Patent ID: 7264976
Filing Date: 2007-09-04
Classification: B29D,G02B,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of microlenses on a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate having a plurality of photo sensors formed therein; forming a passivation layer on the substrate and the plurality of photo sensors; forming a dielectric layer on the passivation layer, the dielectric layer comprising a multilayer structure including a planarization layer, a polymeric color filter layer, and a spacer layer; forming a photoresist pattern on the dielectric layer, wherein the photoresist pattern comprises a wall structure having a plurality of walls each having a width ranging between about 0.2 μm and 0.25 μm, and wherein forming the photoresist pattern includes: removing portions of the dielectric layer via wet and dry etching utilizing the photoresist pattern to form a dielectric grid between the photoresist pattern and a remaining portion of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric grid is composed of a plurality of raised ridges each having a width less than the width of a vertically-adjacent wall of the photoresist pattern wall structure and each defining an opening comprising an exposed area of the remaining portion of the dielectric layer; removing the photoresist pattern via plasma ashing and wet stripping; forming a plurality of photoresist features, wherein one of the raised ridges of the dielectric grid interposes each neighboring pair of the plurality of photoresist features, wherein each of a plurality of gaps separates each raised ridge of the dielectric grid from a neighboring one of the plurality of photoresist features, and wherein forming the plurality of photoresist features includes: thermal reflowing the plurality of photoresist features at a temperature ranging between about 70° C. and about 140° C. to form a plurality of microlenses, wherein each of the plurality of microlenses has a convex upper surface having a thickness at its center ranging between about 0.5 μm and about 0.7 μm.