached to a back surface of the imaging wafer.
22. The integrated imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated image sensor is disposed on an imaging wafer, and the edge processor is disposed on the imaging wafer between adjacent ones of the integrated image sensor.
23. An integrated imaging system, comprising:
an imaging wafer comprising an array of integrated image sensors, each integrated image sensor, comprising:
an array of polarizer pixels configured to filter electromagnetic (EM) radiation and to allow filtered EM radiation having a selected polarization state to pass therethrough;
an array of radiation-sensing pixels configured to detect the filtered EM radiation and to generate a signal in response to detecting the filtered EM radiation; and
readout circuitry configured to perform analog preprocessing on the signal generated by the radiation-sensing pixels;
an optics wafer disposed over a first surface of the imaging wafer, the optics wafer comprising a plurality of microlens arrays, each microlens of the microlens array disposed over a respective one of the array of integrated image;
an array of edge processors, a respective edge processor of the array of edge processors dedicated to processing signals received from a respective integrated image sensor and configured to:
generate first-order primitives and second-order primitives based on the analog preprocessed signal from the readout circuitry of a respective integrated image sensor; and
determine a plurality of features of an object located in a field-of-view of the respective integrated image sensor based on the first-order primitives and the second-order primitives; and
a control wafer disposed over a second surface of the imaging wafer, the control wafer comprising a plurality of control processors, each control processor configured to control operation of a group of edge processors.
24. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the array of radiation-sensing pixels includes pixels having different sizes and different integration times.
25. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the optics wafer includes components having automatic aperture capability.
26. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , further comprising a processing wafer disposed between the imaging wafer and the control wafer, wherein the array of edge processors is disposed on the processing wafer.
27. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the array of edge processors is disposed on the imaging wafers, a respective edge processor disposed between adjacent integrated image sensors.
28. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the imaging wafer is configured to operate as a single integrated imaging system.
29. The integrated imaging system of claim 23 , wherein the imaging wafer is configured to operate as a plurality of imaging arrays.
30. A method, comprising:
providing an imaging wafer comprising an array of integrated image sensors, each integrated image sensor, comprising:
an array of polarizer pixels configured to filter electromagnetic (EM) radiation and to allow filtered EM radiation having a selected polarization state to pass therethrough;
an array of radiation-sensing pixels configured to detect the filtered EM radiation and to generate a signal in response to detecting the filtered EM radiation; and
readout circuitry configured to perform analog preprocessing on the signal generated by the radiation-sensing pixels;
providing an array of edge processors, each edge processor of the array of edge processors being dedicated to processing signals received from a respective one of the array of integrated image sensors; and
stacking an optics wafer on a first surface of the imaging wafer, the optics wafer; comprising a plurality of microlens arrays, each microlens of the microlens array disposed over a respective one of the array of integrated image sensors.
31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising stacking a processing wafer on a second surface of the imaging wafer opposite the first surface, the processing wafer comprising the array of edge processors, a respective edge processor configured to:
generate first-order primitives and second-order primitives based on the analog preprocessed signal from the readout circuitry of a respective integrated image sensor; and
determine a plurality of features of an object located in a field-of-view of the respective integrated image sensor based on the first-order primitives and the second-order primitives.
32. The method of claim 31 , comprising cutting the stack including the imaging wafer and the optics wafer into a plurality of tiles.
33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising arranging the plurality of tiles on a surface of an airplane or a vehicle.
34. The method of claim 32 , further comprising arranging the plurality of tiles to form a linear array, a 2D shape, or a 3D shape.