Patent ID: 7414661

Claim:
A process for fabricating camera modules, comprising: forming a plurality of arrays of pixel sensors on a wafer; attaching a spacer plate to the wafer over the arrays of pixel sensors; forming a plurality of lenses on the spacer plate, wherein each lens corresponds to and overlies one of the arrays of pixel sensors and forms an image across an area of the corresponding array of pixel sensors; and splitting the wafer to separate camera modules, each camera module including one of the arrays of pixel sensors and one of the lenses, wherein the step of forming the plurality of lenses on the spacer plate is performed after the step of attaching the spacer plate to the wafer, and further including: forming a plurality of arrays of micro lenses, wherein the micro lenses focus light onto corresponding pixel sensors: wherein forming the arrays of micro lenses comprises forming arrays of gradient index micro lenses in a lens layer having an upper surface that is substantially flat, the upper surface of the lens layer is an upper surface of the micro lenses, and attachina the spacer plate includes attaching the spacer plate directly to the upper surface of the micro lenses.