Patent ID: 11942499
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 9:
10. An image sensor comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a pixel array including a plurality of pixels and a pixel isolation layer between the plurality of pixels, the pixel isolation layer extending from the first surface to the second surface of the substrate in a first direction perpendicular to the first surface,
each of the plurality of pixels including at least one photodiode inside the substrate and a pixel circuit having a plurality of elements on the first surface; and
a logic circuit configured to acquire pixel signal from the plurality of pixels,
wherein the pixel array includes at least one autofocusing pixel,
wherein the at least one autofocusing pixel includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode, a pixel internal isolation layer extending from the first surface in the first direction between the first photodiode and the second photodiode, and a microlens on the second surface,
wherein the pixel internal isolation layer includes a first pixel internal isolation layer extending from the first surface and a second pixel internal isolation layer extending from the second surface,
wherein the first pixel internal isolation layer and the second pixel internal isolation layer have different shapes in a plane parallel to the first surface,
wherein the second pixel internal isolation layer does not overlap the first photodiode and the second photodiode in a second direction and a third direction,
wherein the first direction, the second direction, and third direction are different from each other and perpendicular to each other,
wherein the second pixel internal isolation layer comprises an insulating material, and
wherein the second pixel internal isolation layer has a third surface and a fourth surface parallel to the first surface, the third surface is separated from the first photodiode and the second photodiode in the first direction, and the third surface is co-planar with the second surface.