Method of fabricating solid state image sensing elements

Claim 1

A method for fabricating solid state image sensing elements comprising the steps of: forming a passivation layer on a substrate, the substrate including photodiode areas and metal pad portions; forming a flat layer on the passivation layer; forming color filter layers on the flat layer; forming a top coating layer on the substrate including the color filter layers; forming a first photoresist on the top coating layer; forming stripe microlens patterns over the photodiode areas by selective exposure and development of the first photoresist; reflowing the stripe microlens patterns with heat treatment; forming a second photoresist over the substrate, the first photoresist pattern having been formed thereon; forming a pattern by selective exposure and development of the the second photoresist; forming stripe microlenses by carrying out selective etching of the top coating layer and the flat layer to expose the metal pad portions together with etching of the upper part of the first photoresist pattern to a certain thickness using the second photoresist pattern as a mask; removing the remaining second photoresist pattern; coating a third photoresist pattern on the stripe microlenses; forming a mosaic microlens pattern on flat upper surfaces of the stripe microlenses by selective exposure and development of the third photoresist; and forming mosaic microlens layers by reflowing of the mosaic microlens pattern with heat treatment.

Claim 2

A method for fabricating solid state image sensing elements comprising the steps of: forming a passivation layer on a substrate, the substrate including photodiode areas and metal pad portions; forming a flat layer on the passivation layer; forming color filter layers on the flat layer; forming a top coating layer on the substrate including the color filter layers; forming a first photoresist on the top coating layer; forming stripe microlens patterns over the photodiode areas by selective exposure and development of the first photoresist; reflowing the stripe microlens patterns with heat treatment; forming a second photoresist over the substrate, the first photoresist pattern having been formed thereon; forming a pattern by selective exposure and development of the the second photoresist; forming stripe microlenses by carrying out selective etching of the top coating layer and the flat layer to expose the metal pad portions together with etching of the upper part of the first photoresist pattern to a certain thickness using the second photoresist pattern as a mask; removing the remaining second photoresist pattern; coating a third photoresist pattern on the stripe microlenses; forming a mosaic microlens pattern on flat upper surfaces of the stripe microlenses by selective exposure and development of the third photoresist; and forming mosaic microlens layers by reflowing of the mosaic microlens pattern with heat treatment.

Claim 5

A method for fabrication of a solid state image sensing element comprising the steps of: forming a first photoresist on a substrate, the substrate including metal pad portions; forming stripe microlens patterns by selective exposure and development of the first photoresist; reflowing the stripe microlens patterns with heat treatment to form stripe microlens layers; simultaneously exposing the metal pad portions and flattening upper surfaces of the stripe microlens layers; forming a second photoresist on the stripe microlens layers; forming a mosaic microlens pattern on the flattened upper surfaces of the stripe microlens layers by selective exposure and development of the second photoresist; and forming mosaic microlenses by reflowing the mosaic microlens pattern with heat treatment.

Claim 6

A method for fabrication of a solid state image sensing element comprising the steps of: forming a first photoresist on a substrate, the substrate including metal pad portions; forming stripe microlens patterns by selective exposure and development of the first photoresist; reflowing the stripe microlens patterns with heat treatment to form stripe microlens layers; simultaneously exposing the metal pad portions and flattening upper surfaces of the stripe microlens layers; forming a second photoresist on the stripe microlens layers; forming a mosaic microlens pattern on the flattened upper surfaces of the stripe microlens layers by selective exposure and development of the second photoresist; and forming mosaic microlenses by reflowing the mosaic microlens pattern with heat treatment.