Sony patents camera sensor design to fix uneven light reflection
Sony describes a camera sensor design that places a small processing chip directly on top of the light-sensing area. To stop light from bouncing off unevenly, the company adds extra metal wiring in the gaps where this chip is not present.
In the filing’s own words
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus, a manufacturing method thereof, and electronic equipment that are able to suppress nonuniform reflection of incident light. The solid-state imaging apparatus includes an imaging element chip and a device chip. The imaging element chip has a semiconductor substrate. The device chip is bonded to a wiring layer opposite the light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate. The device chip is disposed in a pixel region of the imaging element chip. The wiring layer of the imaging element chip includes a dummy metal wiring in a region where the device chip of the pixel region is not disposed. The technology according to the present disclosure is applicable, for example, to the solid-state imaging apparatus that is formed by bonding the imaging element chip to the device chip.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising: an imaging element chip that includes a first semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer opposite to a light incident surface of the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the wiring layer includes a dummy metal wiring and a metal wiring; and a first device chip bonded to the wiring layer, wherein the first device chip is in a pixel region of the imaging element chip, and the dummy metal wiring is in a region where the first device chip of the pixel region is not disposed.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
- Official title
- Solid-state imaging apparatus, manufacturing method thereof, and electronic equipment
- Patent number
- US12733288B2
- Application number
- 18556906
- Filed
- Feb 2, 2022
- Granted
- Sep 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 16
Classified under
H10F 39/811 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/026 Electricity & electronicsMore from Sony in Cameras & imaging
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.