Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a device function layer formed thereon; forming a first opening in the device function layer, the first opening extending through the device function layer and having a side-to-bottom angle of smaller than 90°; and etching the substrate to form therein a second opening by using the device function layer as a mask and the first opening as a mask pattern. A method of fabricating a stacked chip is also disclosed, in which a second opening is formed in the same manner as the fabrication method of the semiconductor device. The fabrication methods are capable of simplifying semiconductor fabrication processes, increasing the throughput of a semiconductor fabrication plant and reducing fabrication cost.

Abstract: An optical mold including a spacer cavity portion, a lens cavity portion and a flow stop control portion for allowing optical lens material to flow between the spacer cavity portion and the lens cavity portion and an optical lens array formed therefrom. The optical mold may further include a pedestal located within the spacer cavity portion for supporting the mold during a puddle dispensing process. A method for using the optical mold including the spacer cavity portion, the lens cavity portion, and the flow cavity portion, and optionally the pedestal.

Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus including a pixel array and a color filter array optically coupled to the pixel array, the color filter array including a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units. Processing circuitry is coupled to the pixel array to correct fixed pattern noise (FPN) in an image captured by the pixel array. The processing circuitry corrects the values of pixels that are part of a correction group, and wherein the corrections comprise a combination of a color ratio correction that is based on the ratios of selected colors within the minimal repeating unit, and one or more crosstalk corrections that are based on a chief ray angle (CRA) correction and the color ratio correction.

Abstract: Video conferencing for mobile platforms is provided by logging a first mobile platform into a conference server, which finds a first peer-to-peer station on a network to connect with the first mobile platform. The first peer-to-peer station is a nearest available peer-to-peer station on the network to the first mobile platform. The first peer-to-peer station on the network is connected to the first mobile platform. First communication data is received at the first peer-to-peer station directly from the first mobile platform. The first communication data is sent directly from the first peer-to-peer station to a second peer-to-peer station through a peer-to-peer connection in the network. The first communication data is sent directly from the second peer-to-peer station to a second mobile platform connected to the second peer-to-peer station. The second peer-to-peer station is a nearest available peer-to-peer station on the network to the second mobile platform.

Abstract: A dual pixel-size color image sensor, including an imaging surface, for imaging of incident light, and a plurality of color pixels, each color pixel including (a) four large photosites, including two large first-color photosites sensitive to a first color of the incident light, and (b) four small photosites including two small first-color photosites sensitive to the first color of the incident light. The large and small first-color photosites are arranged such that connected regions of the imaging surface, not associated with large and/or small first-color photosites, are not continuous straight lines. A method for manufacturing a color filter array on an imaging surface of a dual pixel-size image sensor includes forming a first-color coating on first portions of the imaging surface to form large and small first-color photosites sensitive to a first color, wherein connected portions of the imaging surface, different from the first portions, are not continuous straight lines.

Abstract: An image sensor read out circuit includes a first current mirror circuit in which a second current conducted through a second current path is controlled in response to a first current conducted through the first current path. The second current is conducted through an amplifier transistor of a pixel circuit. A first current source is coupled to the first current path to provide a substantially constant current component of the first current. A second current source is coupled to a power supply rail of the pixel circuit and coupled to the first current path to provide a ripple current component of the first current. The ripple current component provided by the second current source is responsive to a ripple in the power supply rail. The first current is responsive to a sum of the currents from the first and second current sources.

Abstract: An image sensor pixel includes a photodiode region having a first polarity doping type disposed in a semiconductor layer. A pinning surface layer having a second polarity doping type is disposed over the photodiode region in the semiconductor layer. The second polarity is opposite from the first polarity. A first polarity charge layer is disposed proximate to the pinning surface layer over the photodiode region. A contact etch stop layer is disposed over the photodiode region proximate to the first polarity charge layer. The first polarity charge layer is disposed between the pinning surface layer and the contact etch stop layer such that first polarity charge layer cancels out charge having a second polarity that is induced in the contact etch stop layer. A passivation layer is also disposed over the photodiode region between the pinning surface layer and the first polarity charge layer.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photosensitive devices arranged in a semiconductor substrate. A planar layer is disposed over the plurality of photosensitive devices in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of first microlenses comprised of a lens material is arranged in first lens regions on the planar layer. A plurality of lens barriers comprised of the lens material is arranged on the planar layer to provide boundaries that define second lens regions on the planar layer. A plurality of second microlenses comprised of the lens material is formed within the boundaries provided by the plurality of lens barriers that define the second lens regions on the planar layer. The plurality of lens barriers are integrated with respective second microlenses after a reflow process of the plurality of second microlenses.

Abstract: An integrated circuit system includes a first device wafer bonded to a second device wafer at a bonding interface of dielectrics. Each wafer includes a plurality of dies, where each die includes a device, a metal stack, and a seal ring that is formed at an edge region of the die. Seal rings included in dies of the second device wafer each include a first conductive path provided with metal formed in a first opening that extends from a backside of the second device wafer, through the second device wafer, and through the bonding interface to the seal ring of a corresponding die in the first device wafer.

Abstract: A continuous autofocus system includes an image generation portion including a lens, an autofocus voice coil motor for translating the lens with respect to an image sensor capable of generating image data. The autofocus system further includes a driver IC for controlling the autofocus voice coil motor based on the image data, wherein the image data is directly transmitted to the driver IC thereby continuously maintaining a focused image generated by the image generation portion.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes CMOS integrated circuit cells arranged in a semiconductor layer, each including first and second active regions, having first and second polarities, respectively. A first power rail is routed along boundaries of the CMOS integrated circuit cells proximate to the first active regions. A second power rail is routed over second active regions. Global routing channels are routed over the second active regions such that the second power rail is disposed between the global routing channels and the first power rail. The global routing channels are coupled between the CMOS integrated circuit cells to couple the CMOS integrated circuit cells together globally in the integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A system for obtaining an electronic image from within a strong magnetic field includes (a) a camera having an electronic image sensor for generating a first electrical image signal representative of the electronic image, and an electrical-to-optical converter for converting the first electrical image signal to an optical signal, (b) an optical-to-electrical converter for converting the optical signal to a second electrical image signal representative of the electronic image, and (c) an optical fiber for communicating the optical signal from the camera to the optical-to-electrical converter.

Abstract: An image transformation and multi-view output system and associated method generates output view data from raw image data using a coordinate mapping that reverse maps pixels of the output view data onto the raw image data. The coordinate mapping is stored in a lookup table and incorporates perspective correction and/or distortion correction for a wide angle lens used to capture the raw image data. The use of the lookup table with reverse mapping improves performance of the image transformation and multi-view output system to allow multi-view video streaming of images corrected for one or both of perspective and distortion.

Abstract: A mobile computing device includes first, second and third cameras coupled to produce first, second and third camera video streams, respectively. The first camera is on a first side of the mobile computing device, and the second and third cameras are included in a stereo camera on a second side of the mobile computing device. A video processor is coupled to generate an output video stream including a first video layer generated from the first camera video stream. The video processor is further coupled to generate the output video stream to include second and third video layers from the second camera video stream in response to the second and the third camera video streams. The video processor is further coupled to overlay the first video layer between the second video layer and the third video layer in the output video stream.

Abstract: A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.

Abstract: A CMOS pixel array is introduced into a dark environment to acquire video image frames. During a first frame, each row of pixels is sequentially reset, one row at a time, and then each row of pixels is sequentially read out, one row at a time. During a second frame, each row of pixels is sequentially reset, one row at a time, and then each row of pixels sequentially read out, one row at a time. A light source illuminates the dark environment during a vertical blanking period between the reading of the last row during the first frame and the reading of the first row during the second frame. The light source does not illuminate the dark environment between reading the first and last rows during the first frame nor between reading the first and last rows during the second frame.

Abstract: A system and method for generating an image includes a plurality of imaging units coupled together and a system controller coupled to the plurality of imaging units for providing at least one signal to each of the plurality of imaging units. Each of the imaging units comprises: an image sensing unit for generating an in-situ image, each in-situ image being a portion of the image; an input for receiving the in-situ image; a composition unit for receiving a first composite image and producing a second composite image, the second composite image being a combination of the first composite image and the in-situ image; and an output at which the second composite image is provided.

Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having a back-side surface and a front-side surface. The semiconductor layer includes a pixel array region including a plurality of photodiodes configured to receive image light through the back-side surface of the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer also includes a peripheral circuit region including peripheral circuit elements for operating the plurality of photodiodes that borders the pixel array region. The peripheral circuit elements emit photons. The peripheral circuit region also includes a doped semiconductor region positioned to absorb the photons emitted by the peripheral circuit elements to prevent the plurality of photodiodes from receiving the photons.

Abstract: A method of controlling a pixel array includes reading out image data from pixel cells of a row i of the pixel array with second transfer control signals that are coupled to be received by transfer transistors included in the pixels cells of the row of the pixel array that is being read out. Exposure times for pixel cells are independently controlled in other rows of the pixel array that are not being read out with first transfer control signals coupled to be received by transfer transistors included in the pixel cells in the other rows of the pixel array that are not being read out while the image data is read out from the pixel cells of row i of the pixel array.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a photosensing element for receiving infrared (IR) radiation and detecting the IR radiation and generating an electrical signal indicative of the IR radiation. A redistribution layer (RDL) is disposed under the photosensing element, the RDL comprising pattern of conductors for receiving the electrical signal. An IR reflection layer, an IR absorption layer or an isolation layer is disposed between the photosensing element and the RDL. The IR reflection layer, IR absorption layer or isolation layer provides a barrier to IR radiation such that the IR radiation does not impinge upon the RDL. As a result, a ghost image of the RDL is not generated, resulting in reduced noise and improved sensitivity and performance of the image sensor.