Image sensors with metallic nanoparticle optical filters

摘要

An imaging system may include one or more optical filters that include metallic nanoparticles in a matrix. The metallic nanoparticle optical filters may form a color filter array for an imager in the imaging system. Different metallic nanoparticle optical filters may be formed for each desired color. Properties of the metallic nanoparticles and matrices may be varied to achieve the desired optical filtering properties and pass the desired wavelength bands to the imager. As examples, the type of metal, the size of the nanoparticles, the shape of the nanoparticles, and the type of matrix in which the nanoparticles are formed may all influence the optical properties of the resulting metallic nanoparticle optical film.

主权项

1. An imager comprising:
an array of image sensing pixels; and a color filter array associated with the array of image sensing pixels, wherein the color filter array comprises:
first and second regions that filter different colors;a matrix; andmetallic nanoparticles within the matrix, wherein the metallic nanoparticles filter incident light, wherein the metallic nanoparticles include first metallic nanoparticles in the first region and second metallic nanoparticles in the second region, and wherein the first and second metallic nanoparticles are different in at least one of: size, shape, type of metal, and concentration within the matrix.