US 12,130,180 B2
Single chip spectral polarization imaging sensor
Viktor Gruev, Champaign, IL (US)
Assigned to The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (US)
Filed by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana (IL)
Filed on Aug. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/887,716.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/232,758, filed on Aug. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049577 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G01J 3/28 (2006.01); G01J 4/04 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H01L 31/0232 (2014.01); H01L 31/101 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 3/2803 (2013.01) [G01J 3/2823 (2013.01); G01J 4/04 (2013.01); H01L 27/14647 (2013.01); H01L 31/02327 (2013.01); H01L 31/1013 (2013.01); G01J 2003/2806 (2013.01); G01J 2003/2826 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A superpixel for a digital camera, the superpixel comprising:
an array of spectral pixels and an adjacent array of polarization pixels, wherein:
each spectral pixel comprises:
a first stack of at least two photodiodes, each photodiode of the at least two photodiodes configured to have a quantum efficiency at a wavelength different from the quantum efficiency at the wavelength of each other photodiode of the at least two photodiodes; and
a spectral filter configured to pass at least two transmission peaks to its respective first stack of at least two photodiodes; and
each polarization pixel comprises:
a second stack of at least two photodiodes, each photodiode of the at least two photodiodes configured to have a quantum efficiency at a wavelength different from the quantum efficiency at the wavelength of each other photodiode of the at least two photodiodes; and
a polarization filter configured to pass a polarization of light to its respective second stack of at least two photodiodes different from the polarization passed by each other polarization filter in the superpixel.