Television – Camera – system and detail – Solid-state image sensor
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-13
2004-09-21
Vu, Ngoc-Yen (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Solid-state image sensor
C348S294000, C348S374000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06795120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus which introduces light coming from an object into the inside of the apparatus, and photoelectrically converts an image of the object with a solid-state imaging device, as well as a camera using such a solid-state imaging apparatus.
The invention also relates to a camera in which a solid-state imaging device and IC chips and other electronic parts as its peripheral circuits are formed on one surface of a circuit board, and the one surface of the circuit board is covered with a light-shielding case having an opening for allowing light coming from an object to reach the solid-state imaging device, and which camera accommodates a lens for forming an image of the object on the front face of the solid-state imaging device.
Since the solid-state imaging apparatus is required to have superior electrical and optical characteristics, the solid-state imaging device as its heart needs to be incorporated in a special package that is high in mechanical accuracy. Further, the solid-state imaging device requires a very large number of peripheral circuits. For these reasons, conventionally, IC chips and other electronic parts as peripheral circuits are mounted on a printed circuit board that is completely separate from a package accommodating a solid-state imaging device.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing a general configuration of a solid-state imaging apparatus. In
FIG. 1
, symbol CCD denotes a CCD solid-state imaging device; S/H, a sample-and-hold circuit; A/D, an A/D converter, DSP, a color signal processing unit; V. DRV, a V driver; TG, a timing generator; RAM, a random access memory connected to the color signal processing unit; and CONT, a microcomputer also connected to the color signal processing unit.
In the case of a digital apparatus, examples of peripheral circuits are a sample-and-hold circuit, a timing generator, a CCD solid-state imaging device clocked driver (what is called a V-driver, for instance), an AGC (auto gain control) circuit, a clock generator (a quartz oscillator, for instance), an A/D converter, a digital camera process circuit, a D/A converter, a composite TV encoder, a digital communication peripheral circuit such as IEEE 1394, FDDI, or a fiber channel, and a DC—DC converter.
In the case of an analog apparatus, examples of peripheral circuits are a sample-and-hold circuit, a timing generator, a CCD solid-state imaging device clocked driver (what is called a V-driver, for instance), an AGC (auto gain control) circuit, a clock generator (a quartz oscillator, for instance), a composite TV encoder, a DC—DC converter, and a camera process circuit, which are part of the above peripheral circuits of a digital apparatus.
FIG. 2
shows the configuration of a conventional solid-state imaging apparatus. In
FIG. 2
, reference numerals
51
-
53
denote a CCD solid-state imaging device, a lens unit, and a solid-state-imaging-device-mounting circuit board, respectively. A flexible circuit board
54
connects the solid-state-imaging-device-mounting circuit board
53
to an IC-mounting circuit board
55
made of glass epoxy resin, for instance. Numerals
56
and
57
denote ICs mounted on the circuit board
55
and a pin jack of the circuit board
55
, respectively.
The conventional solid-state imaging apparatus shown in
FIG. 2
cannot fully satisfy the requirement of miniaturization. Solid-state imaging apparatuses and cameras using those are used for a wide variety of purposes. For example, while the requirement of miniaturization is not so strong in cameras for business use such as a broadcasting purpose, it is very strong in cameras for home use. As the application range expands, the requirement of price reduction becomes more important in addition to the miniaturization.
However, it is difficult to reduce the size of the solid-state imaging apparatus of
FIG. 2
, because it requires the solid-state-imaging-device-mounting circuit board
53
, the IC-mounting circuit board
55
, and the flexible circuit board
54
for connecting the circuit boards
53
and
55
and each of those circuit boards occupies a non-negligible area. Further, due to the use of many kinds of circuit boards and a number of operation steps for connecting those circuit boards, the manufacturing cost of the imaging apparatus of
FIG. 2
is high and hence there is a limitation in its price reduction.
FIG. 3
shows a conventional camera. In this camera, wiring films
152
are formed on one surface of a circuit board
151
, and a solid-state imaging device
153
is mounted on one of those wiring films
152
. IC chips
154
as peripheral circuits of the solid-state imaging device
153
are also mounted on the wiring films
152
. A lens
155
is mounted on the same surface of the circuit board
151
by means of legs
156
of the lens
155
so as to have a given positional relationship with the solid-state imaging device
153
. Further, a light-shielding case
157
for shielding the solid-state imaging device
153
and the IC chips
154
from the external environment is attached to the same surface of the circuit board
151
.
Reference numeral
158
denotes an opening (aperture) formed in the light-shielding case
157
. Light coming from an object is passed through the opening
158
and then imaged on the front face of the solid-state imaging device
153
by the lens
155
. An optical filter
159
closes the opening
158
. Further, reference numeral
160
denotes bonding wires;
161
, resins formed by potting to seal the IC chips
154
; and
162
, an adhesive for bonding the leg
156
of the lens
155
to the circuit board
151
.
The camera of
FIG. 3
cannot fully satisfy the requirement of miniaturization. This is because, as described above, cameras using a solid-state imaging device are used for a wide variety of purposes. For example, while the requirement of miniaturization is not so strong in cameras for business use such as a broadcasting purpose, it is very strong in cameras for home use. Further, the requirement of miniaturization is strong in many of cameras for other purposes such as a monitor camera. On the other hand, cameras using a solid-state imaging device as its heart are required to be of high performance and have many functions and, resultingly, need to incorporate many peripheral circuits. The number of peripheral circuits needed is large particularly in the case of a digital camera.
A conventional solid-state imaging apparatus to be incorporated in an electronic camera or the like has a lens for forming an image of an imaging object.
FIG. 4
is a sectional view showing a conventional solid-state imaging device. A package
201
accommodates an imaging device (CCD)
203
to protect it from the external environment. The package
201
is formed with an opening for introducing imaging light, and the opening is covered with a cover glass
205
. Leads
207
for leading out an electrical signal from the imaging device
203
are extended from the package
201
. The leads
207
also serve to fix the package
201
to an inner surface of a case
209
.
The case
209
is mounted with a lens
211
such that its optical axis is perpendicular to the cover glass
205
. The lens
211
forms an image of imaging light coming from an imaging object on the imaging face of the imaging device
203
. A lens stop
213
, which is provided between the lens
211
and the cover glass
205
in the case
209
, limits light coming from the lens
211
to adjust the amount of light reaching the imaging device
203
.
The conventional solid-state imaging apparatus
215
having the above configuration can produces an electrical signal by forming an image of imaging light that is taken through the lens
211
on the imaging face of the imaging device
3
and photoelectrically converting the image.
However, in the above conventional solid-state imaging apparatus
215
, which forms an image of imaging light by using the lens
211
, the lens and the lens stop
213
for light quantity adjustment are needed. This results in disadvantages,
Ikeda Shigeo
Kanazawa Masayoshi
Takagi Yuichi
Tsuchimochi Makoto
Ueda Kazuhiko
Nguyen Luong
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Vu Ngoc-Yen
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