Stacked image sensor with cascaded optical edge pass filters

摘要

A color sensitive image sensor includes first, second, and third image sensor layers vertically aligned in an image sensor stack. Each of the image sensor layers includes a pixel array oriented to generate image data in response to light incident on the image sensor stack and readout circuitry coupled to the pixel array to readout the image data. A first optical filter layer is disposed between the first image sensor layer and the second image sensor layer and has a first edge pass filter characteristic with a first cutoff wavelength. A second optical filter layer is disposed between the second image sensor layer and the third image sensor layer and has a second edge pass filter characteristic with a second cutoff wavelength offset from the first cutoff wavelength.

主权项

1. A color sensitive image sensor, comprising:
first, second, and third image sensor layers vertically aligned in an image sensor stack, each of the image sensor layers including:
a pixel array oriented to generate image data in response to light incident on the image sensor stack; andreadout circuitry coupled to the pixel array to readout the image data; a first optical filter layer disposed between the first image sensor layer and the second image sensor layer, the first optical filter layer having a first edge pass filter characteristic with a first cutoff wavelength; a second optical filter layer disposed between the second image sensor layer and the third image sensor layer, the second optical filter layer having a second edge pass filter characteristic with a second cutoff wavelength offset from the first cutoff wavelength; a support substrate providing mechanical support to the image sensor stack; and output circuitry disposed in or on the support substrate, the output circuitry communicative coupled to receive the image data from the readout circuitry of each of the image sensor layers in the image sensor stack and output the image data from each of the image sensor layers as a combined image.