Patent ID: 8411197

Claim:
An image pickup device, comprising: an image pickup element having a light receiving surface; a lens arranged on the light receiving surface; a first transparent plate made of a glass material disposed over the lens on the light receiving surface of the image pickup element, but not directly contacting the light receiving surface, the first transparent plate having a surface, the surface facing the lens, and the surface being flat at least at a position directly above a position of the lens, wherein a substance different from both the first transparent plate and the lens is in existence between the surface of the first transparent plate and the lens; a transparent material disposed on an upper surface of the first transparent plate and that seals the image pickup element; and a second transparent plate made of a glass material directly contacting an upper surface of the transparent material, wherein the light receiving surface includes a photodiode, and light incident from outside the image pickup device reaches the photodiode through the lens after passing through the first transparent plate, and wherein the lens, the first transparent plate, and the second transparent plate are arranged in the following order: the lens, the first transparent plate, and the second transparent plate.