292 results about "Floating diffusion" patented technology

A subpixel including at least one second-conductivity-type pinned photodiode layer that forms a p-n junction with a substrate semiconductor layer, at least one floating diffusion region, and at least one transfer gate stack structure. The at least one transfer gate stack structure may at least partially laterally surround the at least one second-conductivity-type pinned photodiode layer with a total azimuthal extension angle in a range from 240 degrees to 360 degrees around a geometrical center of the second-conductivity-type pinned photodiode layer. The at least one transfer gate stack structure may include multiple edges that overlie different segments of a periphery of the at least one second-conductivity-type pinned photodiode layer, and the floating diffusion region includes a portion located between the first edge and the second edge. In addition, multiple transfer gate stack structures and multiple floating diffusion regions may be present in the subpixel.

A control circuitry region of a pixel sensor of a semiconductor device includes a plurality of conversion gain circuits that may be selectively activated and / or deactivated in various combinations to enable a plurality of sequential conversion gain operations to be performed across an exposure operation of the semiconductor device. The control circuitry region may include a first conversion gain circuit and a second conversion gain circuit that are connected to a floating diffusion node of the pixel sensor in parallel. The selectable parallel conversion gain circuits enable sequential conversion gain operations to be performed for the pixel sensor such that the capacitance in the pixel sensor may be gradually increased through the conversion gain operations. Gradually increasing the capacitance in the pixel sensor across the sequential conversion gain operations provides for smaller signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) drops, which enables a low SNR drop to be achieved for the pixel sensor.

A pixel array includes: unit pixel groups; and two column lines provided for each column. Each of the unit pixel groups includes rows, a first pixel group comprising a plurality of pixels, a second pixel group comprising a plurality of pixels. The first pixel group and the second pixel group are arranged in a row direction. A pixel signal is output by simultaneously reading out: unit pixel groups that are connected to a first column line and that do not share a first floating diffusion region, and unit pixel groups that are connected to a second column line different from the first column line and that do not share a second floating diffusion region. At least one of the first floating diffusion region and the second floating diffusion region is between a dual conversion transistor and a reset transistor.

An image sensor includes a pixel isolation structure in a semiconductor substrate. The pixel isolation structure defines a plurality of pixel regions, a photoelectric conversion region in the semiconductor substrate on each of the pixel regions, a floating diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the photoelectric conversion region. A transfer gate electrode is disposed between the photoelectric conversion region and the floating diffusion region on each of the pixel regions. A dielectric layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate and covers the transfer gate electrode. A plurality of active patterns spaced apart from each other is disposed on a top surface of the dielectric layer. A plurality of pixel transistors is disposed on corresponding active patterns. In a plan view, at least one of the active patterns overlaps a portion of the pixel isolation structure.

Provided is a low-cost light detection device with large signal detection capacity. The light detection device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer stacked on top of each other. The first semiconductor layer includes a photoelectric conversion region and a floating diffusion region that accumulates charges resulting from photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion region, and the second semiconductor layer includes a capacitor that accumulates the charges resulting from photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion region.

An image sensor comprising a first die, a second die, and a plurality of pixel cells arranged in rows and columns to form a pixel cell array is described. The first die and the second die are stacked to form a bonding interface disposed therebetween. A first pixel cell included in the plurality of pixel cells includes a photodiode, disposed within the first die, configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light, a flighting diffusion, disposed within the first die, coupled to receive the image charge, and a lateral overflow integration capacitor, disposed within the second die, selectively coupled to the floating diffusion through a first bonding connection formed at the bonding interface.

The invention provides a signal processing method of an image sensor, which comprises the following steps of: starting a transfer transistor by using a relatively low first starting voltage during LCG to read an image signal of the LCG, and starting the transfer transistor by using a relatively high second starting voltage during HCG to read an image signal of the HCG. Wherein the first turn-on voltage is smaller than the voltage for completely transferring the full well charge of the photodiode to the floating diffusion region under the LCG, so as to ensure that the charge in the photodiode is not completely emptied when the image signal of the LCG is read; the second turn-on voltage is greater than or equal to the voltage for completely transferring the residual charge of the photodiode to the floating diffusion region under the HCG, so that the charge in the photodiode can be completely transferred under low illumination. Compared with the prior art, the method can ensure that charges in the FD cannot exceed a readable range during LCG and HCG, read data distortion cannot be caused, the storage area does not need to be increased, the FD potential change amplitude is not too large during two times of charge transfer, noise can be reduced, the problem of transverse stripes of a lamp tube can be minimized, and the HDR image quality can be improved.

An image sensor includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, wherein each of the pixels includes a photodiode, a transfer transistor, first to third floating diffusion nodes, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a first switch transistor, a second switch transistor, and a reset transistor. The second switch transistor is configured to turn off in a first period and to turn on in a second period of an exposure period of the photodiode, and the reset transistor is configured to turn on in the first period and to turn off in the second period of the exposure period of the photodiode.

Image sensing devices are disclosed. In an embodiment, an image sensing device includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing or opposite to the first surface; a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions arranged adjacent to each other within the substrate and configured to convert incident light received through the first surface into photocharges; a pixel isolation structure configured to isolate adjacent photoelectric conversion regions of the photoelectric conversion regions from each other within the substrate; a floating diffusion region disposed between the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and in contact with the second surface of the substrate; and a plurality of transfer gates disposed on side surfaces of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions so as not to vertically overlap the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions.

Disclosed herein are fixed pattern noise (FPN) reduction techniques in image sensors operated with pulsed illumination. In one embodiment, a method includes, during a first sub-exposure period of a frame, (a) operating a first tap of a pixel to capture a first signal corresponding to a first charge at a first floating diffusion, the first charge corresponding to a first light incident on a photosensor, and (b) operating a second tap of the pixel to capture a first parasitic signal corresponding to FPN at a second floating diffusion. The method further includes, during a second sub-exposure period of the frame, (a) operating the second tap to capture a second signal corresponding to a second charge at the second floating diffusion, the second charge corresponding to a second light incident on the photosensor, and (b) operating the first tap to capture a second parasitic signal corresponding to FPN at the first floating diffusion.

The image sensor may include a plurality of pixels, each of which may include a photodiode having a charge storage region (“PD”), a floating diffusion region (“FD”), and a vertical charge transfer region between the PD and the FD. The vertical charge transfer region may include a first charge modulation region (“P1”), a second charge modulation region (“P2”), and a third charge modulation region (“P3”). The image sensor may operate in a global shutter mode, in which P2 may be used as an in-pixel charge memory region for temporarily storing charge during the transfer of charge from the PD to the FD via P1, P2, and P3.

An image sensor and a readout method for a pixel circuit thereof are provided. In the pixel circuit, a first transistor is coupled between a floating diffusion portion and a first capacitor, and a second transistor is coupled between the first transistor and a second capacitor. A readout cycle of the pixel circuit includes a high conversion gain (HCG) readout operation, an all-capacitor readout operation, a first readout stage, a second readout stage, and a third readout stage. The HCG readout operation is used to read out an HCG sensing result. The first readout stage and the second readout stage are used to read out a first medium illumination sensing result. The second readout stage and the third readout stage are used to read out a low conversion gain (LCG) sensing result. The all-capacitor readout operation is used to read out a high illumination sensing result.

An image sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, a first isolation pattern defining a plurality of shared pixel regions in the substrate, and a plurality of shared pixels respectively in the plurality of shared pixel regions. Each of the plurality of shared pixels includes a second isolation pattern defining a plurality of unit pixel regions in a corresponding shared pixel region, the second isolation pattern having an open region in a plan view, a plurality of photodiodes in the plurality of unit pixel regions, respectively, a plurality of floating diffusion regions in the plurality of unit pixel regions, and an inter-pixel overflow (IPO) gate overlapping the open region in the plan view. Each of the plurality of floating diffusion regions in each of the plurality of shared pixels is spaced apart from the IPO gate.

This disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, its fabrication method, and an image sensor, relating to the field of image sensor technology, and aims to improve the image quality of image sensors using this semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate and at least one semiconductor unit; the at least one semiconductor unit is disposed on the substrate; the semiconductor unit includes a first semiconductor layer, a gate layer, and a gate dielectric layer; the first semiconductor layer includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a channel portion, and a floating diffusion portion; the channel portion surrounds at least a portion of the photoelectric conversion portion; the floating diffusion portion is disposed on the side of the channel portion away from the substrate and is spaced apart from the photoelectric conversion portion; the gate layer at least penetrates a portion of the first semiconductor layer and is disposed on the side of the channel portion away from the photoelectric conversion portion; the gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate layer and the channel portion. The aforementioned image sensor is used to capture and convert image information.

A pixel and an image sensor, relating to the technical field of image sensors. The pixel comprises: a photosensitive unit for generating electric charges in response to light; a transmission unit for transmitting the electric charges generated by the photosensitive unit to a floating diffusion node; a reset unit for resetting the pixel; an amplification unit for amplifying a voltage at the floating diffusion node and outputting the amplified voltage to a storage unit; the storage unit for storing a reset voltage and a signal voltage; a switching unit for switching an exposure mode of the pixel and switching a conversion gain of the pixel in the exposure mode, wherein the exposure mode comprises a global shutter mode and a rolling shutter mode; and an output unit for outputting the reset voltage and the signal voltage. The pixel supports global shutter and rolling shutter, and supports a high dynamic range in both a global shutter mode and a rolling shutter mode.

This light-detection element includes: a first semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor substrate layered above the first semiconductor substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit provided in the first semiconductor substrate; floating diffusion (FD) that is provided in the first semiconductor substrate and that accumulates charges from the photoelectric conversion unit; a transistor that is provided in the second semiconductor substrate and that includes a source-drain (SD) region formed in a semiconductor unit provided above an insulating region; and an N-type impurity region extending from inside the first semiconductor substrate to inside the second semiconductor substrate so as to connect the FD to the SD region of the transistor. The impurity region includes: a first section that, inside the first semiconductor substrate, contacts the FD; and a second section that, inside the second semiconductor substrate, contacts the SD region of the transistor.

A pixel sensor may include a vertically arranged (or vertically stacked) photodiode region and floating diffusion region. The vertical arrangement permits the photodiode region to occupy a larger area of a pixel sensor of a given size relative to a horizontal arrangement, which increases the area in which the photodiode region can collect photons. This increases performance of the pixel sensor and permits the overall size of the pixel sensor to be reduced. Moreover, the transfer gate may surround at least a portion of the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, which provides a larger gate switching area relative to a horizontal arrangement. The increased gate switching area may provide greater control over the transfer of the photocurrent and / or may reduce switching delay for the pixel sensor.

This invention provides a method for forming a vertical transfer transistor, comprising: at least a portion of the gate of the vertical transfer transistor being C-shaped, the gate surrounding an active region, and a photodiode being connected to a floating diffusion region through the active region to form a readout channel for the photodiode. In this solution, designing the gate of the vertical transfer transistor as C-shaped increases the control area of ​​the readout channel from the photodiode to the floating diffusion region, thereby improving the control capability of the vertical transfer transistor and increasing its readout efficiency.

A solid-state image capturing device includes a pixel which includes: a first photoelectric converter; a floating diffusion; a first charge accumulator including one electrode and an other electrode; a first transfer transistor including a source and a drain, one of which is connected to the first photoelectric converter and an other of which is connected to the floating diffusion; a second transfer transistor including a source and a drain, one of which is connected to the one electrode; a reset transistor including a source and a drain, one of which is connected to the other of the source and the drain of the second transfer transistor and an other of which is connected to a power supply line; and a switching transistor including a source and a drain, one of which is connected to the other electrode, and an other of which is connected to the power supply line.

There is provided an image sensor including a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit connected to the plurality of pixels, the peripheral circuit configured to drive the plurality of pixels, in which each of the plurality of pixels includes a photodiode and a pixel circuit configured to output a signal corresponding to a charge generated by the photodiode, the pixel circuit includes a floating diffusion node configured to store charge, a transfer transistor between the photodiode and the floating diffusion node, a gain control transistor connected to the floating diffusion node, a capacitor and a first switching transistor between the gain control transistor and a first power supply node, a reset transistor between the gain control transistor and the second power supply node, an amplification transistor connected to the floating diffusion node and the third power supply node, and a selection transistor between the amplification transistor and the column line.

Provided is an image sensor, including a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate on the first semiconductor substrate, a floating diffusion region in the first semiconductor substrate, a contact plug between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, and connected with the floating diffusion region, a through plug penetrating through the second semiconductor substrate and connected with the contact plug, a pixel transistor on the second semiconductor substrate, and an upper connection pattern connecting the through plug with the pixel transistor on the second semiconductor substrate, wherein the upper connection pattern contacts a first surface of the through plug.

There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: one or more photoelectric conversion elements provided on side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; a through electrode coupled to the one or more photoelectric conversion elements, and provided between the first surface and a second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and an amplifier transistor and a floating diffusion provided on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, in which the one or more photoelectric conversion elements are coupled to a gate of the amplifier transistor and the floating diffusion via the through electrode.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels; and a plurality of lenses on the plurality of pixels, respectively, in which the plurality of pixels includes a first pixel and a second pixel for detecting a phase difference of incident light in a first direction, the first pixel includes a 1-1 photodiode and a 1-2 photodiode sequentially arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to the first floating diffusion node through a 1-1 transfer transistor and a 1-2 transfer transistor, respectively. The second pixel includes a 2-1 photodiode and a 2-2 photodiode sequentially arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to the second floating diffusion node through a 2-1 transfer transistor and a 2-2 transfer transistor, respectively, each of the 1-1 transfer transistor and the 2-2 transfer transistor having the first conductivity type, and each of the 1-2 transfer transistor and the 2-1 transfer transistor has a second conductivity type.

Provided is an image sensor, including a substrate including pixel regions that include photoelectric conversion regions, respectively, a floating diffusion region in a pixel region of the pixel regions, the floating diffusion region being configured to store charge transmitted from a photoelectric conversion region among the photoelectric conversion regions and being on a first surface of the substrate, an element isolation region on the first surface of the substrate and adjacent to the floating diffusion region, and a conductive structure protruding in a vertical direction from a first surface of the element isolation region and a first surface of the floating diffusion region toward a second surface of the element isolation region and a second surface of the floating diffusion region, and contacting the floating diffusion region and the element isolation region.

To provide an image sensor with improved electrical and optical characteristics. [Solution] The image sensor of the present invention comprises a semiconductor substrate, a pixel isolation structure disposed within the semiconductor substrate and defining first and second pixel regions, a transmission gate electrode provided to the first pixel region, a floating diffusion region provided to the first pixel region on one side of the transmission gate electrode, a pixel gate electrode provided to the second pixel region, a source / drain region provided to the second pixel region on one side of the pixel gate electrode, a connecting conductive pattern disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and connecting the floating diffusion region and the source / drain region, including an edge portion adjacent to the outer wall, and a blocking pattern disposed between the edge portion of the connecting conductive pattern and the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

An image sensing device capable of generating a high dynamic range (HDR) image is disclosed. The image sensing device includes a pixel and a compensation circuit. The pixel configured to output to a sensing node, a sensing voltage corresponding to a voltage of a floating diffusion region, which is included therein and has first and second capacitances in respective first and second modes, the second capacitance being greater than the first capacitance. The compensation circuit controls, in a first section, an offset voltage level of the sensing node through a first path and boosts, in a second section, the sensing voltage through a second path.

An image sensor, an electronic device and a manufacturing method, the image sensor comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate being provided with a plurality of pixel unit regions and a pixel isolation region; the pixel unit region comprising: a light sensing region, a transfer transistor, a floating diffusion region and a source follower transistor, the light sensing region being configured to convert a light signal into an electrical signal; the transfer transistor being configured to transfer the electrical signal to the floating diffusion region; the source follower transistor being configured to output the electrical signal; wherein the pixel unit region further comprises an insulating spacer structure, the insulating spacer structure being embedded in the light sensing region, and the transfer transistor being arranged in the insulating spacer structure. By embedding the insulating spacer structure in the light sensing region and arranging the transfer transistor in the insulating spacer structure, the transmission distance between the light sensing region and the transfer transistor is reduced, the transmission performance is improved, the Lag is reduced, higher light sensing region doping can be performed under the same electric field gradient, higher full well can be obtained under the same light sensing region area, and the area inside the pixel is effectively utilized.

An image sensing device includes a photoelectric conversion region that generates photoelectric charges corresponding to incident light, a photoelectric gate region that overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and causes the photoelectric charges generated in the photoelectric conversion region to be collected in the photoelectric conversion region, and a transfer gate that is disposed adjacent to the photoelectric gate region in a first direction and transfers the photoelectric charges collected in the photoelectric conversion region to a floating diffusion region. The photoelectric gate region includes a first photoelectric gate that extends in a second direction for a length longer than a length in the second direction in which the photoelectric conversion region extends, and a second photoelectric gate that extends in the second direction for a length shorter than the length in the second direction in which the photoelectric conversion region extends. The first photoelectric gate includes a recessed region that is formed in contact with a side surface of the photoelectric conversion region and extends perpendicularly from one surface of a substrate in which an area in which the photoelectric conversion region is located.

This disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, its fabrication method, and an image sensor, relating to the field of image sensor technology, and aims to improve the image quality of image sensors using this semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate, a channel structure, a floating diffusion structure, a gate layer, and a gate dielectric layer; a photoelectric conversion region is provided in the substrate; the channel structure is disposed on the photoelectric conversion region along the thickness direction of the substrate; the floating diffusion structure is disposed on the side of the channel structure away from the substrate; the gate layer is at least partially disposed on the sidewall of the channel structure; and the gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate layer and the channel structure. The aforementioned image sensor is used to capture and convert image information.

This application discloses a light sensor and a related time-of-flight distance measuring system. The light sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, having a first surface and a second surface; a photodiode, disposed in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the first surface, wherein the photodiode is configured to sense light to generate charges; a first floating diffusion region, disposed in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the first surface, and configured to collect charges during a sampling operation; a gate, disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and configured to selectively control the charges to enter the first floating diffusion region; and PIN diode, disposed on the photodiode, wherein the PIN diode at least partially overlaps with the photodiode, when viewed from a top view.