Image sensor and method of manufacturing the same

1. An image sensor comprising:

a photoelectric conversion layer;

a plurality of color filters disposed on the photoelectric conversion layer;

a light transmission layer disposed on the photoelectric conversion layer and the plurality of color filters; and

a color splitter that is disposed on the light transmission layer, comprises a top surface and a side surface exposed to ambient air, and is configured to transmit a portion of light incident on the color splitter toward a first pixel region and refract a remaining portion of the incident light to second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel region, according to a difference between a refractive index of the color splitter and a refractive index of the ambient air, wherein

the plurality of color filters comprise a plurality of color filters units, each of the plurality of color filters units including one red color filter, two green color filters, and one blue color filter arranged in a two-by-two array, and the two green color filters arranged in a diagonal direction in the two-by-two array,

the color splitter comprises a plurality of color splitters, each arranged in each of the green color filters, and

each of the plurality of color splitters transmits a green color light from among the incident light and directs the remaining portion of the incident light to adjacent blue color filter or red color filter.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the color splitter is about 1.4 to about 2.4.

3. The image sensor of claim 2 , wherein the color splitter includes one of high refraction index materials from a group consisting of SiN x , TiO 2 , ZnS, and ZnSe, or an optical polymer including nanoparticles of the high refraction index materials dispersed in the optical polymer.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of color splitters includes a first element disposed on a surface of the light transmission layer, and a second element disposed on the first element, and

wherein the second element is shifted inwardly from the first element toward a center of the plurality of pixel regions.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the color splitter has a mesh shape arranged in diagonal directions connecting the green color filters.

6. The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein the color splitter comprises:

a first element having a mesh shape arranged in a diagonal direction connecting the green color filters; and

a second element disposed on the first element, and having the mesh shape and shifted inwardly from the first element in a direction toward a center of the plurality of pixels.

7. A method of manufacturing an image sensor, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of color filters on a photoelectric conversion layer;

forming a light transmission layer on the photoelectric conversion layer to cover the plurality of color filters; and

forming a color splitter on the light transmission layer, the color splitter comprising a top surface and a side surface exposed to ambient air and being configured to transmit a portion of light incident on the color splitter toward a first pixel region and refract a remaining portion of the incident light toward second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel region, according to a difference between a refractive index of the color splitter and a refractive index of the ambient air,

wherein the forming of the color splitter comprises:

forming a sacrificial layer on the light transmission layer;

patterning the sacrificial layer to form a through-hole in the sacrificial layer;

filling the through-hole with an optical polymer material by spin coating the optical polymer;

removing the optical polymer material disposed on the sacrificial layer to expose the optical polymer material filled in the through-hole to ambient air; and

removing the sacrificial layer to form the optical polymer material remaining on the light transmission layer as the color splitter.

8. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the forming of the color splitter comprises forming the color splitter to have a refractive index of about 1.4 to about 2.4.

9. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 8 , wherein the forming of the color splitter comprises forming the color splitter including an optical polymer including one of a high refraction index material selected from a group consisting of SiN x , TiO 2 , ZnS, and ZnSe or an optical polymer nanoparticles of the high refraction index materials dispersed in the optical polymer.

10. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the forming the plurality of color filters comprises forming a plurality of color filters units, each of the plurality of color filters units including one red color filter, two green color filters, and one blue color filter arranged in a two-by-two array, and the two green color filters arranged in a diagonal direction in the two-by-two array,

the color splitter comprises a plurality of color splitters, each arranged in each of the green color filters, and

each of the plurality of color splitters transmits a green color light from among the incident light and directs the remaining portion of the incident light to adjacent blue color filter or red color filter.

11. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the forming the plurality of color filters comprises forming a plurality of color filters units, each of the plurality of color filters units including one red color filter, two green color filters, and blue color filter arranged in a two-by-two array, and the two of green color filters is arranged in a diagonal direction in the two-by-two array, and

the color splitter has a mesh shape arranged in diagonal directions connecting the green color filters.

12. A method of manufacturing an image sensor, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of color filters on a photoelectric conversion layer;

forming a light transmission layer on the photoelectric conversion layer to cover the plurality of color filters; and

forming a color splitter on the light transmission layer, the color splitter comprising a top surface and a side surface exposed to ambient air and being configured to transmit a portion of light incident on the color splitter toward a first pixel region and refract a remaining portion of the incident light toward second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel region, according to a difference between a refractive index of the color splitter and a refractive index of the ambient air,

wherein the forming the color splitter comprises:

forming a first sacrificial layer on the light transmission layer;

patterning the first sacrifice layer to form a first through-hole in the first sacrificial layer;

filling the first through-hole with a first optical polymer material by spin coating the first optical polymer material;

removing the first optical polymer material disposed on the first sacrificial layer to expose the first optical polymer material filled in the first through-hole to ambient air;

forming a second sacrificial layer on the first sacrificial layer to cover the first optical polymer material filled in the first through-hole;

patterning the second sacrificial layer to form a second through-hole in the second sacrificial layer;

filling the second through-hole with a second optical polymer material by spin coating the second optical polymer material;

removing the second optical polymer material disposed on the second sacrificial layer to expose the second optical polymer material filled in the second through-hole to the ambient air; and

removing the first and second sacrificial layers to form the first optical material remaining on the light transmission layer as a first element of the color splitter and to form the second optical material remaining on the first element as a second element of the color splitter.

13. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the forming the color splitter comprises forming a plurality of color splitters arranged in a predetermined color pixel region of a plurality of pixel regions, and the second element is formed to be shifted inwardly from the first element toward a center of the plurality of pixel regions.

14. The method of manufacturing the image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the forming the plurality of color filters comprise forming a plurality of color filters units, each of the plurality of color filters units including one red color filter, two green color filters, and one blue color filter arranged in a two-by-two array, and the two of green color filters is arranged in a diagonal direction in the two-by-two array,

each of the first element and second element has a mesh shape arranged in diagonal directions connecting the green color filters, and

the second element is formed to be shifted inwardly from the first element toward a center of a plurality of pixel regions.