Highly curved image sensors: a practical approach for improved optical performance

Guenter, Brian; Joshi, Neel; Stoakley, Richard; Keefe, Andrew C.; Geary, Kevin; Freeman, Ryan; Hundley, Jake; Patterson, P.R.; Hammon, David L.; Herrera, Guillermo A.; Sherman, Elena; Nowak, Andrew P.; Schubert, Randall C.; Brewer, P. D.; Yang, L.; Mott, Russell P.; McKnight, Geoffrey P.

doi:10.1364/oe.25.013010

Cited by 101 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Further, the use of a high‐magnification objective lens and small‐wavelength (monochromatic) light source could improve the resolution of the current setup. Recently, the development of a highly curved image sensor demonstrated its significant optical and size benefits in camera applications (Rim et al ., ; Guenter et al ., ). The use of a high‐resolution curved image sensor in our technique can improve the illumination uniformity, resolution, light gathering and focusing in a large FOV, while reducing the system size, cost, and complexity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐resolution cost‐effective compact portable inverted light microscope

Purwar

Han

Lee

et al. 2019

Journal of Microscopy

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Summary Commercial high‐resolution optical microscopes are essential for microscopy imaging; however, they are expensive and bulky, which limits their use in point‐of‐care devices, resource‐limited areas, and real‐time imaging of a sample in a large apparatus. In this study, we report a novel compact (10 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm, without the light source) lightweight (∼0.5 kg) submicron‐resolution inverted optical microscope at low cost (∼$ 300). Our technique utilises the proximity of the image sensor to a commercial microscope objective lens for compactness of the microscope. The use of an image sensor with a small pixel size helps to reduce the information loss, which provides high‐resolution images. Moreover, our technique offers a freedom to tailor the design of microscope according to the required resolution, cost, and portability for specific applications, which makes it a suitable candidate for affordable point‐of‐care devices. Images of several micron‐to‐submicron scale patterns and spherical beads are acquired to observe the resolution and quality of the images obtained using our microscope. In addition, we demonstrate the applications of our microscope in various fields such as recording of high‐speed water microdroplet formation inside a microfluidic device, high‐resolution live cell imaging inside an incubator, and real‐time imaging of crack propagation in a sample under stretching by a material testing system (MTS). Therefore, this portable and inexpensive microscope provides the essential functionalities of a bulky expensive high‐performance microscope at a lower cost. Lay Description Microscope is an essential tool in research allowing for observation of microsized objects and life forms. Contemporary commercial high‐resolution microscopes have long optical paths involving series of lenses and filters. Although this configuration precisely corrects for optical distortions and produces clear images, it makes modern microscopes very costly and bulky, restricting their usage to low‐funded research laboratories and at remote places. We have developed a simple digital microscope with high‐resolution but with much smaller size and lighter in weight at low cost by removing the long optical terrain. Our microscope consists of a commercial microscope objective lens for magnification and semiconductor image sensor with small pixels placed right after the lens, both of which are affordable and easily available. The small pixel size helps to translate the magnified analogue sample image to high‐resolution digital image. In our paper, we show that our microscope can view micro and submicron‐sized patterns and beads. Moreover, our fist‐sized microscope can be placed inside an incubator for real‐time imaging of cells or rotated sideways for recording submicron‐sized crack generation due stretching of novel materials, both of which could not be accomplished with the 2 feet tall laboratory microscopes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐resolution cost‐effective compact portable inverted light microscope

Purwar

Han

Lee

et al. 2019

Journal of Microscopy

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“…Using these elements, the principle stress values on the bottom, middle and top surfaces of the plate are obtained. Based on a breakage ball on ring study and curved packaging work [8,15] on silicon square plates with different grinding, polishing, and sawing processes, two tensile failure strength criterions has been defined: S1max1 = 200MPa, which refers to a standard grinding and sawing, and S1max2= 500MPa, associated to CMP process and standard sawing.…”

Section: Associated Mechanical Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another explanation could be the ultimate tensile strength value considered in the model. GENTER [8] has shown that for silicon plate, and for spherical shaping, the maximum ultimate tensile stress could be over 500MPa before breakage.…”

Section: Experimental Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Firstly, there are several developments on the fabrication of curved sensors. For the monolithic approach, the fabrication has been demonstrated on uncooled and cooled infrared sensors, for very compact high-performance camera [5], Charge Couple Device (CCD) [6], or Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) [7,8]. None are in industrial production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Curved sensors for compact high-resolution wide-field designs: prototype demonstration and optical characterization

Chambion

Gaschet

Behaghel

et al. 2018

Photonic Instrumentation Engineering V

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Over the recent years, a huge interest has grown for curved electronics, particularly for opto-electronics systems. Curved sensors help the correction of off-axis aberrations, such as Petzval Field Curvature, astigmatism, and bring significant optical and size benefits for imaging systems. In this paper, we first describe advantages of curved sensor and associated packaging process applied on a 1/1.8'' format 1.3Mpx global shutter CMOS sensor (Teledyne EV76C560) into its standard ceramic package with a spherical radius of curvature Rc=65mm and 55mm. The mechanical limits of the die are discussed (Finite Element Modelling and experimental), and electro-optical performances are investigated. Then, based on the monocentric optical architecture, we proposed a new design, compact and with a high resolution, developed specifically for a curved image sensor including optical optimization, tolerances, assembly and optical tests. Finally, a functional prototype is presented through a benchmark approach and compared to an existing standard optical system with same performances and a x2.5 reduction of length. The finality of this work was a functional prototype demonstration on the CEA-LETI during Photonics West 2018 conference. All these experiments and optical results demonstrate the feasibility and high performances of systems with curved sensors.

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“…According to Sony scientists, the new curved imaging system can double the sensitivity at edges of the image circle and by a factor of 1.4 at the center of the image circle. Recently, a publication has been released by a research group in California (HRL laboratories), together with a team at Microsoft . In this publication, authors studied also the benefit of having a spherically curved image sensor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Curved OLED microdisplays

et al. 2019

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Technical background for CMOS substrate thinning of CEA‐LETI (historically developed for through silicon via technology as well as for more recent activity to provide curved image sensors, for IR as well as for visible spectra) has been applied to realize curved OLED‐based microdisplays. It will be shown that test OLEDs made onto silicon wafers as well as 873 × 500 WVGA, 0.38″ diagonal, and an innovative 1920 × 1200 WUXGA, 1″diagonal, CMOS‐based microdisplays can be curved at R = 45 mm radius of curvature (1D) with no negative impact onto the circuit electrical characteristics. This feature can allow significant innovation on the system and application because it can help to redesign simpler and lighter optical engine systems, in the same manner as for curved image sensors. These results can be obtained owing to the integration of a new protective hard coat layer that has been used in conjunction with a robust thin‐film encapsulation to protect OLEDs from mechanical ingress (from process steps and handling) and oxidizing gas of the atmosphere, respectively. Results have been produced within the framework of the EU‐funded, H2020 project, called Large cost‐effective OLED MIcroDisplays (LOMID and their applications).

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Highly curved image sensors: a practical approach for improved optical performance

Cited by 101 publications

References 24 publications

High‐resolution cost‐effective compact portable inverted light microscope

High‐resolution cost‐effective compact portable inverted light microscope

Curved sensors for compact high-resolution wide-field designs: prototype demonstration and optical characterization

Curved OLED microdisplays

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