阅读说明：本技术 一种应用于彩色成像的滤波单元及滤波芯片 (Filtering unit and filtering chip applied to color imaging ) 是由 郑宏志 于 2021-02-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种应用于彩色成像的滤波单元,其特征在于,多层膜干涉滤波结构的上表面设置染料薄膜层,所述染料薄膜层对入射、反射的非透射光线进行双重吸收。此外还公开了集成上述滤波单元的一种宽光谱彩色滤波芯片及其制备方法,该滤波芯片解决了传统染料滤光薄膜高透过率、低截止透过率之间的矛盾,使得多层膜干涉滤波结构应用于彩色成像与显示领域成为了现实。(The invention discloses a filtering unit applied to color imaging, which is characterized in that a dye thin film layer is arranged on the upper surface of a multilayer film interference filtering structure, and the dye thin film layer performs double absorption on incident and reflected non-transmission light rays. In addition, the filter chip solves the contradiction between high transmittance and low cut-off transmittance of the traditional dye filter film, so that the application of the multilayer film interference filter structure to the field of color imaging and display becomes a reality.)

1. The filtering unit applied to color imaging is characterized in that a dye thin film layer is arranged on the upper surface of a multilayer film interference filtering structure and is used for carrying out double absorption on incident and reflected non-transmission light rays.

2. The filter unit for color imaging according to claim 1, wherein the dye film layer has a thickness of 10nm to 800 nm.

3. A broad-spectrum color filter chip comprising a filter layer formed by repeatedly arranging the filter units of claim 1, wherein a microlens structure array layer is arranged on the filter layer, and an image sensor is arranged below the filter layer.

4. The wide-spectrum color filter chip according to claim 3, wherein the filter layer, the microlens structure array layer, and the image sensor are disposed in sequence from top to bottom.

5. The broad spectrum color filter chip of claim 3 or 4, wherein said repeating arrangement comprises: bayer array arrangement.

6. The wide-spectrum color filter chip of claim 5, wherein said bayer array arrangement comprises: RGBG.

7. A method of making the broad spectrum color filter chip of claim 6, comprising the steps of:

on the surface of the image sensor, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, the multilayer film interference filter structure corresponding to red light is deposited, the multilayer film interference filter structure corresponding to the red light is manufactured by combining a lift-off stripping process, the steps are repeated, the multilayer film interference filter structures corresponding to the green light and the blue light are deposited one by one, and the whole multilayer film interference filter structure array is manufactured;

coating the dye thin film layers with the respective corresponding colors on the upper surface of the multilayer film interference filter structure array to form a filter layer;

and depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the upper surface of the filter layer, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color filter chip.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of color imaging and display, in particular to a filtering unit and a filtering chip applied to color imaging.

Background

At present, the requirements for the shooting and photographing performance of mobile terminals such as smart phones are higher and higher, and the color reduction capability of a color camera directly concerns the imaging quality and is a key index which is regarded by various large camera manufacturers. The mainstream color imaging technology today is to combine a black and white image sensor with an RGB Color Filter Array (CFA) to realize color synthesis and color reduction, and the most commonly used CFA structure at present is to combine a dye and a polymer resin into a filter film, and to perform filtering by the selective absorption characteristic of the dye. However, when the transmittance is kept enough, the cut-off performance of the conventional dye-based color filter structure in the non-transmissive region is poor, the resolution of colors with different wavelengths is not high, and the color restoration quality is seriously affected. For the dye type thin film filter structure widely used nowadays, high transmittance and low cut-off transmittance cannot be considered simultaneously, which is the key point for restricting the further improvement of the color imaging quality.

Therefore, in the aspect of wide-spectrum color filtering application, a wide-spectrum filtering structure chip with high transmittance, low cut-off transmittance and low reflectivity is developed and designed, which is particularly important for making up the defects in the prior art and further improving the imaging quality, and has great significance for improving the color imaging performance of mobile terminal application.

Therefore, those skilled in the art have been devoted to develop a filter unit and a filter chip for high-quality color imaging.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, the technical problems to be solved by the present invention are:

(1) the color filtering means traditionally combined with black and white image sensors are: RGB color filter film array. The disadvantages of this device are: the cut-off performance is poor, the color discrimination of different wavelengths is not high, and the color restoration quality is low.

(2) The interference filter of the multilayer film system cannot be applied to the fields of color imaging and display due to the influence of the glare effect.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a filter unit for color imaging, wherein a dye thin film layer is disposed on an upper surface of a multilayer interference filter structure, and the dye thin film layer performs dual absorption on incident and reflected non-transmitted light.

Further, the thickness of the dye thin film layer is 10 nm-800 nm.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a broad spectrum color filter chip, comprising a filter layer formed by repeating the filter units of claim 1, wherein a microlens array layer is disposed on the filter layer, and an image sensor is disposed under the filter layer.

Furthermore, the wide-spectrum color filter chip is sequentially provided with the filter layer, the micro-lens structure array layer and the image sensor from top to bottom.

Further, the repeating arrangement includes: bayer array arrangement.

Further, the bayer array arrangement includes: RGBG, GRGB, RGGB, RGBW.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip is provided, which includes the following steps:

on the surface of the image sensor, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, the multilayer film interference filter structure corresponding to red light is deposited, the multilayer film interference filter structure corresponding to the red light is manufactured by combining a lift-off stripping process, the steps are repeated, the multilayer film interference filter structures corresponding to the green light and the blue light are deposited one by one, and the whole multilayer film interference filter structure array is manufactured;

coating the dye thin film layers with the respective corresponding colors on the upper surface of the multilayer film interference filter structure array to form a filter layer;

and depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the upper surface of the filter layer, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color filter chip.

Technical effects

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following advantages:

1. the broad spectrum has high transmission energy. Compared with the existing dye filtering structure, the thickness of the dye structure layer in the filtering unit is smaller, the absorption of the permeable wave band is weakened, the absorption rate of the multilayer film interference filtering structure to the permeable wave band is extremely low, and the transmittance can reach 99%. Therefore, the filtering unit can effectively improve the transmittance of the penetrable wave band, flexibly design the wide-spectrum coverage distribution according to actual needs, and comprehensively improve the total transmission energy.

2. The cut-off region has a low transmittance. The existing dye filtering structure is limited by keeping higher transmittance, and cannot adopt a dye film with enough thickness to improve the cut-off performance, but the multilayer film interference filtering structure adopted by the invention mainly depends on the multilayer film interference filtering structure to provide high cut-off characteristic, can increase the logarithm of the multilayer film alternate deposition to reduce the cut-off transmittance while keeping the high transmittance, and can be flexibly regulated and controlled in practical application until the application requirement is met.

3. The cut-off region has a low reflectivity. According to the invention, the dye thin film layer with a relatively thin thickness is deposited on the multilayer film interference filter structure, and the light of the non-transmission waveband reflected by the multilayer film interference filter structure can be doubly absorbed, so that the absorptivity of the reflected light can be greatly improved. Compared with the high reflectivity of a single multilayer film interference filter structure, the reflectivity of the wide-spectrum color filter composite structure adopted by the invention is basically equal to that of a commercial dye color filter structure, and the interference of reflected light on an imaging system is effectively avoided.

The filtering unit, the multilayer film interference filtering structure and the dye film layer mutually make up for respective defects: the multilayer film interference filtering structure solves the core problem that the transmittance and the cut-off transmittance cannot be considered at the same time in the traditional dye film filtering structure, and greatly improves the transmission filtering performance; meanwhile, the addition of the dye thin film layer also well solves the problem of high reflectivity of a multi-layer film interference filter structure without an absorptive material, and further eliminates the glare effect possibly generated by multiple reflections between lenses, so that the multi-layer film system wide-spectrum structure is hopefully and really applied to a color camera. Therefore, the high-efficiency wide-spectrum color filtering composite structure design provided by the invention simultaneously solves the problems and has excellent comprehensive optical properties of high transmittance, low cut-off transmittance and low reflectivity.

The conception, the specific structure and the technical effects of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings to fully understand the objects, the features and the effects of the present invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a filter unit for color imaging, in which: 201-multilayer film interference filter structure, 301-dye thin film layer.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a filter unit for color imaging in RGB mode, in which: 201-multilayer film interference filter structure, 301-dye film layer, labeled R, G, B corresponding to red, green and blue light channels, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a process using (A/B)ⁿThe cross section of the multilayer film interference filter structure deposited alternately is schematic, and the cross section is as follows: 211 and 212 are for different thin film layers, and n represents the number of deposited film pairs.

FIG. 4 shows a scheme using A (B/C/B)ⁿA sectional view of a multilayer film interference filter structure deposited alternately in the mode A; in the figure: 221. 222 and 223 are corresponding to different thin film layers.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the method using (A/B)^m(C/D)ⁿA cross section schematic diagram of a multilayer film interference filter structure deposited alternately in a mode; in the figure: 231. 232, 233 and 234 are corresponding different thin film layers.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a broad spectrum color filter chip, in which: 101-image sensor, 501-filter layer, 401-microlens structure array layer.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an RGBG arrangement in a bayer arrangement array.

FIG. 8 is a simulated RGB tristimulus spectrum of a broad spectrum color filter chip.

Detailed Description

The technical contents of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly and easily understood by referring to the drawings attached to the specification. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms of embodiments and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

In the drawings, structurally identical elements are represented by like reference numerals, and structurally or functionally similar elements are represented by like reference numerals throughout the several views. The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated, and the present invention is not limited to the size and thickness of each component. The thickness of the components may be exaggerated where appropriate in the figures to improve clarity.

As shown in fig. 1, 301 is a dye thin film layer, 201 is a multilayer film interference filter structure, and the dye thin film layer is located above the multilayer film interference filter structure. The optional preparation method of the dye film layer is to combine the dye and the high molecular resin into the light filtering film. The selective absorption characteristic of dyestuff thin film layer through the dyestuff filters, and people can prepare out the dyestuff thin film layer that absorbs different wavelength through the dyestuff molecule in the regulation and control dyestuff thin film layer, and common dyestuff molecule includes among the prior art: the dye molecules absorbing red light, the dye molecules absorbing blue light and the dye molecules absorbing green light, and the red, green and blue are used as the three primary colors of light, so that the light with any color can be synthesized, and the use frequency is high.

Transmittance is the transmittance of light in the transmission range, and cutoff is the transmittance of light in the cutoff range. The transmittance and the cut-off rate are two important indexes for measuring the quality of the optical filter, wherein the transmittance and the cut-off rate influence the definition of color imaging, and the cut-off rate influences the discrimination between different colors. The dye film layer has good transmittance but poor cut-off. The single dye thin film layer improves the cut-off rate, only the thickness of the dye thin film layer can be increased, but the transmittance of the dye thin film layer is reduced after the thickness is increased, so that the transmittance and the cut-off rate are a pair of contradictory communities for the pure dye thin film layer.

The multilayer interference filter structure is an optical thin film that passes only light in a specific spectral range by using the principle of interference (light in the specific spectral range is referred to as transmittable light, and light outside the specific spectral range is referred to as non-transmittable light), and is composed of multilayer thin films, each of which has a different refractive index (including a film composed of a high refractive index material and a film composed of a low refractive index material), and which are made of different materials, and an optical medium or a metal can be selected. Wherein, the high refractive index material in the optical medium material comprises the following materials or the combination thereof: si₃N₄、TiO₂、ZnS、ZnSe、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、ZnO、WO₃、V₂O₅、MoO₃GaN, low refractive index materials in optical media materials including the following materials or their combinations: SiO 2₂、MgF₂、Al₂O₃(ii) a The metal materials can be selected from: one or more of Au, Ag, Al, Pt, Cu, Cr and Sn. And the thickness of each thin film layer in the multilayer film interference filter structure is accurately calculated and controlled according to a thin film interference theory. The cut-off rate performance of the multilayer film interference filter structure is good, but the cut-off rate performance of the multilayer film interference filter structure is goodThe non-transmitted light can be totally reflected back to the incident direction, so that when the multilayer film interference filter structure is applied to the field of color imaging and display, the light reflected by the multilayer film interference filter structure can oscillate back and forth on the lens module to form a light glare effect, and the color imaging quality in a strong light environment is seriously influenced. The invention creatively combines the dye thin film layer and the multilayer film interference filter structure together to form a new filter unit, after light enters the filter unit, the light firstly passes through the dye thin film layer, non-transmission light is absorbed by the dye thin film layer once, meanwhile, because the thickness of the dye thin film layer is smaller, the absorption of the permeable wave band is weaker, and then the transmission light enters the multilayer film filter structure, because the cut-off performance of the multilayer film filter structure is better, the transmittance can reach 99%. Meanwhile, the multilayer film filtering structure reflects non-transmission light rays in the incident direction, and reflected light is absorbed again through the dye film layer, so that the vibration probability of the reflected light among the lens modules is greatly reduced, and the problem of the light glare effect is solved. In addition, with regard to the multilayer film interference filter structure, the logarithm of the multilayer film alternate deposition can be increased to reduce the cut-off transmittance while keeping the high transmittance, and the adjustment and control can be flexibly carried out in practical application until the application requirements are met. The alternating arrangement of the multilayer films of the multilayer film interference filter structure is described in detail in the following examples. The filter unit applied to color imaging shown in fig. 1 is actually a single filter channel applicable to any color.

As shown in fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of a filter unit for color imaging in RGB mode is shown. In fig. 2, 3 filter units shown in fig. 1 are provided, and the three filter units are a red filter unit, a green filter unit, and a blue filter unit, respectively. Red, green and blue are the three primary colors of light, so the combination of filter channels based on these three colors is most common in practical applications.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the multilayer interference filter structure employs (A/B)ⁿThe multilayer film medium structure layer 201 deposited alternately, the high refractive index medium material 211 and the low refractive index medium material 212 can adopt TiO respectively₂And MgF₂. Alternately depositing TiO by taking G wave band design as an example₂/MgF₂The number of the films is 4, and the thicknesses of the films from bottom to top are as follows: 110. 28, 110, 98, 122, 53, 58, 50 nm. The thickness of the corresponding G-band dye thin film layer 301 is 100 nm. Also based on the structure of fig. 3, thin-film materials 211 and 212 use Ag and ZnS, respectively. Taking the R-band design as an example, 2 pairs of Ag/ZnS films are alternately deposited, and the thicknesses of the films from bottom to top on the surface of the CMOS image sensor are as follows: 25. 100, 25 and 60 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 200 nm.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, A (B/C/B) is selectedⁿA method alternately deposits two thin film materials of metal and medium to prepare the multilayer film interference filter structure, wherein the thin film materials 221, 222 and 223 respectively adopt SiO₂Al and ZnSe. Here, taking the B-band design as an example, SiO is deposited alternately₂/Ag/ZnSe/Al/SiO₂The film layer, from CMOS image sensor surface from bottom to top each layer film thickness do in proper order: 100. 40, 100, 40, 100 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 150 nm.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, (A/B) is selected^m(C/D)ⁿThe multilayer film interference filter structure is prepared by alternately using four laminated film materials of an A/B medium material and a C/D metal and medium, wherein the film materials 231, 232, 233 and 234 respectively adopt TiO₂、MgF₂Ag and SiO₂. Here, taking the G-band design as an example, alternating deposition (TiO)₂/MgF₂)³(Ag/SiO₂)¹The film layer, from CMOS image sensor surface from bottom to top each layer film thickness do in proper order: 102. 10, 118, 97, 125, 20, 10, 50 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 200 nm.

As shown in fig. 6, a cross-sectional view of a broad-spectrum color filter chip using the filter units applied to color imaging in the above-described embodiment constitutes a filter layer 501 by repeating the filter units. The repeated arrangement of the filtering units may be a Bayer array arrangement (inventor is a schyce Bayer, a scientist of the company slashman kodak), and the Bayer array arrangement is usually in the form of: RGBG, GRGB, RGGB, RGBW. As shown in fig. 7, the wide-spectrum color filter chip adopts an RGBG arrangement.

The wide-spectrum color filter chip comprises two structures, namely: the micro-lens structure array layer 401 is arranged on the filter layer 501, and the image sensor 101 is arranged below the filter layer 501. The image sensor 101 is optionally provided with: CMOS image sensors, CCD image sensors. The second structure is as follows: a micro-lens structure array layer 401 is arranged below the filter layer 501, and the image sensor 101 is arranged below the micro-lens structure array layer 401.

Fig. 8 shows a wide-spectrum color filter chip, wherein when the RGBG mode is selected as the repeated arrangement mode of the filter units, a three-color transmission spectrum of the simulated RGB is shown. As can be seen from fig. 8, the transmittances of red light, blue light, and green light all exceed 95%, and the light areas of the three colors are well-indexed, and have few overlapped portions, thereby ensuring high-quality color imaging and display effects.

In the following examples, several methods for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip are described:

example 1

This embodiment selects (A/B)ⁿTwo medium thin film layers with high and low refractive indexes are alternately deposited in a mode and used as a multilayer film interference filter structure to prepare a wide-spectrum color filter chip.

As shown in fig. 1, the method for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip provided by the present invention at least comprises the following steps:

1) on the surface of the CMOS image sensor 101, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, a colorful RGB filter multilayer film structure layer corresponding to a filter pixel is deposited, and the manufacture of one pixel filter structure layer of RGB is completed by combining a lift-off stripping process; repeating the steps, and depositing the multilayer film structures corresponding to the RGB filtering pixels one by one to complete the RGB pixel structure array manufacturing 201 of all the filtering channels;

2) coating a dye thin film layer 301 corresponding to each wavelength of RGB on the multilayer film structure layer 201;

3) depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the dye film layer 301, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer 401 by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color RGB filtering composite structure chip.

Referring to FIG. 3, this embodiment employs (A/B)ⁿThe multilayer film medium structure layer 201 deposited alternately, the high and low refractive index medium materials 211 and 212 adopt TiO respectively₂And MgF₂。

Here, taking the G-band design as an example, TiO is alternately deposited₂/MgF₂The number of the films is 4, and the thicknesses of the films from bottom to top on the surface of the CMOS image sensor are as follows: 110. 28, 110, 98, 122, 53, 58, 50 nm. The thickness of the G-band dye thin film layer 301 is 100 nm.

Example 2

This embodiment selects (A/B)ⁿThe method alternately deposits two thin film materials of metal and medium to be used as a multilayer film interference filter structure to prepare the wide-spectrum color filter chip.

As shown in fig. 1, the method for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip provided by the present invention at least comprises the following steps:

1) on the surface of the CMOS image sensor 101, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, a colorful RGB filter multilayer film structure layer corresponding to a filter pixel is deposited, and the manufacture of one pixel filter structure layer of RGB is completed by combining a lift-off stripping process; repeating the steps, and depositing the multilayer film structures corresponding to the RGB filtering pixels one by one to complete the RGB pixel structure array manufacturing 201 of all the filtering channels;

2) coating a dye thin film layer 301 corresponding to each wavelength of RGB on the multilayer film structure layer 201;

3) depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the dye film layer 301, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer 401 by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color RGB filtering composite structure chip.

Referring to FIG. 3, this embodiment employs (A/B)ⁿThe multilayer film structure layer 201 of metal and medium films is deposited alternately, and the film materials 211 and 212 respectively adopt Ag and ZnS.

Taking the R-band design as an example, 2 pairs of Ag/ZnS films are alternately deposited, and the thicknesses of the films from bottom to top on the surface of the CMOS image sensor are as follows: 25. 100, 25 and 60 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 200 nm.

Example 3

The embodiment adopts A (B/C/B)ⁿA method alternately deposits two thin film materials of metal and medium to be used as a multilayer film interference filter structure to prepare a wide-spectrum color filter chip.

As shown in fig. 1, the method for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip provided by the present invention at least comprises the following steps:

1) on the surface of the CMOS image sensor 101, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, a colorful RGB filter multilayer film structure layer corresponding to a filter pixel is deposited, and the manufacture of one pixel filter structure layer of RGB is completed by combining a lift-off stripping process; repeating the steps, and depositing the multilayer film structures corresponding to the RGB filtering pixels one by one to complete the RGB pixel structure array manufacturing 201 of all the filtering channels;

2) coating a dye thin film layer 301 corresponding to each wavelength of RGB on the multilayer film structure layer 201;

3) depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the dye film layer 301, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer 401 by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color RGB filtering composite structure chip.

Referring to FIG. 4, this embodiment employs A (B/C/B)ⁿA mode alternately deposits the multilayer film structure layer 201 of metal and medium films, and the film materials 221, 222 and 223 respectively adopt SiO₂Al and ZnSe.

Here, taking the B-band design as an example, SiO is deposited alternately₂/Ag/ZnSe/Al/SiO₂The film layer, from CMOS image sensor surface from bottom to top each layer film thickness do in proper order: 100. 40, 100, 40, 100 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 150 nm.

Example 4

This embodiment selects (A/B)^m(C/D)ⁿThe wide-spectrum color filter chip is prepared by alternately using four laminated thin film materials of an A/B dielectric material and a C/D metal and a dielectric as a multilayer film interference filter structure.

As shown in fig. 1, the method for manufacturing a broad-spectrum color filter chip provided by the present invention at least comprises the following steps:

1) on the surface of the CMOS image sensor 101, a mask layer is manufactured through photoetching, a colorful RGB filter multilayer film structure layer corresponding to a filter pixel is deposited, and the manufacture of one pixel filter structure layer of RGB is completed by combining a lift-off stripping process; repeating the steps, and depositing the multilayer film structures corresponding to the RGB filtering pixels one by one to complete the RGB pixel structure array manufacturing 201 of all the filtering channels;

2) coating a dye thin film layer 301 corresponding to each wavelength of RGB on the multilayer film structure layer 201;

3) depositing a medium film with a higher refractive index on the dye film layer 301, manufacturing a micro-lens structure array layer 401 by an etching method, and preparing the wide-spectrum color RGB filtering composite structure chip.

Referring to FIG. 5, this embodiment employs (A/B)^m(C/D)ⁿThe multilayer film structure layer 201 of A/B medium material and C/D metal and medium four film materials is alternated, and the film materials 231, 232, 233 and 234 respectively adopt TiO₂、MgF₂Ag and SiO₂。

Here, taking the G-band design as an example, alternating deposition (TiO)₂/MgF₂)³(Ag/SiO2)¹The film layer, from CMOS image sensor surface from bottom to top each layer film thickness do in proper order: 102. 10, 118, 97, 125, 20, 10, 50 nm. The thickness of the R-band dye thin film layer 301 is 200 nm.

The foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented. It should be understood that numerous modifications and variations could be devised by those skilled in the art in light of the present teachings without departing from the inventive concepts. Therefore, the technical solutions available to those skilled in the art through logic analysis, reasoning and limited experiments based on the prior art according to the concept of the present invention should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.