{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853078","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9853078","title":"Wafer level curved image sensors and method of fabricating the same","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2016-09-29T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":19,"abstract":"A wafer level curved image sensor may include a substrate having a central region, a peripheral region, and an edge region, the peripheral region being formed between the central region and the edge region, supporting patterns formed over the substrate, first fixed patterns formed between the supporting patterns, and an image sensing chip formed over the supporting patterns. The supporting patterns and the first fixed patterns, in combination, form a planar lower surface and a concavely-curved upper surface. The image sensing chip has a curved lower surface and a curved upper surface."},"analysis":{"summary":"The patent \"Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same\" (US-9853078) introduces a groundbreaking method for manufacturing image sensors with a precisely curved surface. At its core, this innovation addresses the long-standing challenge of optical aberrations caused by the mismatch between traditional flat image sensors and the naturally curved focal plane produced by optical lenses.\n\nThe problem this technology solves is the need for complex, multi-element lens systems to correct for field curvature and other distortions that arise when a curved image is projected onto a flat sensor. These corrections add bulk, weight, and cost to camera modules, limiting design flexibility and often compromising peripheral image quality.\n\nThe key technical approach involves a substrate structured with central, peripheral, and edge regions. Over this substrate, supporting patterns and first fixed patterns are formed. Crucially, these patterns combine to create a planar lower surface and a concavely-curved upper surface. An image sensing chip is then fabricated directly onto these supporting patterns, adopting the identical curved geometry. This results in an image sensor with both a curved lower and upper surface, perfectly aligning with the natural curvature of a lens's focal plane.\n\nThe business value and applications are substantial. This innovation promises to enable the development of thinner, lighter, and more powerful camera modules for a wide array of devices, including smartphones, automotive vision systems, drones, and professional cameras. By simplifying lens designs, it can reduce manufacturing costs, improve optical performance (especially edge-to-edge sharpness), and enhance low-light capabilities. The wafer-level fabrication aspect ensures scalability and cost-effectiveness for mass production.\n\nThe market opportunity for this technology is immense, spanning consumer electronics, automotive, medical imaging, and industrial vision sectors. It offers a significant competitive advantage for manufacturers who can leverage curved sensors to deliver superior image quality and more compact designs, potentially disrupting established camera module markets and opening new product categories.","layman_explanation":"In the world of technology, particularly in cameras and imaging, there's a constant drive to make things smaller, lighter, and more powerful. However, a fundamental challenge has long plagued engineers: the way light naturally behaves versus the way our image sensors are built.\n\n**1. What Problem Does This Solve?**\nThink about how a magnifying glass or a camera lens works. When light passes through it, it doesn't just create a perfectly flat image. Instead, the light naturally focuses onto a slightly curved surface, much like the inside of a bowl. For decades, the digital 'film' in our cameras – the image sensor – has been manufactured as a completely flat surface. This creates a significant problem: forcing a naturally curved image onto a flat sensor causes distortions, particularly at the edges of the picture. To correct these distortions, camera manufacturers have had to design incredibly complex lens systems, often using multiple, intricately shaped glass elements. This adds to the size, weight, and cost of cameras, making it difficult to create truly compact devices with perfect image quality. Existing solutions are a series of compromises, balancing size, cost, and image fidelity.\n\n**2. How Does It Work?**\nThe patent, known as \"Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same,\" introduces a remarkably intuitive solution: instead of fighting nature, let's embrace it. This innovation proposes to make the image sensor itself curved, matching the natural curve of the light coming from the lens. Imagine a custom-made glove perfectly shaped to catch a baseball every time. That's what this patent aims to do for light.\n\nConceptually, it works by building the sensor on a specially prepared base, or 'substrate.' This base is engineered with specific patterns that create a precise, concave (bowl-like) upper surface. Then, the actual image-sensing components are formed over this curved structure, essentially taking on the same curved shape. This process is designed to happen at the 'wafer level,' meaning many sensors can be curved simultaneously on a single, large silicon disc, making it efficient for mass production. By having a sensor that is already curved, the light from the lens can fall onto it directly and perfectly, much like a ball landing squarely in a curved glove, without the need for extensive optical 'gymnastics' to flatten it out.\n\n**3. Why Does This Matter?**\nThe implications for business and technology are profound:\n\n*   **Superior Image Quality:** Pictures will be sharper and clearer from edge to edge, without the common blurring or distortion found in current cameras. This enhances user experience and opens doors for higher-quality visual data in professional applications.\n*   **Smaller, Lighter Devices:** With a curved sensor, lens systems can be significantly simplified, requiring fewer and less complex elements. This directly translates to thinner smartphones, more compact professional cameras, lighter drones, and smaller medical imaging equipment. This space-saving is a major competitive advantage in consumer electronics.\n*   **Cost Efficiency:** While the initial sensor fabrication might involve new techniques, the simplification of the lens system can lead to overall cost reductions in camera module manufacturing, especially at scale. This can improve profit margins or allow for more competitive pricing.\n*   **Market Disruption:** Companies that adopt this technology early could gain a significant lead, offering products with unparalleled imaging performance and sleek designs. It could redefine what's possible in various sectors, from mobile photography to autonomous vehicle vision systems and advanced scientific instruments.\n\n**4. What's Next?**\nThis innovation points towards a future where the constraints of optical design are significantly lessened. We can expect to see this technology integrated into next-generation consumer devices, leading to a new era of 'optically perfect' cameras. Its adoption will likely be driven by manufacturers seeking to differentiate their products through superior image quality and innovative form factors. For investors, this represents an opportunity to back technologies that address fundamental physical limitations, promising long-term growth and market leadership in the ever-expanding imaging industry. The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same is a foundational step towards truly reimagined visual capture.","technical_analysis":"The patent \"Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same\" (US-9853078) presents a novel architectural design and fabrication methodology for image sensors, moving beyond the traditional planar configuration to a precisely curved geometry. This technical analysis will dissect the core components, implementation details, and the profound implications for optical engineering and sensor technology.\n\n**Technical Architecture and Core Components:**\nAt the heart of this innovation is a multi-layered structure designed to achieve and maintain a specific concave curvature. The primary components include:\n\n1.  **Substrate:** This forms the foundational layer. The patent specifies a substrate with a distinct central region, a peripheral region, and an edge region. This regional differentiation is critical, implying that the material properties or structural design may vary across these zones to facilitate controlled bending or stress distribution. For instance, the peripheral region, being between the central and edge regions, could be engineered for optimal stress concentration during the curving process.\n2.  **Supporting Patterns:** These patterns are formed directly over the substrate. Their role is structural, providing the necessary framework and topography to support the subsequent layers and define the overall curved shape. These could be composed of dielectric materials, polymers, or semiconductors, deposited using standard photolithography and etching techniques.\n3.  **First Fixed Patterns:** Positioned between the supporting patterns, these fixed patterns work in conjunction with the supporting patterns. Together, they form two crucial interfaces: a planar lower surface and a concavely-curved upper surface. The existence of a planar lower surface suggests that the initial processing steps might occur on a flat wafer, with the curvature induced later, or that the support structure itself transitions from planar to curved. The concavely-curved upper surface is the critical interface that will dictate the shape of the active image sensing chip.\n4.  **Image Sensing Chip:** This is the active photodetector array. It is formed directly over the supporting patterns, conforming precisely to the concavely-curved upper surface established by the underlying patterns. Consequently, the image sensing chip itself possesses both a curved lower surface (matching the support structure) and a curved upper surface (the light-receiving area). This ensures that the photodetectors are arrayed along the desired curved focal plane.\n\n**Implementation Details and Fabrication Methodologies:**\nThe \"Wafer Level\" aspect of the patent title is paramount. It implies that the curving process is performed on an entire wafer, not on individual diced chips. This is a significant advantage for mass production and cost-effectiveness. Potential fabrication techniques to achieve this curvature include:\n\n*   **Stress Engineering:** Differential stress can be induced by depositing thin films with varying coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) or intrinsic stress. Upon cooling or annealing, these stresses can cause the wafer to bend into a desired concave shape. Precise control over film thickness, material properties, and deposition parameters is crucial.\n*   **Selective Material Removal/Etching:** The substrate or sacrificial layers can be selectively etched or thinned in specific regions to create areas of reduced stiffness, allowing the wafer to deform under controlled external forces or internal stresses.\n*   **Thermo-Mechanical Bending:** The wafer could be heated to a temperature where its material becomes more pliable and then pressed into a mold or subjected to controlled mechanical forces to achieve the desired curvature, followed by cooling to set the shape.\n*   **Through-Silicon Via (TSV) Integration:** While not explicitly mentioned, TSVs could be used to connect different layers or provide structural support in a curved geometry.\n\nThe combination of supporting and fixed patterns suggests a robust multi-layer stacking and patterning approach. The planar lower surface might be achieved through a planarization step (e.g., Chemical Mechanical Planarization - CMP) before the final curvature is induced, ensuring electrical interconnectivity remains stable.\n\n**Algorithm Specifics and Performance Characteristics:**\nWhile the patent focuses on the physical structure and fabrication, the implications for algorithm specifics and performance are profound. With a curved sensor, image processing algorithms for aberration correction (e.g., lens distortion correction) could be significantly simplified or even eliminated for certain types of distortions. This would reduce computational load and potentially improve real-time processing capabilities. Performance characteristics would see a direct improvement in:\n\n*   **Edge-to-Edge Sharpness:** By matching the sensor to the lens's focal plane, field curvature is inherently corrected, leading to uniform sharpness across the entire image.\n*   **Reduced Vignetting:** Improved light collection at oblique angles can minimize light fall-off at the image periphery.\n*   **Higher Numerical Aperture (NA) Utilization:** Simpler lenses can achieve larger apertures, improving low-light performance and shallow depth of field effects.\n*   **Compactness:** The ability to use simpler, fewer-element lenses directly translates to smaller, lighter camera modules.\n\n**Integration Patterns and Code-Level Implications:**\nIntegration into existing camera systems would require redesigning lens assemblies to take advantage of the curved sensor. However, the benefits in optical performance and compactness would justify this effort. From a software perspective, image signal processing (ISP) pipelines could be streamlined. Distortion correction modules, which consume significant processing power, could be reduced or removed. This frees up resources for other computational photography tasks or allows for more energy-efficient operation. Hardware-level integration would involve new mounting and packaging solutions to accommodate the curved form factor, but the wafer-level approach suggests that these challenges are addressed during high-volume manufacturing.\n\nIn essence, this patent provides a foundational technology for a new generation of imaging systems. By fundamentally changing the sensor's geometry to align with optical physics, the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same offers a pathway to superior image quality, reduced system complexity, and novel form factors across a vast range of applications.","business_analysis":"The patent \"Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same\" (US-9853078) represents a significant disruptive force in the imaging technology market. Its core innovation—manufacturing image sensors with a precisely curved surface at the wafer level—addresses fundamental limitations of traditional flat sensors, unlocking substantial business opportunities and competitive advantages.\n\n**Market Opportunity Size:**\nThe global image sensor market is projected to reach tens of billions of dollars within the next few years, driven by pervasive demand across smartphones, automotive, security & surveillance, medical, and industrial sectors. Flat image sensors, despite their ubiquity, impose design constraints and optical compromises. This invention directly targets these limitations, opening up a premium segment within the existing market and potentially creating entirely new product categories. The market for high-performance compact cameras, especially in mobile and automotive applications, is enormous and constantly seeking incremental improvements that this technology can provide in a transformative way.\n\n**Competitive Advantages:**\nCompanies adopting the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same technology can gain several distinct competitive edges:\n\n1.  **Superior Image Quality:** Delivering sharper, more uniform images with reduced optical aberrations (like field curvature) from edge-to-edge offers a clear differentiation in image performance, particularly crucial in high-end consumer devices and professional imaging.\n2.  **Compact Form Factor:** By enabling simpler lens designs with fewer elements, this technology facilitates thinner, lighter camera modules. This is a critical advantage for smartphones, drones, AR/VR headsets, and other space-constrained applications, where every millimeter and gram counts.\n3.  **Cost Reduction (Lens Side):** While the curved sensor itself might have initial R&D costs, the ability to use simpler, less expensive lens assemblies (fewer elements, less exotic materials) can lead to overall system cost reductions, especially at high volumes.\n4.  **Enhanced Performance Metrics:** Potential improvements in low-light sensitivity, wider fields of view with less distortion, and faster lens speeds can differentiate products significantly.\n5.  **Intellectual Property Barrier:** Being an early adopter or licensor of this patented technology creates a strong IP barrier against competitors, safeguarding market share and fostering innovation.\n\n**Revenue Potential:**\nRevenue streams could materialize through several avenues:\n\n*   **Direct Sales of Curved Sensors:** Manufacturers of these sensors would supply them to OEMs in various industries.\n*   **Licensing:** The patent holder could license the fabrication methodology or the sensor design to major semiconductor and camera module manufacturers.\n*   **Premium Product Integration:** OEMs integrating these sensors into their products could command higher prices due to superior performance and innovative design.\n*   **New Product Development:** The technology could enable entirely new product categories, such as ultra-thin professional cameras or advanced vision systems for robotics that were previously infeasible.\n\n**Business Models:**\nExisting business models for image sensor manufacturing (e.g., fabless, foundry, integrated device manufacturers) can adapt to this innovation. A fabless model could focus on design and IP licensing, while IDMs could integrate the fabrication and sales. Strategic partnerships with lens manufacturers would be crucial to optimize the entire optical stack.\n\n**Strategic Positioning:**\nCompanies leveraging this patent can strategically position themselves as leaders in next-generation imaging. This moves them from incremental improvements in megapixels to fundamental advancements in optical physics. It allows for a focus on user experience through superior image quality and more elegant device designs. For example, a smartphone brand could market its devices as having 'optically perfect' cameras, a significant differentiator in a saturated market.\n\n**ROI Projections:**\nWhile specific ROI depends on adoption rates and market penetration, the potential for significant returns is high. Reduced Bill of Materials (BOM) for lens systems, coupled with premium pricing for enhanced performance, suggests strong profit margins. Furthermore, the ability to capture new market segments (e.g., ultra-compact, high-performance cameras) and gain a technological lead can lead to exponential growth. Investment in R&D and manufacturing scale-up for this technology could yield substantial long-term value, especially given the broad applicability across numerous high-growth industries. The wafer-level manufacturing aspect is key to realizing these ROI projections by ensuring cost-effective scalability. This innovation is not just about a better sensor; it's about a better imaging ecosystem.","faqs":[{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same (US-9853078) is a groundbreaking patent that describes a novel image sensor and a method for its manufacturing. Unlike traditional flat image sensors, this invention creates sensors with a precisely curved, concave surface. This curvature is designed to match the natural focal plane of optical lenses, thereby improving image quality and simplifying lens designs.\n\nThe core of this innovation lies in its unique layered structure. It involves a substrate with distinct regions, over which supporting patterns and first fixed patterns are formed. These patterns are engineered to collectively create a planar lower surface for stability and a concavely-curved upper surface. The actual image sensing chip is then fabricated directly onto this curved upper surface, ensuring the entire photosensitive array conforms to the desired geometry. This 'wafer level' aspect means that many sensors can be curved simultaneously during manufacturing, making the process scalable and cost-effective.\n\nThis technology addresses a fundamental limitation in optics: the mismatch between a lens's curved image projection and a flat sensor's reception. By resolving this, the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same paves the way for a new generation of high-performance, compact, and optically superior imaging systems. It represents a significant step forward in sensor technology and optical engineering. Keywords: curved image sensor, wafer level manufacturing, optical innovation, sensor technology, US-9853078.","question":"What is Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same works by fundamentally altering the physical shape of the image sensor itself to better align with the natural behavior of light. When light passes through a camera lens, it naturally focuses onto a curved surface, not a flat one. Traditional flat sensors struggle with this, requiring complex lens systems to 'flatten' the image, which often introduces distortions.\n\nThis invention starts with a specialized substrate, which is the base layer of the sensor. This substrate has specific central, peripheral, and edge regions that are designed to facilitate the curving process. Over this substrate, a combination of 'supporting patterns' and 'first fixed patterns' are meticulously constructed. These patterns are engineered to create a unique topography: a stable, planar bottom surface and, crucially, a concavely-curved upper surface. This curved upper surface acts as a precise mold.\n\nFinally, the actual image-sensing chip, containing all the pixels, is fabricated directly on top of this curved upper surface. As it's built upon this curved foundation, the image sensing chip naturally adopts the same concave shape. This ensures that the light-capturing elements are perfectly aligned with the lens's natural focal plane, leading to superior image quality. The 'wafer level' aspect signifies that this entire curving process is performed efficiently on a large silicon wafer containing many sensors at once. Keywords: curved sensor mechanism, optical physics, wafer-level fabrication, image quality improvement, sensor design.","question":"How does Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same work?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same solves the long-standing problem of optical aberrations and design limitations caused by the mismatch between traditional flat image sensors and the naturally curved focal plane produced by optical lenses. This fundamental incompatibility has been a persistent challenge in camera design.\n\nIn conventional camera systems, lenses are forced to perform extensive optical 'corrections' to flatten the incoming curved image onto a planar sensor. This requires designing complex lens assemblies with multiple elements, often made from specialized glass, to mitigate issues like field curvature (blurry edges), astigmatism, and spherical aberration. These complex lenses are typically bulky, heavy, and expensive, limiting the miniaturization of cameras and often compromising overall image quality, especially at the periphery of the frame.\n\nBy introducing a curved image sensor, this invention eliminates the need for much of this complex lens-based correction. It allows the sensor to inherently match the light's natural path, thereby simplifying lens designs, reducing optical distortions, and enabling the creation of thinner, lighter, and higher-performing camera modules. It's a solution that works with the physics of light, rather than against it, leading to a more efficient and effective imaging system. Keywords: optical aberration, field curvature, flat sensor limitations, compact camera problem, lens design simplification.","question":"What problem does Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same solve?"},{"answer":"The patent document for Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same (US-9853078) does not list specific inventors or an assignee in the provided data. Patent filings typically include the names of the individual inventors who conceived the innovation and the assignee, which is often the company or institution that owns the patent rights. However, in this specific case, that information was not furnished.\n\nIn general, such groundbreaking technologies are usually the result of extensive research and development efforts by teams of engineers and scientists within major semiconductor companies, optics firms, or academic institutions. These teams often combine expertise in semiconductor fabrication, optical design, and material science to bring such complex innovations to fruition.\n\nWhile the specific inventors are not detailed here, the existence of the patent signifies a significant contribution to the field of imaging technology, representing a collective effort to push the boundaries of what's possible in sensor design and manufacturing. The innovation itself, the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same, remains a pivotal advancement regardless of the publicly listed individuals or entities. Keywords: patent inventors, assignee, image sensor research, optical engineering, semiconductor innovation.","question":"Who invented Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same offers a multitude of key benefits that significantly enhance imaging technology:\n\n1.  **Superior Image Quality:** By matching the sensor's curve to the natural focal plane of a lens, the invention inherently corrects for optical aberrations like field curvature, astigmatism, and spherical aberration. This results in dramatically sharper, more uniform images from edge to edge, eliminating the common blurriness seen in traditional flat sensor systems.\n2.  **Compact and Lighter Camera Modules:** The ability to achieve optical perfection at the sensor level means that lens designs can be significantly simplified. Fewer lens elements are needed, leading to smaller, lighter, and more compact camera modules. This is crucial for devices like smartphones, drones, and AR/VR headsets where space and weight are premium considerations.\n3.  **Cost-Effective Manufacturing:** The 'wafer level' aspect of the fabrication method allows for the simultaneous curving of many sensors on a single wafer. This scalable process can lead to higher yields and lower unit costs compared to more complex lens manufacturing or individual chip bending, making advanced imaging more accessible.\n4.  **Enhanced Optical Performance:** Beyond sharpness, curved sensors can potentially improve light collection efficiency at oblique angles, reducing vignetting (darkening at the corners) and enhancing low-light performance. They can also enable wider fields of view with significantly less geometric distortion.\n5.  **Greater Design Flexibility:** With simplified optics, product designers gain more freedom to innovate in device form factors, leading to sleeker, more ergonomic, and functionally superior camera-equipped products. The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same unlocks new possibilities for product development across various industries. Keywords: curved sensor benefits, image sharpness, compact design, cost reduction, optical performance, design flexibility.","question":"What are the key benefits of Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same fundamentally differs from prior art by addressing the core problem of optical aberration at the image sensor level, rather than solely relying on complex lens designs to compensate for a flat sensor. Prior art primarily focused on designing intricate multi-element lenses to 'flatten' the naturally curved image projected by optics onto a planar sensor.\n\nTraditional image sensors are flat, which is conducive to standard semiconductor manufacturing processes. However, this flatness creates an inherent conflict with the physics of light, leading to optical distortions like field curvature. Prior art solutions typically involved adding more lens elements, using expensive aspherical lenses, or applying software-based distortion correction. These methods often resulted in bulky, heavy, and costly lens systems, and sometimes still presented compromises in image quality, especially at the periphery. Some attempts were made to mechanically bend individual sensor dies post-fabrication, but these often lacked precision, scalability, or structural integrity.\n\nIn contrast, the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same integrates the curvature directly into the sensor's structure during the wafer-level manufacturing process. It describes a method to create a precisely concave surface using supporting and fixed patterns on a substrate, onto which the image sensing chip is formed. This means the sensor is *inherently* curved from its inception, perfectly matching the lens's focal plane. This approach eliminates much of the need for complex lens-based corrections, leading to simpler, more compact, and optically superior camera systems that are scalable for mass production. Keywords: prior art comparison, flat vs curved sensors, optical aberration correction, lens complexity, wafer-level innovation, sensor manufacturing difference.","question":"How is Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same different from prior art?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same is poised to have a transformative impact across a wide array of industries that rely on advanced imaging and optical systems. Its ability to deliver superior image quality in a more compact form factor makes it highly versatile.\n\n1.  **Consumer Electronics:** This includes smartphones, digital cameras, drones, and wearable devices. Curved sensors will enable thinner, lighter devices with significantly improved camera performance, offering sharper images, better low-light capabilities, and more innovative designs. The competition for superior mobile photography will be greatly influenced by this technology.\n2.  **Automotive:** Autonomous vehicles and Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) demand high-fidelity vision with wide fields of view and minimal distortion. Curved sensors can provide clearer, more accurate environmental perception, enhancing safety and reliability for self-driving cars and parking assistance systems.\n3.  **Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR):** For immersive experiences, compact and distortion-free optics are paramount. Curved sensors can contribute to lighter, more comfortable VR/AR headsets with improved visual clarity and reduced eye strain, accelerating the adoption of these technologies.\n4.  **Medical Imaging:** Endoscopes, surgical robots, and diagnostic cameras can benefit from smaller, higher-resolution optical systems. Curved sensors can lead to more precise and less invasive medical tools, improving diagnostic accuracy and surgical outcomes.\n5.  **Industrial and Security:** Inspection systems, robotics, and surveillance cameras require robust, high-performance imaging. Curved sensors can offer enhanced clarity and reliability, crucial for quality control, automation, and security monitoring. The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same will enable these industries to achieve new levels of visual precision and efficiency. Keywords: industry impact, mobile photography, automotive vision, AR/VR technology, medical imaging, industrial cameras.","question":"What industries will Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same impact?"},{"answer":"The patent for Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same, identified as US-9853078, was filed on **September 29, 2016**. The publication date, which is typically when the patent application becomes publicly available, was **December 26, 2017**. This timeline indicates the progression from initial invention disclosure to public documentation.\n\nIt's important to note that the filing date marks the official submission of the invention to the patent office, establishing its priority date. The publication date signifies when the detailed specifications, claims, and drawings of the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same become accessible to the public, allowing other researchers and companies to review the disclosed technology. The granting date, if different from the publication date, would mark when the patent rights are officially conferred to the applicant. In this case, the provided data lists December 26, 2017, as the publication date, which is typically also the grant date for utility patents in the US once examination is complete and all requirements are met.\n\nThis timeframe provides context for the development and maturation of this innovative technology within the imaging and semiconductor industries. It reflects the R&D cycle and the strategic efforts to protect intellectual property related to curved image sensors. Keywords: patent filing date, publication date, patent grant, US-9853078, intellectual property, sensor technology timeline.","question":"When was Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same filed/granted?"},{"answer":"The commercial applications of Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same are extensive and span multiple high-growth markets, driven by the technology's ability to deliver superior optical performance in compact, cost-effective packages.\n\n1.  **Smartphones and Consumer Cameras:** This is perhaps the most immediate and impactful application. Curved sensors can enable significantly thinner smartphone designs without compromising camera quality, offering sharper edge-to-edge images and better low-light performance. For dedicated consumer cameras, it allows for more compact bodies with professional-grade optics, potentially revitalizing segments like mirrorless cameras and high-end compacts.\n2.  **Automotive Vision Systems:** In autonomous vehicles and ADAS, curved sensors can provide wider fields of view with reduced distortion, crucial for accurate object detection, lane keeping, and parking assistance. This enhances safety and the reliability of self-driving functionalities, making them a key component for next-generation automotive cameras.\n3.  **Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) Headsets:** The need for lightweight, compact, and distortion-free optics is critical for immersive VR/AR experiences. Curved sensors can enable slimmer headsets with improved visual clarity, reducing motion sickness and enhancing user comfort and engagement.\n4.  **Drones and Robotics:** For aerial photography, surveillance, and robotic vision, compact and high-performance cameras are essential. Curved sensors allow for lighter payloads, longer flight times, and superior image capture for mapping, inspection, and autonomous navigation.\n5.  **Medical and Scientific Instruments:** Miniature endoscopes, surgical cameras, and scientific imaging devices can benefit from enhanced resolution and reduced form factor. This leads to more precise diagnostics, less invasive surgical procedures, and more powerful research tools. The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same offers a clear commercial advantage for any product requiring high-quality, compact imaging. Keywords: commercial applications, smartphone cameras, automotive ADAS, VR/AR optics, drone imaging, medical devices, compact vision systems.","question":"What are the commercial applications of Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same?"},{"answer":"The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same represents a foundational shift, and future developments are expected to build upon this core innovation in several exciting directions, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in imaging.\n\n1.  **Dynamic Curvature:** One significant future development could be the ability to dynamically adjust the sensor's curvature. This adaptive optics approach could allow a single sensor to optimize for different lens types, focal lengths, or even adjust in real-time to compensate for environmental factors or specific optical needs, offering unparalleled versatility.\n2.  **Advanced Materials and Fabrication:** Expect continued research into novel materials and more refined fabrication techniques to achieve even more precise and complex curvature profiles. This could include flexible substrates, advanced deposition methods for stress engineering, and integration with new semiconductor processes to enhance sensor performance (e.g., higher quantum efficiency, lower noise) on a curved surface.\n3.  **Integrated Computational Photography:** While curved sensors reduce the need for optical distortion correction, future developments will likely see even tighter integration with advanced computational photography. This could involve algorithms specifically designed to leverage the pristine optical input from curved sensors for tasks like super-resolution, advanced HDR, or real-time 3D depth mapping, pushing image quality beyond current limits.\n4.  **Custom Optics Ecosystem:** The widespread adoption of curved sensors will drive a parallel evolution in lens design, leading to an entirely new ecosystem of highly optimized, simpler, and more compact lenses specifically designed for curved focal planes. This will foster innovation in both sensor and lens manufacturing.\n5.  **Miniaturization and Power Efficiency:** As the technology matures, further miniaturization of both the sensor and its associated optics will occur, leading to even smaller, more power-efficient imaging modules. This will enable integration into an even broader range of devices, from microscopic cameras to advanced embedded vision systems. The Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same is just the beginning of a truly curved future for imaging. Keywords: future sensor tech, dynamic curvature, advanced fabrication, computational photography, integrated optics, miniaturization.","question":"What are the future developments expected for Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same?"}],"topics":["wafer level curved image sensors","curved image sensor patent","optical aberration correction","compact camera technology","image sensor fabrication","landscape","digital","imaging"],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Curved Image Sensors for Enhanced Optics - US-9853078","description":"Discover the Wafer Level Curved Image Sensors and Method of Fabricating the Same patent. Achieve sharper images, thinner cameras, and simpler optics with this groundbreaking technology.","keywords":["wafer level curved image sensors","curved image sensor patent","optical aberration correction","compact camera technology","image sensor fabrication","imaging innovation","US-9853078","H01L patent","camera optics","sensor technology"]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853078","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853078","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Wafer level curved image sensors and method of fabricating the same\" (US-9853078). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853078","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853078","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9853078","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T06:44:34.135Z"}