Patent ID: 8836805

Claim:
A method for capturing an image comprising the steps of: fabricating a plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments to form a wafer of sensor chips; said wafer of sensor chips having a front side and a back side; selected a flexible membrane which is sufficiently rigid to maintain a curved shape, but which is able to bend without breaking; attaching said back side of said wafer of sensor chips to said flexible membrane; bending said wafer of sensor chips slightly to form a curved surface; etching a plurality of thin lines into said wafer of sensor chips facet, but not through said flexible membrane; forming said wafer of sensor chips and said flexible membrane into a generally curved surface; said plurality of petal-shaped semiconductor segments which are shaped into a generally curved surface; each of said petal-shaped semiconductor segments being, connected at a common point which, after bending, generally forms the center of said generally curved surface; forming a plurality of vias through said flexible membrane; attaching said wafer of sensor chips to a backside wiring harness through said plurality of vias; providing a signal processor; connecting said signal processor to said backside wiring harness; and generating a digital image from said signal processor.