Patent ID: 8384009

Claim:
A solid state imaging device comprising: a first layer containing a photodiode; a second layer over the first layer, the second layer comprised of a single material layer through which incident light can pass and having one or more equiphase layers with a refractive index of n 0 , the second layer having an equiphase wave surface through which the incident light is received and a back surface through which the light exists, the second layer having an optical axis along the direction of the light passing therethrough; an alternate placement layer within the second layer, the alternate placement layer being comprised of (i) separate high refractive index layers having a great refractive index n 1 and (ii) separate low refractive index layers having a small refractive index n 0 , which high and low refractive index layers are each relatively thin in a lateral direction relative to the optical axis as compared with an optical length of the optical member, the high and low refractive index layers being disposed alternately in the lateral direction; and an antireflection film on upper and lower sides of each high refractive index layer, wherein, the alternate placement layer is effective as a condensing lens for light passing therethrough, the refractive index n 0 is less than the refractive index n 1 , a high refractive index layer is positioned at the mechanical center of the member with the optical axis extending therethrough, and the low refractive index layer is not air.