Four-directional pixel-wise polarization CMOS image sensor using air-gap wire grid on 2.5-μm back-illuminated pixels

Polarization information is useful in highly functional imaging. This paper presents a four-directional pixel-wise polarization CMOS image sensor using an air-gap wire grid on 2.5-μm back-illuminated pixels. The fabricated air-gap wire grid polarizer achieved a transmittance of 63.3 % and an extinction ratio of 85 at 550 nm, outperforming conventional polarization sensors. The pixel-wise polarizers fabricated with the wafer process on back-illuminated image sensors exhibit good oblique-incidence characteristics, even with small polarization pixels of 2.5 μm. The proposed image sensor realizes mega-pixel various fusion-imaging applications, such as surface reflection reduction, highly accurate depth mapping, and condition-robust surveillance.