Component and sensor for a lidar sensor system, lidar sensor system and method for a lidar sensor system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to various embodiments of an optical component for a LIDAR Sensor System. The optical component includes a first photo diode implementing a LIDAR sensor pixel in a first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a first wavelength region, a second photo diode implementing a camera sensor pixel in a second semiconductor structure over the first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a second wavelength region, and an interconnect layer (e.g. arranged between the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure) including an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second photo diode. The received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than the received light of the first wavelength region.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical component for a LIDAR Sensor System, the optical component comprising:
 a first photo diode implementing a LIDAR sensor pixel in a first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a first wavelength region;   a second photo diode implementing a camera sensor pixel in a second semiconductor structure over the first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a second wavelength region;   an interconnect layer comprising an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second photo diode;   wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than the received light of the first wavelength region.   
     
     
         2 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second photo diode is vertically stacked over the first photo diode.   
     
     
         3 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is a first vertical photo diode; and/or   wherein the second photo diode is a second vertical photo diode.   
     
     
         4 . The optical component according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a further interconnect layer comprising an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second vertical photo diode and/or the first vertical photo diode.   
     
     
         5 . The optical component according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a microlens over the second semiconductor structure that laterally substantially covers the first vertical photo diode and/or the second vertical photo diode.   
     
     
         6 . The optical component according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a filter layer over the second semiconductor structure that laterally substantially covers the first vertical photo diode and/or the second vertical photo diode and is configured to transmit received light having a wavelength within the first wavelength region and within the second wavelength region, and block light outside the first wavelength region and outside the second wavelength region.   
     
     
         7 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the received light of the first wavelength region has a wavelength in the range from about 800 nm to about 1800 nm; and/or   wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a wavelength in the range from about 380 nm to about 780 nm.   
     
     
         8 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the received light of the first wavelength region has a wavelength in the range from about 800 nm to about 1800 nm; and/or   wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a wavelength in the range from about 800 nm to about 1750 nm.   
     
     
         9 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than received light of the first wavelength region by at least 50 nm, preferably by at least 100 nm.   
     
     
         10 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the received light of the first wavelength region has a wavelength in an infrared spectrum wavelength region; and/or   wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a wavelength in the visible spectrum wavelength region.   
     
     
         11 . The optical component according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mirror structure comprising a bottom mirror and a top mirror;   wherein the second semiconductor structure is arranged between the bottom mirror and the top mirror;   wherein the bottom mirror is arranged between the interconnect layer and the second semiconductor structure.   
     
     
         12 . The optical component according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the mirror structure comprises a Bragg mirror structure.   
     
     
         13 . The optical component according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the mirror structure and the second vertical photo diode are configured so that the second vertical photo diode forms a resonant cavity photo diode.   
     
     
         14 . The optical component according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reflector layer over the second semiconductor structure.   
     
     
         15 . The optical component according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the reflector layer is configured to reflect radiation having a wavelength equal to or greater than approximately 2 μm; and/or   wherein the reflector layer is configured as an infrared reflector layer.   
     
     
         16 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is a pin photo diode; and   wherein the second photo diode is a pin photo diode.   
     
     
         17 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is an avalanche photo diode; and   wherein the second photo diode is a pin photo diode.   
     
     
         18 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is an avalanche photo diode; and   wherein the second photo diode is a resonant cavity photo diode.   
     
     
         19 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is a single-photon avalanche photo diode; and   wherein the second photo diode is a resonant cavity photo diode.   
     
     
         20 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first photo diode is an avalanche photo diode; and   wherein the second photo diode is an avalanche photo diode.   
     
     
         21 . The optical component according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an array of a plurality of photo diode stacks, each photo diode stack comprising a second photo diode vertically stacked over a first photo diode.   
     
     
         22 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one photo diode stack of the plurality of photo diode stacks comprises at least one further second photo diode in the second semiconductor structure adjacent to the second photo diode;   wherein the first photo diode of the at least one photo diode stack of the plurality of photo diode stacks has a larger lateral extension than the second photo diode and the at least one further second photo diode of the at least one photo diode stack so that the second photo diode and the at least one further second photo diode are arranged laterally within the lateral extension of the first vertical photo diode.   
     
     
         23 . The optical component according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the carrier is a semiconductor substrate.   
     
     
         24 . A sensor for a LIDAR Sensor System, the sensor comprising:
 a plurality of optical components, each optical component of the plurality of optical components comprising:
 a first photo diode implementing a LIDAR sensor pixel in a first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a first wavelength region; 
 a second photo diode implementing a camera sensor pixel in a second semiconductor structure over the first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a second wavelength region; 
 an interconnect layer comprising an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second photo diode; 
 wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than the received light of the first wavelength region; and 
   wherein the plurality of optical components are monolithically integrated on the carrier as a common carrier.   
     
     
         25 . The sensor according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the sensor is configured as a front-side illuminated sensor.   
     
     
         26 . The sensor according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the sensor is configured as a back-side illuminated sensor.   
     
     
         27 . The sensor according to  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a color filter layer covering at least some optical components of the plurality of optical components.   
     
     
         28 . The sensor according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the color filter layer comprises a first color filter sublayer and a second color filter sublayer;   wherein the first color filter sublayer is configured to transmit received light having a wavelength within the first wavelength region and within the second wavelength region, and block light outside the first wavelength region and outside the second wavelength region; and   wherein the second color filter sublayer is configured to block received light having a wavelength outside the second wavelength region.   
     
     
         29 . The sensor according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the first color filter sublayer and/or the second color filter sublayer comprises a plurality of second sublayer pixels.   
     
     
         30 . The sensor according to  claim 29 ,
 wherein the first color filter sublayer and/or the second color filter sublayer comprises a plurality of second sublayer pixels in accordance with a Bayer pattern.   
     
     
         31 . The sensor according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the first color filter sublayer comprises a plurality of first sublayer pixels having the same size as the second sublayer pixels;   wherein the first sublayer pixels and the second sublayer pixels coincide with each other.   
     
     
         32 . The sensor according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the first color filter sublayer comprises a plurality of first sublayer pixels having a size larger than the size of the second sublayer pixels;   wherein one first sublayer pixels laterally substantially overlaps with a plurality of the second sublayer pixels.   
     
     
         33 . A LIDAR Sensor System, comprising:
 a sensor for a LIDAR Sensor System, the sensor comprising:   a plurality of optical components, each optical component of the plurality of optical components comprising:   a first photo diode implementing a LIDAR sensor pixel in a first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a first wavelength region;   a second photo diode implementing a camera sensor pixel in a second semiconductor structure over the first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a second wavelength region;   an interconnect layer comprising an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second photo diode;   wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than the received light of the first wavelength region; and   wherein the plurality of optical components are monolithically integrated on the carrier as a common carrier; and   
       a sensor controller configured to control the sensor. 
     
     
         34 . A method for a LIDAR Sensor System, wherein the LIDAR Sensor System comprises:
 a sensor for a LIDAR Sensor System, the sensor comprising:
 a plurality of optical components, each optical component of the plurality of optical components comprising: 
 a first photo diode implementing a LIDAR sensor pixel in a first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a first wavelength region; 
 a second photo diode implementing a camera sensor pixel in a second semiconductor structure over the first semiconductor structure and configured to absorb received light in a second wavelength region; 
 an interconnect layer comprising an electrically conductive structure configured to electrically contact the second photo diode; 
 wherein the received light of the second wavelength region has a shorter wavelength than the received light of the first wavelength region; and 
 wherein the plurality of optical components are monolithically integrated on the carrier as a common carrier; and 
   a sensor controller configured to control the sensor;   wherein the method comprises:   integrating the LIDAR Sensor System into a LIDAR Sensor Device; and   communicating with a second Sensor System and using a object classification and/or Probability Factors and/or Traffic Relevance factors measured by the second Sensor System for evaluation of current and future measurements and derived LIDAR Sensor Device control parameters as a function of these factors.