Patent ID: 8168938

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a solid state image device, comprising the steps of: providing a silicon substrate having pixel unit therein, each pixel unit including a portion that converts light into an electrical charge; and forming an optical member by (a) forming a first single material layer film on the substrate, the single material having a refractive index of n 0 , (b) forming a thin film on the single material layer film, the thin film having a refractive index of n 1 , (c) forming openings in the thin film that extend to the single material layer film, and (d) forming a second single material layer film on the thin film so as to cover the thin film and fill the openings, wherein, n 0 <n 1 , the first and second material layer films are made of the same material, the openings in the thin film are such that the single material layer filling the openings and the remaining thin film material form an alternate placement layer, the alternate placement layer being comprised of laterally distributed separate high refractive index layers having a greater refractive index n 1 and separate lower refractive index layers having a small refractive index n 0 , which refractive index layers are each relatively thin in a lateral direction relative to an optical axis as compared with an optical length of the optical member, the high and low refractive index layers are disposed alternately in the lateral direction, the alternate placement layer is effective as a condensing lens for light passing therethrough and the optical member has a mechanical center relating to the lateral direction.