Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd. (20240113143). SHIFTED MICRO-LENSES FOR INCREASED IMAGING DEVICE PERFORMANCE simplified abstract

SHIFTED MICRO-LENSES FOR INCREASED IMAGING DEVICE PERFORMANCE

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd.

Inventor(s)

Cheng Yu Huang of Hsinchu (CN)

Wen-Hau Wu of New Taipei City (TW)

Chun-Hao Chuang of Hsinchu City (TW)

Keng-Yu Chou of Hsinchu (TW)

Wei-Chieh Chiang of Hsinchu City (TW)

Chih-Kung Chang of Kaohsiung City (TW)

SHIFTED MICRO-LENSES FOR INCREASED IMAGING DEVICE PERFORMANCE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240113143 titled 'SHIFTED MICRO-LENSES FOR INCREASED IMAGING DEVICE PERFORMANCE

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes an imaging device with two image sensor elements, each with a micro-lens that is laterally shifted from the center of the pixel unit by a specific amount.

• The imaging device includes a first image sensor element and a second image sensor element, each with a pixel unit within a semiconductor substrate.
• The first micro-lens overlies the first image sensor element and is laterally shifted by a first lens shift amount from the center of the pixel unit.
• The second micro-lens overlies the second image sensor element and is laterally shifted by a second lens shift amount different from the first lens shift amount.

Potential Applications

This technology could be used in:

• High-resolution cameras
• Medical imaging devices
• Surveillance systems

Problems Solved

This technology helps in:

• Improving image quality
• Enhancing focus and depth perception
• Reducing image distortion

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

• Enhanced image sensor performance
• Improved accuracy in capturing images
• Increased overall image quality

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology could be in:

• Smartphone cameras
• Digital cameras
• Security cameras

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be the use of micro-lenses in image sensor elements to improve image quality and focus.

How does this technology compare to existing imaging devices in terms of image quality and performance?

This article does not provide a direct comparison with existing imaging devices, so it is unclear how this technology stands out in terms of image quality and performance.

What are the potential limitations or drawbacks of implementing this technology in practical applications?

The article does not address any potential limitations or drawbacks of implementing this technology, leaving uncertainty about any challenges that may arise in practical applications.

Original Abstract Submitted

various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an imaging device including a first image sensor element and a second image sensor element respectively comprising a pixel unit disposed within a semiconductor substrate. the first image sensor element is adjacent to the second image sensor element. a first micro-lens overlies the first image sensor element and is laterally shifted from a center of the pixel unit of the first image sensor element by a first lens shift amount. a second micro-lens overlies the second image sensor element and is laterally shifted from a center of the pixel unit of the second image sensor element by a second lens shift amount different from the first lens shift amount.