Patent ID: 7428111

Claim:
A camera module comprising: a lens unit having at least one lens and a lens holder for holding the at least one lens; and an image pickup portion provided below the lens unit, the image pickup portion including: (i) a substrate, (ii) an image pickup device mounted on the substrate, (iii) a housing space for housing the image pickup device therein in a hermetically sealed state, (iv) a base provided above the substrate wherein the base and the substrate define the housing space and further wherein the base includes: (a) an opening for introducing light passing through the at least one lens to the image pickup device provided in the housing space, (b) a support portion located around the opening to define the opening therein, wherein the support portion has an upper surface and a perimeter located at a side opposite to the opening (c) a recessed groove located around and outside the perimeter of the support portion wherein the recessed groove holds a resin adhesive for bonding and further wherein the recessed groove has a bottom surface, and (d) a plurality of recesses that are formed outside the recessed groove so as to be in communication with the recessed groove for introducing the resin adhesive into the recessed groove wherein each of the plurality of recesses has a bottom surface inclined in a direction toward the bottom surface of the recessed groove, and (v) a filter having a peripheral portion bonded to the upper surface of the support portion by the resin adhesive held in the recessed groove so as to cover the opening of the base.