Design, characterization and evaluation of high performance 2.8 μm pitch zero space microlens

► This paper describes the design, characteristics of zero space microlens from the AFM token and silicon test in detail that is a full paper to describe and to compare the difference of both space and zero space microlens from physical and chip results. ► Using AFM (atomic force microscopy) and sensor test platform, the structural and optical properties of both space microlens and zero space microlens have been characterized, and their performances have been evaluated respectively. ► Both AFM results and silicon tests have demonstrated that the 2.8 μm pitch zero space microlens can remarkably improve the pixel sensitivity and pixel array non-uniformity, and reduce the optical crosstalk.