Ultra-thin multi-aperture depth monitoring camera modules with megapixel resolution

The slim design of portable electronic devices (e.g. smartphones) causes a constant need for miniaturized camera systems. This trend pushes the shrinking of opto-electronic, electronic and optical components. While opto- and micro-electronics have made tremendous progress, the technology for the miniaturization of optics still struggles to keep up. The demand for a higher image resolution and large aperture of the lens (both driven by shrinking pixel size) conflict with the need for a short focal length and a simple, compact design. These conditions impose high demands on the fabrication technology, especially when considering that it has to meet one-hundreds of a percent relative accuracy. Wafer-level optics (WLO) fabrication for camera lenses is a promising candidate, enabling high-volume production with low cost. However, the resolution that is currently available with WLO-technology is limited due to material and process control issues. We realized a 720p resolution module by an alternative lens design using a multi aperture scheme which captures different portions of the field of view (FOV) within separated optical channels.