Optical waveguides in image sensors

Abstract

An embodiment relates to an image sensor comprising (a) a optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, and (b) a pair of photosensitive elements comprising a central photosensitive element and a peripheral photosensitive element, wherein the central photosensitive element is operably coupled to the core and the peripheral photosensitive element is operably coupled to the cladding, and methods of fabricating and using the same. The image sensor could further comprise a lens structure or an optical coupler or an optical coupler over the optical pipe, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler or the optical coupler is operably coupled to the optical pipe.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An image sensor comprising an optical pipe, wherein the image sensor is configured to provide a separation of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the image sensor at a cutoff wavelength without any external filter, wherein the optical pipe comprises a core and a cladding, and wherein the optical pipe transfers electromagnetic radiation incident on the image sensor to a photosensitive element on or within the substrate of the image sensor. 
     
     
         2 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a first photosensitive element. 
     
     
         3 . The image sensor of  claim 2 , further comprising a second photosensitive element coupled to the cladding. 
     
     
         4 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the core has a core index of refraction (n 1 ), the cladding has a cladding index of refraction (n 2 ), and further wherein n 1 >n 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the optical pipe is configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the image sensor at a cutoff wavelength through the core and the cladding. 
     
     
         6 . The image sensor of  claim 3 , wherein the second photosensitive element is located on or within a substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens structure or an optical coupler over the optical pipe, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler is operably coupled to the optical pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a first waveguide. 
     
     
         9 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the cladding comprises a second waveguide. 
     
     
         10 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising a stack surrounding the optical pipe, the stack comprising metallic layers embedded in dielectric layers. 
     
     
         11 . The image sensor of  claim 10 , wherein a surface of the stack comprises a reflective surface. 
     
     
         12 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The image sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the core has a core index of refraction (n 1 ), the cladding has a cladding index of refraction (n 2 ), and the stack has a stack refractive index (n 3 ), and further wherein n 1 >n 2 >n 3 . 
     
     
         14 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive element comprises a photodiode. 
     
     
         15 . An image sensor comprising an optical pipe, wherein the image sensor is configured to provide a separation of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the image sensor at a cutoff wavelength without any external filter, wherein the optical pipe comprises a waveguide, wherein the optical pipe transfers electromagnetic radiation incident on the image sensor to a photosensitive element on or within the substrate of the image sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The image sensor of  claim 15 , wherein the optical pipe transfers electromagnetic radiation incident on the image sensor to a photosensitive element on or within the substrate of the image sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The image sensor of  claim 15 , further comprising a lens structure or an optical coupler over the optical pipe, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler is operably coupled to the optical pipe. 
     
     
         18 . An image sensor comprising an optical pipe, wherein the image sensor is configured to provide a separation of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the image sensor at a cutoff wavelength without any external filter. 
     
     
         19 . The image sensor of  claim 18 , wherein the optical pipe transfers electromagnetic radiation incident on the image sensor to a photosensitive element on or within the substrate of the image sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The image sensor of  claim 18 , wherein the optical pipe comprises a core and a cladding.