{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T03:36:10Z","timestamp":1760240170408,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,29]],"date-time":"2019-03-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1553817600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003725","name":"National Research Foundation of Korea","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NRF-2017R1C1B5015844"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NRF-2017R1C1B5015844"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003725","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Due to the continuing improvements in camera technology, a high-resolution CMOS image sensor is required. However, a high-resolution camera requires that the pixel pitch is smaller than 1.0 \u03bcm in the limited sensor area. Accordingly, the optical performance of the pixel deteriorates with the aspect ratio. If the pixel depth is shallow, the aspect ratio is enhanced. Also, optical performance can improve if the sensitivity in the long wavelengths is guaranteed. In this current work, we propose a front-inner lens structure that enhances the sensitivity to the small pixel size and the shallow pixel depth. The front-inner lens was located on the front side of the backside illuminated pixel for enhancement of the absorption. The proposed structures in the 1.0 \u03bcm pixel pitch were investigated with 3D optical simulation. The pixel depths were 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 \u03bcm. The materials of the front-inner lens were varied, including air and magnesium fluoride (MgF2). For analysis of the sensitivity enhancement, we compared the typical pixel with the suggested pixel and confirmed that the absorption rate of the suggested pixel was improved by a maximum of 7.27%, 10.47%, and 29.28% for 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 \u03bcm pixel depths, respectively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s19071536","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,29]],"date-time":"2019-03-29T13:09:58Z","timestamp":1553864998000},"page":"1536","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Front-Inner Lens for High Sensitivity of CMOS Image Sensors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1305-6196","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Godeun","family":"Seok","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electronics Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4338-7642","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yunkyung","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electronics Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Rec. 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