Patent ID: 6998207

Claim:
A method of fabricating a color filter image sensor, comprising the sequential steps of: providing a structure; forming a first color filter layer over the structure; patterning the first color filter layer to form at least one patterned first color filter layer portion; forming a second color filter layer over the structure and the at least one patterned first color filter layer portion; patterning the second color filter layer to form at least one patterned second color filter layer portion partially overlapping the at least one patterned first color filter portion; forming a third color filter layer over the structure, the at least one patterned first color filter layer portion and the at least one patterned second color filter layer portion; and etching back at least the third color filter layer to form: at least one third color filter layer portion; and a planar upper surface common to all of the at least one first color, second color and third color filter layer portions; and forming a microlens layer over the common planar upper surface to form the color filter image sensor.