	US 11,817,465 B2
	Image sensors
Jung Bin Yun, Hwaseong (KR); Eun Sub Shim, Hwaseong (KR); Kyung Ho Lee, Suwon (KR); Sung Ho Choi, Seoul (KR); Jung Hoon Park, Hwaseong (KR); Jung Wook Lim, Gunpo (KR); and Min Ji Jung, Daegu (KR)
Assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/155,785.
Application 18/155,785 is a continuation of application No. 17/399,282, filed on Aug. 11, 2021, granted, now 11,581,344, issued on Feb. 14, 2023.
Application 17/399,282 is a continuation of application No. 16/711,987, filed on Dec. 12, 2019, granted, now 11,121,157, issued on Sep. 14, 2021.
Application 16/711,987 is a continuation of application No. 15/862,013, filed on Jan. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,573,676, issued on Feb. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2017-0045155 (KR), filed on Apr. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0154946 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 25/70 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01)

CPC H01L 27/14605 (2013.01) [H01L 27/14627 (2013.01); H01L 27/14641 (2013.01); H04N 25/70 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01)]

18 Claims

1. An image sensor comprising:

a first pixel group comprising a 1^st photoelectric conversion element to an 8^th photoelectric conversion element and a 1^st microlens to a 4^th microlens;

a second pixel group comprising a 9^th photoelectric conversion element to a 16^th photoelectric conversion element and a 5^th microlens to an 8^th microlens;

a third pixel group comprising a 17^th photoelectric conversion element to a 24^th photoelectric conversion element and a 9^th microlens to a 12^th microlens; and

a fourth pixel group comprising a 25^th photoelectric conversion element to a 32^nd photoelectric conversion element and a 13^th microlens to a 16^th microlens;

wherein the second pixel group is disposed adjacent to the first pixel group in a first direction,

wherein the third pixel group is disposed adjacent to the first pixel group in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein the fourth pixel group is disposed adjacent to the second pixel group in the second direction and is disposed adjacent to the third pixel group in the first direction,

wherein each of the n^th microlens is disposed to overlap at least a portion of the (2xn∼1)^th photoelectric conversion elements and at least a portion of the (2xn)^thphotoelectric conversion elements in a plan view and is spaced apart from the (2xn-1)^th photoelectric conversion elements and the (2xn)^th photoelectric conversion elements in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, n is integer in a range of 1 to 16,

wherein a first color filter is disposed between the 1^st photoelectric conversion element to the 8^th photoelectric conversion element and the 1^st microlens to the 4^th microlens,

wherein a second color filter is disposed between the 9^th photoelectric conversion element to the 16^th photoelectric conversion element and the 5^th microlens to the 8^th microlens,

wherein a third color filter is disposed between the 17^th photoelectric conversion element to the 24^th photoelectric conversion element and the 9^th microlens to the 12^th microlens, and

wherein a fourth color filter is disposed between the 25^th photoelectric conversion element to the 32^nd photoelectric conversion element and the 13^th microlens to the 16^th microlens.