Patent ID: 8243177
Filing Date: 2012-08-14
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A multi-pixel row wafer-scale cluster image sensor chip (WCISC) for, expressed in an X-Y-Z Cartesian coordinate system with pixel rows of the WCISC oriented along X-axis and its principal chip surface lying in X-Y plane, photoelectrically converting an areal image frame (IMFM), of width IFW and height IFH in X-Y plane, into a corresponding areal image frame signal (AIFS), the WCISC comprises: a plurality of imaging pixel rows PXRW b) spaced from PXRWid along Y-direction by a distance SPid,i such that the X- and Y-extremities of each pixel row PXRW the widths PRWi and distances XOFSTi being chosen such that any image pixel sweeping through the IMFM along Y-direction will cross hence will be photoelectrically sensed by at least one imaging pixel row whereby: owing to its configurationally flexibility, the WCISC can be made with correspondingly higher wafer level yield thus lower cost; and in the presence of a Y-directional relative motion between WCISC and IMFM and an external electronic imaging controller (EEIC) interfacing with the WCISC, the EEIC can extract all the PRISi from the WCISC and reconstruct the AIFS wherein a plurality of imaging pixel rows PXRW c) a gapless local pixel line segment (LPLSj) of photoelectrical sensing elements PESEj, PESEj c1) converting a corresponding local segment of said PRISi into a raw image segment signal set (RISSj); and c2) forming a gapless global pixel line (GPL) corresponding to the PRISi; and d) a readout circuit segment (RCSj) coupled to the LPLSj for processing the RISSj into a readout image segment signal set (ROSSj), said RCSj further comprises a set of contact pads (CTPj) for off-chip signal interconnection; upon a pre-determined configuration of off-chip interconnection of the contact pad set (CTP, . . . , CTPN) so as to compose the a readout image segment signal set ROSS