Method and apparatus for image sensor packaging
A device having a sensor die with a sensor and a control circuit die with at least one control circuit disposed therein, the control circuit die on the sensor die. A plurality of mounting pads is disposed on a second side of the sensor die. A first electrical connection connects a first one of the plurality of mounting pads to a first control circuit of the at least one sensor control circuit and a second electrical connection connects the first control circuit to the sensor. A third electrical connection connects the sensor to a second control circuit of the at least one control circuit and a fourth electrical connection connects the second control circuit to second one of the plurality of mounting pads.
1. A device comprising:
a pixel array disposed in a sensor die and configured to sense light though a back side of the sensor die;
mounting pads disposed in a control circuit die;
a first control circuit disposed on the control circuit die, the control circuit die bonded to a front side of the sensor die, the first control circuit electrically connected to at least one of the mounting pads and configured to receive an input signal from at least one of the mounting pads;
a second control circuit disposed on the control circuit die, the second control circuit electrically connected to at least one of the mounting pads and configured to transmit an output signal through at least one of the mounting pads;
a first electrical connection connecting the first control circuit to the pixel array, wherein the first control circuit is configured to send a control signal to the pixel array over the first electrical connection; and
a second electrical connection connecting the second control circuit to the pixel array, wherein the second control circuit is configured to receive a data signal from the pixel array over the first electrical connection.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a second one of the mounting pads is connected by a connector to a through via that is external to the device.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first control circuit is a readout or access circuit, and wherein the second control circuit is a processing or output circuit.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical connection comprises first bond pad disposed in the sensor die and a second bond pad disposed in the control circuit die, and wherein the first bond pad and second bond pad are in electrical contact.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit die and the sensor die are bonded using hybrid bonding or direct surface bonding.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second electrical connection includes a transfer line connected to multiple pixels of the pixel array.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array is a two-dimensional 5*5 array of pixels.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second control circuit comprises a processing circuit or an access circuit.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a microlens layer disposed on a second side of the sensor die.
10. A device comprising:
a sensor die having a front surface and a back surface, the sensor die having a pixel array formed at the front surface thereof;
an electrical interconnect structure formed over the front surface of the sensor die, the electrical interconnect structure including a first subset of contact pads and a second subset of contact pads, the first subset of contact pads being electrically connected to the pixel array;
a control die mounted over the front side of the sensor die, the control die including
a first control circuit having a first control output electrically connected to a first control die contact pad, the first control die contact pad being connected to a first one of the first subset of contact pads,
a second control circuit having a second control output electrically connected to a second control die contact pad, the second control die contact pad being connected to a second one of the first subset of contact pads, and
an array of microlenses formed on the back surface of the sensor die.
11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising a first through via passing through the sensor die and electrically connecting the first control circuit to a first external connector on the back side of the sensor die, and a second through via passing through the sensor die and electrically connecting the second control circuit to a second external connector on the back side of the sensor die.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the pixel array is formed in a central region of the front surface of the sensor die and the first subset of contact pads and second subset of contact pads are formed in a peripheral region of the front surface of the sensor die surrounding the central region of the front surface of the sensor die.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first control die contact pad being is bonded to the first one of the first subset of contact pads.
14. The device of claim 11 , further comprising an external device mounted to the back side of the sensor die.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first control circuit is configured to receive a control signal from the external device through the first through via and the second control circuit is configured to transmit a data signal to the external device through the second through via.
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first control circuit comprises a readout circuit or an access circuit.
17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the second control circuit comprises a processing circuit or an access circuit.
18. A method comprising:
forming on a sensor die
a pixel array on the front side of the sensor die,
a first contact pad on the front side of the sensor die and being electrically connected to a signal input of the pixel array and a second contact pad on the front side of the sensor die and being electrically connected to an output of the pixel array, and
positioning above the sensor die a control circuit die having on its front side
a third contact pad electrically connected to an output of a first control circuit, a fourth contact pad electrically connected to an input of a second control circuit, a fifth contact pad electrically connected to an input of the first control circuit, and a sixth contact pad electrically connected to an output of the second control circuit,
aligning the first contact pad to the third contact pad and the second contact pad to the fourth contact pad; and
bonding the front side of the sensor die to the front side of the control circuit die.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising mounting an external device to a back side of the sensor die and electrically connecting the external device to the control circuit die using conductive elements passing through the sensor die.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising mounting an external device to a back side of the control circuit die.