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Sony patents stacked camera chip design to prevent electrical wear

Sony has filed a patent for a camera sensor design that stacks two semiconductor layers vertically. It uses a ring of tiny wires to connect the layers, which spreads out the electrical current to prevent damage from heat and stress.

Why it mattersThis design helps make camera sensors more durable by reducing wear on the internal wiring, which is important for long-term reliability in devices like phones and cameras.

In the filing’s own words

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus in which electromigration due to current concentration in a wiring line directly below a pad can be suppressed. A solid-state imaging device includes a first substrate including a first pad and a first semiconductor substrate and a second substrate including a second pad and a second semiconductor substrate. The solid-state imaging device is configured such that the first substrate and the second substrate are layered in a vertical direction, and a plurality of through electrodes penetrating the first semiconductor substrate and electrically connecting the first pad and the second pad are disposed in a ring shape in a plan view. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a solid-state imaging device constituted of a layered structure of three substrates or the like.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising: a first substrate including a first pad and a first semiconductor substrate; and a second substrate including a second pad and a second semiconductor substrate, wherein the solid-state imaging device is configured such that the first substrate and the second substrate are layered in a vertical direction, and a plurality of through electrodes penetrating the first semiconductor substrate and electrically connecting the first pad and the second pad are disposed in a ring shape in a plan view.

Facts

Company
Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
Official title
SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
Publication number
US20260293357A1
Application number
19480118
Filed
May 9, 2024
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
10

Classified under

H10F 39/811 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/79 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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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.