Patents by Inventor Yoichi Ootsuka

Yoichi Ootsuka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9461081
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a plurality of color filter components having a first color filter component and a second color filter component; a light shielding portion, at least a part of which is disposed between the first and second color filter components in a cross-section view; and a transparent film, at least a first part of which is disposed between the first color filter component and the light shielding portion in the cross-section view. A surface of the transparent film facing to the first and second color filter components is nonplanar, and a thickness of the transparent film is less than a thickness of the light shielding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20160231468
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a lens array and a manufacturing method therefor, a solid-state imaging apparatus, and an electronic apparatus that can improve the AF performance while suppressing the deterioration of image quality. A lens array includes microlenses that are formed corresponding to phase difference detection pixels that are provided to be mixed in imaging pixels. Each of the microlenses is formed such that a lens surface thereof is a substantially spherical surface, the microlens has a rectangular shape in a planar view and four corners are not substantially rounded, and a bottom surface in vicinity of an opposite-side boundary portion that includes an opposite-side center portion of a pixel boundary portion in a cross-sectional view is higher than a bottom surface in vicinity of a diagonal boundary portion that includes a diagonal boundary portion. The present technology is applicable to a lens array of a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Yoichi OOTSUKA, Kenju NISHIKIDO, Ippei YOSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20160204141
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20160111462
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a plurality of color filter components having a first color filter component and a second color filter component; a light shielding portion, at least a part of which is disposed between the first and second color filter components in a cross-section view; and a transparent film, at least a first part of which is disposed between the first color filter component and the light shielding portion in the cross-section view. A surface of the transparent film facing to the first and second color filter components is nonplanar, and a thickness of the transparent film is less than a thickness of the light shielding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20160086995
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: a filter section including filters that are disposed corresponding to respective pixels, and each allowing light of a color that corresponds to corresponding one of the pixels to transmit therethrough, in which the pixels are each configured to receive the light of the predetermined color; and a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses each configured to collect the light for corresponding one of the pixels, in which the microlenses are stacked with respect to the filter section, and are arranged in an array pattern corresponding to the respective pixels. The microlenses have two or more shapes that are different from one another corresponding to the respective colors of the light to be received by the pixels, and each having an end that is in contact with the end of adjacent one of the microlenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 9293504
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: a filter section including filters that are disposed corresponding to respective pixels, and each allowing light of a color that corresponds to corresponding one of the pixels to transmit therethrough, in which the pixels are each configured to receive the light of the predetermined color; and a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses each configured to collect the light for corresponding one of the pixels, in which the microlenses are stacked with respect to the filter section, and are arranged in an array pattern corresponding to the respective pixels. The microlenses have two or more shapes that are different from one another corresponding to the respective colors of the light to be received by the pixels, and each having an end that is in contact with the end of adjacent one of the microlenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 9253456
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20160013234
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yoichi Ootsuka, Tomoyuki Yamashita, Kiyotaka Tabuchi, Yoshinori Toumiya, Akiko Ogino
  • Publication number: 20160013233
    Abstract: There is provided a solid state imaging device including a plurality of imaging pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix configuration and phase difference detecting pixels arranged scatteredly among the imaging pixels, the solid state imaging device including: a first microlens formed for each of the imaging pixels; a planarization film having a lower refractive index than the first microlens and formed on the first microlens; and a second microlens formed only on the planarization film of the phase difference detecting pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Shinichiro NOUDO, Yoichi OOTSUKA
  • Patent number: 9159760
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device with microlenses having a first lens layer and a second lens layer, the second lens layer being formed at least at a periphery of each microlens with either a portion of the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the microlenses being thinner than a portion of the second lens layer present at the periphery of the microlens or no portion of the second lens layer being present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses. Between first pixel portions there is an interpixel gap, and the solid-state imaging device includes light blocking layers in alignment with the gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Ootsuka, Tomoyuki Yamashita, Kiyotaka Tabuchi, Yoshinori Toumiya, Akiko Ogino
  • Patent number: 9131100
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that has a photoelectric conversion section which converts incident light into an electric signal; a color filter which is formed corresponding to the pixel; a micro lens which focuses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion section via the color filter; and an in-layer lens which is formed between the color filter and the micro lens and has a refractive index smaller than that of the micro lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Toumiya, Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20150123227
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup element including a non-planar layer having a non-planar light incident surface in a light receiving region, and a microlens of an inorganic material which is provided on a side of the light incident surface of the non-planar layer, and collects incident light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Yoichi Ootsuka, Atsushi Yamamoto, Kensaku Maeda
  • Publication number: 20150102442
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device comprises an imaging pixel located in a light receiving region, the imaging pixel being a component of a unit pixel that is one of a plurality of unit pixels arranged in an array direction. A phase difference detection pixel is located in the light receiving region and is a component of the unit pixel, and has a corresponding photodiode with an upper surface. A first microlens corresponds to the imaging pixel, and a second microlens corresponding to the phase difference detection pixel. The second microlens has a first bottom surface in the array direction and a second bottom surface in a direction diagonal to the array direction, the second bottom surface being closer to the upper surface of the photodiode than the first bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20140367821
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including plural pixel regions, each including a pixel having a photoelectric conversion unit, a color filter, and a microlens that condenses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion unit; a first light shielding portion that has a first end face at the side of the microlens, and a second end face opposite to the first end face, and that is formed at each side portion of each pixel region of the plurality of the pixel regions; and a second light shielding portion that has a first end face at the side of the microlens, and a second end face opposite to the first end face, and that is formed at each corner portion of the pixel region, in which a distance from a surface of the pixel to the first end face is short compared to the first light shielding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20140300785
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 8853758
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including plural pixel regions, each including a pixel having a photoelectric conversion unit, a color filter, and a microlens that condenses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion unit; a first light shielding portion that has a first end face at the side of the microlens, and a second end face opposite to the first end face, and that is formed at each side portion of each pixel region of the plurality of the pixel regions; and a second light shielding portion that has a first end face at the side of the microlens, and a second end face opposite to the first end face, and that is formed at each corner portion of the pixel region, in which a distance from a surface of the pixel to the first end face is short compared to the first light shielding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20140267847
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that has a photoelectric conversion section which converts incident light into an electric signal; a color filter which is formed corresponding to the pixel; a micro lens which focuses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion section via the color filter; and an in-layer lens which is formed between the color filter and the micro lens and has a refractive index smaller than that of the micro lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Toumiya, Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20140218572
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: a filter section including filters that are disposed corresponding to respective pixels, and each allowing light of a color that corresponds to corresponding one of the pixels to transmit therethrough, in which the pixels are each configured to receive the light of the predetermined color; and a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses each configured to collect the light for corresponding one of the pixels, in which the microlenses are stacked with respect to the filter section, and are arranged in an array pattern corresponding to the respective pixels. The microlenses have two or more shapes that are different from one another corresponding to the respective colors of the light to be received by the pixels, and each having an end that is in contact with the end of adjacent one of the microlenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 8767108
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka, Kiyotaka Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 8742525
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Ogita, Atsushi Yamamoto, Keiji Tatani, Yoichi Ootsuka