阅读说明：本技术 光感测阵列模块与光收发装置 (Light sensing array module and light receiving and transmitting device ) 是由 范辰玮 于 2021-09-16 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种光感测阵列模块与光收发装置,光感测阵列模块包括光感测阵列基板、透镜阵列及遮光层。光感测阵列基板包括排成阵列的多个像素。透镜阵列配置于光感测阵列基板的上方,且包括分别配置于这些像素上方的多个微透镜。遮光层配置于光感测阵列基板与透镜阵列之间,且包括多个通光开口。这些通光开口分别配置于这些微透镜与这些像素之间,其中入射透镜阵列的入射角至少在14度以内的光会通过这些通光开口传递至这些像素,而不会被遮光层遮挡。(The invention provides a light sensing array module and a light receiving and transmitting device. The light sensing array substrate includes a plurality of pixels arranged in an array. The lens array is arranged above the light sensing array substrate and comprises a plurality of micro lenses respectively arranged above the pixels. The light shielding layer is arranged between the light sensing array substrate and the lens array and comprises a plurality of light passing openings. The light-transmitting openings are respectively arranged between the micro lenses and the pixels, wherein light with an incidence angle of at least 14 degrees entering the lens array can be transmitted to the pixels through the light-transmitting openings without being shielded by the light shielding layer.)

1. A light sensing array module, comprising:

a light sensing array substrate including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array;

a lens array disposed above the light sensing array substrate and including a plurality of microlenses respectively disposed above the plurality of pixels; and

and a light shielding layer disposed between the light sensing array substrate and the lens array and including a plurality of light passing openings respectively disposed between the microlenses and the pixels, wherein light incident on the lens array at an incident angle of at least within 14 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light passing openings without being blocked by the light shielding layer.

2. The light sensing array module of claim 1, wherein each light passing opening has a shape that matches a shape of a light spot formed at the light passing opening after light passes through the corresponding micro-lens.

3. The light sensing array module of claim 2, wherein the light spot has at least one recess, and an inner wall of the light passing opening has at least one protrusion protruding toward the at least one recess.

4. The light sensing array module of claim 3, wherein the light spot is X-shaped and has four recesses, and the inner wall of the light passing opening has four protrusions protruding toward the four recesses.

5. The light sensing array module of claim 1, wherein light incident on the lens array at an angle of incidence of at least 20 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light-passing openings without being blocked by the light-blocking layer.

6. The light sensing array module of claim 5, wherein light incident on the lens array at an angle of incidence of at least 40 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light-passing openings without being blocked by the light-blocking layer.

7. The light sensing array module of claim 1, wherein the light shielding layer is a metal layer.

8. The light sensing array module of claim 1, wherein the light sensing array substrate is a single photon avalanche diode array substrate.

9. An optical transceiver device, comprising:

a light emitting element for emitting a light beam; and

the light sensing array module is used for sensing light generated by an object after the object reflects the light beam, and comprises:

a light sensing array substrate including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array;

a lens array disposed above the light sensing array substrate and including a plurality of microlenses respectively disposed above the plurality of pixels; and

and a light shielding layer disposed between the light sensing array substrate and the lens array and including a plurality of light passing openings respectively disposed between the microlenses and the pixels, wherein light incident on the lens array at an incident angle of at least within 14 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light passing openings without being blocked by the light shielding layer.

10. The optical transceiver of claim 9, wherein each light passing opening has a shape that matches a shape of a light spot formed at the light passing opening after light passes through the corresponding micro-lens.

11. The optical transceiver according to claim 10, wherein the light spot has at least one recess, and an inner wall of the light passing opening has at least one protrusion protruding toward the at least one recess.

12. The optical transceiver of claim 11, wherein the light spot is X-shaped and has four recesses, and the inner wall of the light-passing opening has four protrusions protruding toward the four recesses.

13. The optical transceiver device of claim 9, wherein light incident on the lens array at an angle of incidence of at least 20 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light-transmitting openings without being blocked by the light-blocking layer.

14. The optical transceiver of claim 13, wherein light incident on the lens array at an angle of incidence of at least 40 degrees is transmitted to the pixels through the light-passing openings without being blocked by the light-blocking layer.

15. The optical transceiver of claim 9, wherein the light shielding layer is a metal layer.

16. The optical transceiver of claim 9, wherein the light emitting device is a laser emitter and the photo-sensing array substrate is a single photon avalanche diode array substrate.

17. The optical transceiver of claim 9, wherein the optical transceiver is a time-of-flight ranging device or a lidar, and the optical transceiver further comprises a controller electrically connected to the light emitting element and the photo sensing array substrate, and configured to calculate a distance to the object according to a time-of-flight or a phase of the light beam and the reflected light.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an optical module and an optical transceiver, and more particularly, to an optical sensing array module and an optical transceiver.

Background

With the advance of electro-optical technology, time-of-flight ranging devices (time-of-flight ranging devices) or LiDAR (light detection and ranging) devices have been developed, which measure the time-of-flight of light to calculate the distance of an object.

The time-of-flight ranging device or the optical radar comprises a laser transmitter and an optical sensing array. The laser emitter emits laser light to irradiate an external object. The external object reflects the laser back to the photo-sensing array.

In a conventional time-of-flight ranging device or a conventional optical radar, the opening position and size of the housing are used to determine the field angle of light detected by the photo sensing array. However, when the assembly position of the light sensing array in the housing is deviated, a part of the field angle is easily blocked by the housing, so that the edge noise is increased.

If an angular filter is used to filter out high angle light other than the signal, the quantum efficiency is sacrificed, although the signal-to-noise ratio (signal-to-noise ratio) is improved.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to a light sensing array module that has both high quantum efficiency and low parasitic light interference.

The present invention is directed to an optical transceiver device that has both high quantum efficiency and low parasitic light interference.

An embodiment of the invention provides a light sensing array module, which includes a light sensing array substrate, a lens array and a light shielding layer. The light sensing array substrate includes a plurality of pixels arranged in an array. The lens array is arranged above the light sensing array substrate and comprises a plurality of micro lenses respectively arranged above the pixels. The light shielding layer is arranged between the light sensing array substrate and the lens array and comprises a plurality of light passing openings. The light-transmitting openings are respectively arranged between the micro lenses and the pixels, wherein light with an incidence angle of at least 14 degrees entering the lens array can be transmitted to the pixels through the light-transmitting openings without being shielded by the light shielding layer.

An embodiment of the invention provides an optical transceiver device, which includes a light emitting element and the optical sensing array module. The light emitting element is used for emitting light beams. The light sensing array module is used for sensing light generated by an object after reflecting the beam.

In the light sensing array module and the light transceiver of the embodiment of the invention, the light shielding layer is adopted to shield stray light, and light with an incidence angle of at least 14 degrees entering the lens array is transmitted to the pixels through the light transmitting openings without being shielded by the light shielding layer, so the light sensing array module and the light transceiver of the embodiment of the invention have high quantum efficiency and low stray light interference.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical transceiver device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the light sensing array module in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the light shielding layer and the light spot in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic top view of a light shielding layer and a light spot according to another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5A is a schematic top view of a light spot formed by the light shielding layer in fig. 3 and light obliquely incident in the x direction.

Fig. 5B is a schematic top view of a light spot formed by the light shielding layer in fig. 3 and light obliquely incident in a diagonal direction.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical transceiver according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical sensing array module in fig. 1, and fig. 3 is a schematic top view of a light shielding layer and a light spot in fig. 2. Referring to fig. 1 to 3, the optical transceiver 100 of the present embodiment includes a light emitting element 110 and an optical sensing array module 200. The light emitting device 110 is used for emitting a light beam 112. The light sensing array module 200 is used for sensing the light 52 generated by the object 50 after the light beam 112 is reflected. In the present embodiment, the light emitting device 110 is a laser emitter, such as a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), and the light beam 112 is a laser beam. However, in other embodiments, the light emitting element 110 may also be other laser emitters or other kinds of light emitting elements. The light sensing array module 200 includes a light sensing array substrate 210, a lens array 220 and a light shielding layer 230. The light sensing array substrate 210 includes a plurality of pixels 211 arranged in an array (e.g., a two-dimensional array). In the present embodiment, the photo sensing array substrate 210 is a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array substrate, and each pixel 211 may include a single photon avalanche diode 212. That is, in the present embodiment, the optical transceiver 100 may be a time-of-flight ranging device, an optical radar, or a proximity sensor (proximity sensor).

The lens array 220 is disposed above the photo sensing array substrate 210 and includes a plurality of microlenses 222 respectively disposed above the pixels 211. That is, the microlenses 222 are also arranged in an array, such as a two-dimensional array. The light shielding layer 230 is disposed between the photo sensing array substrate 210 and the lens array 220 and includes a plurality of light passing openings 232. The light-passing openings 232 are respectively disposed between the microlenses 222 and the pixels 211. That is, the light passing openings 232 are arranged in an array, for example, a two-dimensional array. Light with an incident angle θ of at least 14 degrees incident on the lens array 220 is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-transmitting openings 232 without being blocked by the light-shielding layer 230. The incident angle θ is defined as an angle between the traveling direction of the light 52 and a normal N of the lens array 220, and the normal N is, for example, parallel to the optical axis of the microlens 222.

In the photo sensing array module 200 and the optical transceiver 100 of the present embodiment, the light shielding layer 230 is used to shield stray light, and the light 52 having the incident angle θ of the incident lens array 220 within at least 14 degrees is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-passing openings 232 without being shielded by the light shielding layer 230, so the photo sensing array module 200 and the optical transceiver 100 of the present embodiment have both high quantum efficiency and low stray light interference.

In the present embodiment, the light-shielding layer 230 is a metal layer, which is formed by the same material as the metal circuit layer for electrically connecting the pixels 211 in the semiconductor process for manufacturing the photo sensing array substrate 210.

In the present embodiment, the shape of each light passing opening 232 matches the shape of the light spot 53 formed at the light passing opening 232 after the light 52 passes through the corresponding microlens 222. For example, in the present embodiment, the micro lens 222 is, for example, a convex lens, and the cross section thereof is as shown in fig. 2, however, the top view of the micro lens 222 is, for example, square, so that the light spot 53 is in an X shape, and the light passing opening 232 is also in a shape matching the X shape. In this way, the light shielding layer 230 can allow the effective light 52 to pass through without shielding it, and can also shield other stray light, so that the photo sensing array module 200 and the optical transceiver device 100 of the present embodiment have both high quantum efficiency and low stray light interference.

In the present embodiment, the light spot 53 has at least one recess 55, and the inner wall 234 of the light passing opening 232 has at least one protrusion 235 protruding toward the at least one recess 55. When the light spot 53 is X-shaped and has four recesses 55, the inner wall 234 of the light-passing opening 232 has four protrusions 235 protruding toward the four recesses 55.

In other embodiments, when the light spot has other shapes or no recess, the light passing opening may also have a shape matching with the light spot. For example, referring to fig. 4, in another embodiment, when the light spot 53a has an oval shape, the shape of the light passing opening 232a can be matched with the oval shape. In other embodiments, the light spot may be circular, and the shape of the light passing opening may be matched to be circular. Alternatively, the light spot may take on other shapes, and the shape of the light passing opening may be matched therewith.

In the present embodiment, the optical transceiver 100 further includes a controller 120 electrically connected to the light emitting element 110 and the photo sensing array substrate 210, and configured to calculate the distance of the object 50 according to the flight time or the phase of the light beam 112 and the light 52, that is, the optical transceiver 100 is a time-of-flight ranging device or a light radar.

In an embodiment, the controller 120 is, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor (microprocessor), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a programmable controller, a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), or other similar devices or combinations thereof, which are not limited by the invention. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the functions of the controller 120 may be implemented as a plurality of program codes. The program codes are stored in a memory and executed by the controller 120. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the functions of the controller 120 may be implemented as one or more circuits. The present invention is not limited to the implementation of the functions of the controller 120 in software or hardware.

Fig. 5A is a schematic top view of the light spot formed by the light shielding layer in fig. 3 and the light obliquely incident in the x direction, and fig. 5B is a schematic top view of the light spot formed by the light shielding layer in fig. 3 and the light obliquely incident in the diagonal direction. Referring to fig. 1, fig. 2, fig. 5A and fig. 5B, when the light 52 is incident to the off-center position of the photo sensing array module 200, the light 52 may be obliquely incident, so that the light spot 53B (as shown in fig. 5A) or the light spot 53c (as shown in fig. 5B) formed at the light-passing opening 232 may be distorted, for example, tilted to one side or one corner. Spot 53B of fig. 5A is formed by light 52 having an incident angle θ of 14 degrees in the x-direction, and spot 53c of fig. 5B is formed by light 52 having an incident angle θ of 14 degrees in the diagonal direction (i.e., a direction that is 45 degrees from both the x-direction and the y-direction, where the x-direction is perpendicular to the y-direction).

In the present embodiment, the light 52 with the incident angle θ exceeding 14 degrees is blocked by the light-shielding layer 230, especially in the diagonal direction as shown in fig. 5B. However, in other embodiments, the light 52 having the incident angle θ within at least 20 degrees incident on the lens array 220 is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-passing openings 232 without being blocked by the light-shielding layer 230. In one embodiment, the light 52 with the incident angle θ within 20 degrees incident on the lens array 220 is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-passing openings 232 without being blocked by the light-shielding layer 230, and the light 52 with the incident angle θ exceeding 20 degrees is blocked by the light-shielding layer 230. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the light 52 having the incident angle θ of the lens array 220 within at least 40 degrees is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-passing openings 232 without being blocked by the light-shielding layer 230. In one embodiment, the light 52 with the incident angle θ within 40 degrees incident on the lens array 220 is transmitted to the pixels 211 through the light-passing openings 232 without being blocked by the light-shielding layer 230, and the light 52 with the incident angle θ exceeding 40 degrees is blocked by the light-shielding layer 230.

Referring to fig. 2, the light sensing array module 200 of the present embodiment may include another light shielding layer 240, and the light shielding layer 240 may have light passing openings 242 respectively disposed between the microlenses 222 and the pixels 211. The clear opening 242 may be designed in the same manner as the clear opening 232, i.e. the shape of the clear opening 242 may match the shape of the spot formed by the light 52 at the clear opening 242. Since the light-shielding layer 240 is disposed between the light-shielding layer 230 and the photo-sensing array substrate 210, the size of the light-passing opening 242 may be smaller than that of the light-passing opening 232.

Like the light-shielding layer 230, the light-shielding layer 240 may also be a metal layer, such as a metal layer formed of the same material as the metal circuit layer for electrically connecting the pixels 211 in the semiconductor process for manufacturing the photo sensor array substrate 210. Since the metal wiring layer may have a plurality of layers, several layers (for example, N layers, N being 1 or more) of the metal wiring layer may be selected as the light-shielding layer having the above-described characteristics (i.e., the same design concept as the light-shielding layer 230). In other embodiments, the light-shielding layer having the above characteristics may have only one layer (i.e., the light-shielding layer 230). Alternatively, the light sensing array module 200 may only have the light shielding layer 230, but not the light shielding layer 240.

In summary, in the photo sensing array module and the optical transceiver according to the embodiments of the invention, the light shielding layer is used to shield the stray light, and the light with the incident angle of at least 14 degrees incident on the lens array is transmitted to the pixels through the light-transmitting openings without being shielded by the light shielding layer.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.