IP Library Granted Patent US 10,236,315
Granted Patent B2
US 10,236,315 · App. 14/775,879 · Granted Mar 19, 2019

Solid-state image pickup element, image pickup apparatus, electronic apparatus, and production method

Inventors: Yutaka Ooka (Kanagawa, JP); Shinji Miyazawa (Kanagawa, JP); Kensaku Maeda (Kanagawa, JP); Atsushi Yamamoto (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
H01L27/1463H01L27/14621H01L27/14623H01L27/14627H01L27/14629H01L27/14685
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,236,315
App. No.
14/775,879
Granted
Mar 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a solid-state image pickup element including: a sensor unit configured to generate an electrical signal in response to incident light; a color filter covering the sensor unit; and a lens configured to concentrate the incident light into the sensor unit via the color filter and formed by a laminated film made of a predetermined lens material. The lens is formed on the color filter without providing a planarization layer for removing a difference in level in the color filter.

Claims (46)

1. A solid-state image pickup element comprising:

a sensor unit configured to generate an electrical signal in response to incident light;

a color filter covering the sensor unit;

a lens configured to concentrate the incident light into the sensor unit via the color filter, the lens comprising a laminated film that includes first, second, and third layers made of a lens material; and

a slit defined by an air cavity that is entirely surrounded by the lens material, the slit configured to reflect the incident light toward the sensor unit,

wherein the first layer is on the color filter, the second layer is on the first layer, and the third layer is on the second layer,

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, first, second, and third sides of the slit are defined by the second layer and a fourth side of the slit is defined by the third layer, and wherein the slit has a width of less than 100 nm.

2. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 ,

wherein a refractive index adjustment film is provided between the color filter and the lens.

3. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 2 ,

wherein the refractive index adjustment film is SiON.

4. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slit is provided in the lens material at a boundary between regions corresponding to respective pixels.

5. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a fourth layer on the third layer, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are made of a first material, and the fourth layer is made of a second material different from the first material.

6. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 5 ,

wherein the first material is SiN and the second material is SiON.

7. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the solid-state image pickup element is a front-surface irradiation type or back-surface irradiation type image sensor.

8. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a film made of a material having a refractive index smaller than a refractive index of the lens material, the film being provided on the lens.

9. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the solid-state image pickup element has a chip size package (CSP) structure.

10. The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the lens is formed on the color filter without providing a planarization layer for removing a difference in level in the color filter.

11. The solid state image pickup element according to claim 1 , wherein the air cavity has a lower refractive index than the lens.

12. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a solid-state image pickup element, wherein the solid-state image pickup element includes:

a sensor unit configured to generate an electrical signal in response to incident light;

a color filter covering the sensor unit;

a lens configured to concentrate the incident light into the sensor unit via the color filter, the lens comprising a laminated film that includes first, second, and third layers made of a lens material; and

a slit defined by an air cavity that is entirely surrounded by the lens material, the slit configured to reflect the incident light toward the sensor unit,

wherein the first layer is on the color filter, the second layer is on the first layer, and the third layer is on the second layer,

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, first, second, and third sides of the slit are defined by the second layer and a fourth side of the slit is defined by the third layer, and

wherein the slit has a width of less than 100 nm.

13. The image pickup apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lens is formed on the color filter without providing a planarization layer for removing a difference in level in the color filter.

14. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an image-pickup unit, wherein a solid-state image pickup element included in the image-pickup unit includes:

a sensor unit configured to generate an electrical signal in response to incident light;

a color filter covering the sensor unit; and

a lens configured to concentrate the incident light into the sensor unit via the color filter, the lens comprising a laminated film that includes first, second, and third layers made of a lens material; and

a slit defined by an air cavity that is entirely surrounded by the lens material, the slit configured to reflect the incident light toward the sensor unit,

wherein the first layer is on the color filter, the second layer is on the first layer, and the third layer is on the second layer,

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, first, second, and third sides of the slit are defined by the second layer and a fourth side of the slit is defined by the third layer, and

wherein the slit has a width of less than 100 nm.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the lens is formed on the color filter without providing a planarization layer for removing a difference in level in the color filter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2015
From: OOKA, YUTAKA; MIYAZAWA, SHINJI; MAEDA, KENSAKU; YAMAMOTO, ATSUSHI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036618/0001 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2013-062020 · Mar 25, 2013 · national
JP 2013-111768 · May 28, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160027822A1 · Jan 28, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 12,349,491