Abstract: A 3D imaging apparatus includes: a first image capturing camera generating a base image to be used for obtaining a first range image showing a three-dimensional character of an object; a second image capturing camera generating a reference image to be used for obtaining the first range image; a stereo matching unit searching for corresponding pixels between the base image and the reference image, and generating a first range image by calculating a disparity between the corresponding pixels; and a light source emitting to the object infrared light whose intensity is modulated. The first image capturing camera further generates a second range image by receiving a reflected light in synchronization with the modulated intensity. The reflected light is the infrared light reflected off the object. The second range image includes range information on a range between a point of reflection off the object and the first imaging unit.

Abstract: The image-capturing device according to the present invention includes a solid-state imaging element, an infrared LED which emits infrared light, a light-emission controlling unit which causes the infrared LED to emit infrared pulsed light on a per frame time basis, and a signal processing unit which extracts, from the solid-state imaging element, a color visible-light image signal in synchronization with a non-emitting period and an infrared image signal in synchronization with an emitting period of the infrared LED. The solid-state imaging element includes an image-capturing region in which unit-arrays are two-dimensionally arranged, and each of the unit-arrays has a pixel for receiving green visible light and infrared light, a pixel for receiving red visible light and infrared light, a pixel for receiving blue visible light and infrared light, and a pixel for receiving infrared light.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device includes an active layer 106 made of a nitride semiconductor formed on a substrate and a current confining layer 109 formed above the active layer 106. The current confining layer has an opening 109a through which a current selectively flows into the active layer 106. The device satisfies 0.044<?n/?v<0.062 where ?n is the effective refractive index difference between the opening 109a and the current confining layer 109 and ?v is the vertical optical confinement factor as the proportion of laser light confined in the active layer 106 to laser light emitted in the active layer 106.

Abstract: To provide a solid-state imaging device that can capture an image which is bright through to its periphery, even when used in a single-lens reflex digital camera that accepts various interchangeable lenses from wide-angle to telephoto. The solid-state imaging device includes a two-dimensional array of unit pixels each of which includes a light-collecting element. A light-collecting element in a unit pixel is a combination of circular-sector-shaped light-collecting elements having different concentric structures. A central axis of the concentric structures is perpendicular to a light-receiving plane of the light-collecting element. Each of the circular-sector-shaped light-collecting elements is divided into concentric zone areas of a width equal to or smaller than a wavelength of incident light. Thus, an image which is bright through to its periphery can be captured even when light incident on a unit pixel changes from wide-angle to telecentric (chief rays are approximately parallel to an optical axis).

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a substrate 11 having a (1-100) oriented principal surface, a semiconductor multilayer structure 12 formed on the substrate 11 and having a stripe-shaped optical waveguide, and a plurality of pyramidal protrusions 13 formed at least on a part of a light emitting facet of the substrate 11. The light emitting facet has a (000-1) plane orientation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a contact-type solid-state imaging apparatus which realizes high resolution and high sensitivity, and also implements downsizing and lowering the cost of the contact-type solid-state imaging apparatus. Each pixel includes a protection glass plate, a light-collecting device, a light-receiving device, a semiconductor integrated circuit, a light emitting diode (LED) and a mounting package. The light-collecting apparatus has two kinds of distributed index lens (o lens and convex lens), and Sin (N=2) film, which is a two-stage concentric structure, is embedded in SiO2 (N=1.45) film.

Abstract: The phase shift mask according to the present invention is a phase shift mask for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The phase shift mask includes a light-blocking portion, a light-transmitting portion, a phase shift portion, and an auxiliary pattern portion, the light-blocking portion, the light-transmitting portion, the phase shift portion, and the auxiliary pattern portion being concentrically arranged, wherein a width of the auxiliary pattern portion in a radius direction is less than a width of the light-transmitting portion and a width of the phase shift portion in a radius direction. Furthermore, it is possible that a phase of exposure light which passes through an auxiliary pattern portion is opposite to a phase of exposure light which passes through a light-transmitting portion or a phase shift portion, the light-transmitting portion or the phase shift portion being the closest to the auxiliary pattern portion.

Abstract: A small-sized and low-height camera module is provided. A camera module 100 includes a solid-state imaging device 1 and an imaging lens which is joined so as to have a gap between the lens and the solid-state imaging device 1. The imaging lens is configured to form a refractive index distribution 3 of a concentric circle structure so as to converge light on the image pickup area of the solid-state imaging device 1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a lens, in which the method includes exposing a photoresist to light using a phase shift mask. Here, the phase shift mask includes layout portions respectively corresponding to pixels and lens, in which each of the layout portions has: a light-blocking portion which has a shape of a substantially circle or a substantially concentric zone; a light-transmitting portion which has a shape of a substantially circle or a substantially concentric zone; a phase shift portion which has a shape of a substantially circle or a substantially concentric zone; and a light-blocking frame. Furthermore, the light-transmitting portion, the light-blocking portion and the phase shift portion are arranged alternately so as to form concentric circles, and the light-blocking frame corresponds to a whole or a part of a perimeter of the lens.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state imaging device which compensates a field curvature which occurs due to an aberration of the optical imaging system and surely receive light incident with a wide angle. Each pixel (pixel size of 2.2 ?m square) in a solid-state imaging device includes a light-transmitting film with the first effective refractive index distribution and a light-transmitting film with the second effective refractive index distribution, a light-receiving element, a wiring, a wavelength selection filter, and a Si substrate. A pixel (1) is a pixel placed an approximate center of the solid-state imaging device. A pixel (n) is a pixel placed in the periphery of the solid-state imaging device, and a pixel (n-x) is a pixel that are placed between the pixel (1) and the pixel (n). The light-transmitting film of each pixel has approximately same effective refractive index distribution. ?0 which is a main light angle on the light-receiving element side, is approximately same.

Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging device which is able to achieve reductions in size and in thickness of the device, while being also able to have an auxiliary function of imaging lenses, an infrared cut filter, an antireflection function, a dust preventing function for downsizing of packaging, and an infrared light imaging function for capturing images at night. The solid-state imaging device includes: a light-collecting element which collects incident light; and a transparent thin film formed above the light-collecting element, and an air gap is formed between the light-collecting element and the transparent thin film. On the transparent thin film, the auxiliary function of imaging lenses, the infrared cut filter, the antireflection function, the dust preventing function for downsizing of packaging, and the infrared light imaging function for capturing images at night are integrated.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which includes a color filter having excellent color reproduction, a manufacturing method thereof and a camera are provided. A color filter in a solid-state imaging device 1 having an optical film thickness of approximately ¼ of a set wavelength ?, being sandwiched by a third layer and a fourth layer which are spacer layers in which only 3 layers are laminated and which consist of two types of layers (first layers and a second layer) with different refractive indexes, and further, having a structure that is sandwiched by a film, a first layer, which has a film thickness approximately equal to the above ?/4. Between the two types of layers having different refractive indexes, the first layers are composed of high refractive index material, and the second layer is composed of low refractive index material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state imaging apparatus and the like which is able to support an optical system whose incident angle is wide. Each pixel is 2.25 ?m square in size, and includes a distributed index lens (1), a color filter (for example, for green) (2), an Al interconnections (3), a signal transmitting unit (4), a planarized layer (5), a light-receiving device (Si photodiodes) (6), and an Si substrate (7). The two-stage concentric circle structure of the distributed index lens is formed by SiO2 (n=2) with the film thickness 1.2 ?m (“grey color”), the film thickness 0.8 ?m (“dots pattern”) and the film thickness of 0 ?m (“without pattern: white color”), and the medium surrounding the distributed index lens (1)is air (n=1).

Abstract: A high sensitive solid-state imaging apparatus which corresponds to an optical system has a short focal length (an optical system having a large incident angle ?). Each pixel (2.8 mm square in size) includes a distributed refractive index lens, a color filter for green, Al wirings, a signal transmitting unit, a planarized layer, a light-receiving element (Si photodiode), and an Si substrate. The concentric circle structure of the distributed index lens is made of four types of materials having different refractive indexes such as TiO2 (n=2.53), SiN (n=2.53), SiO2 (n=2.53), and air (n=1.0). In the concentric structure, a radial difference of outer peripheries of adjacent circular light-transmitting films is 100 nm. Furthermore, the film thickness is 0.4 ?m.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels with associated microlenses arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each microlens includes a distributed index lens with a modulated effective refractive index distribution obtained by including a combination of a plurality of patterns having a concentric structure, the plurality of patterns being divided into line widths equal to or shorter than a wavelength of an incident light. At least one of the plurality of patterns includes a lower light-transmitting film having the concentric structure and a first line width and a first film thickness, and an upper light-transmitting film having the concentric structure configured on the lower light-transmitting film having a second line width and a second film thickness. The distributed index lens has a structure in which a refractive index material is dense at a center and becomes sparse gradually toward an outer side in the concentric structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state imaging device including an optical element that efficiently condenses even wide-angle incident light and has a color separation function. The solid-state imaging device includes pixels, and in the device each pixel includes: a light receiving element; and an optical element, whose surface, at least, is made of metal, the optical element has: an aperture; and convex parts which are arranged cyclically, and a distance between adjacent convex parts and a width of each convex part range from 0 to 1 wavelength of the light to be condensed.

Abstract: The invention provides a night-vision imaging apparatus including: a light emission unit that emits infrared light; a solid-state imaging device that converts the infrared light into a first signal; a light-emission control unit that allows the light emission unit to emit the infrared light which is modulated according to a temporally pseudo-random first modulation; and an extraction unit that extracts, according to the first modulation, a signal corresponding to the infrared light emitted by the light emission unit from the first signal.

Abstract: In a semiconductor-device fabrication method, a plurality of recessed portions are first formed in the principal surface of a substrate. Then, a through hole, passing through the substrate in the front-to-back direction of the substrate, is formed under a portion of the bottom of each recessed portion in the substrate. Subsequently, a plurality of semiconductor elements in the form of chips are spread in a liquid, and the semiconductor-element-spread liquid is poured over the principal surface of the substrate, while passing the liquid through the through holes, so that the semiconductor elements fit into the recessed portions in a self-aligned manner. In this way, the semiconductor elements are disposed into the recessed portions in the substrate in a self-aligned manner.

Abstract: The image-capturing apparatus according to the present invention is an image-capturing apparatus including a solid-state imaging device which generates a first image by image-capturing a subject using a first exposure time, a predicted-flare generating unit which generates a predicted-flare image showing a flare component included in the first image, a subtracting unit which generates a difference image by subtracting the predicted-flare image from the first image, and an amplifying unit which generates an amplified image by amplifying the difference image.

Abstract: To provide a solid-state imaging device that can capture an image which is bright through to its periphery, even when used in a single-lens reflex digital camera that accepts various interchangeable lenses from wide-angle to telephoto. The solid-state imaging device includes a two-dimensional array of unit pixels each of which includes a light-collecting element. A light-collecting element in a unit pixel is a combination of circular-sector-shaped light-collecting elements having different concentric structures. A central axis of the concentric structures is perpendicular to a light-receiving plane of the light-collecting element. Each of the circular-sector-shaped light-collecting elements is divided into concentric zone areas of a width equal to or smaller than a wavelength of incident light. Thus, an image which is bright through to its periphery can be captured even when light incident on a unit pixel changes from wide-angle to telecentric (chief rays are approximately parallel to an optical axis).