Integrated Circuit Bias Wiring Segmentation for Image Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor integrated circuit devices for imaging apparatuses, increasing the number of signal processing circuits leads to increased wiring resistances and potential gradients, resulting in output gradients and reduced image quality due to uneven amplification characteristics across amplifier circuits.
Innovation Solution
Classifying signal processing circuits into groups with common connection wirings for bias circuits, which reduces potential gradients and noise by separating the input terminals of bias circuits and connecting them through separate wirings within each group, thereby dispersing output gradients and improving noise characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of signal processing circuits is increased to decrease the number of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, then integration is improved, but wiring resistance and potential gradients increase causing output gradients and reduced image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The bias circuits are segmented into multiple groups, with each group having its own separate connection wiring to the bias source. This segmentation prevents the common wiring resistance problem that would affect all circuits equally, thereby maintaining uniform amplification characteristics across all signal processing circuits while achieving high integration.
2Area of stationary object
If the number of signal processing circuits is increased to reduce chip area, then area efficiency is improved, but wiring resistance increases causing potential gradients and amplification characteristic variations
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the bias circuits into groups with separate connection wirings, the patent reduces the effective wiring length and resistance for each group. This segmentation allows more signal processing circuits to be integrated on the chip while maintaining uniform potential distribution and amplification characteristics across all circuits.
3Device complexity
If common bias current setting lines and power supply lines are used for all amplifier circuits, then device complexity is reduced, but potential gradients cause output gradients and image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bias circuit connection into multiple groups, each with its own connection wiring. This approach increases device complexity slightly but eliminates the potential gradient problem caused by long common wirings, thereby ensuring uniform output characteristics and maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Each group of bias circuits is provided with a dedicated connection wiring tailored to its specific location on the chip. This local quality approach ensures that each group receives bias current through optimally sized wirings, minimizing potential gradients and ensuring uniform amplification characteristics across different regions of the chip.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit device of the present invention includes a plurality of signal processing circuits classified into a plurality of groups, each signal processing circuit including an amplifier circuit for amplifying an input electric signal and a bias circuit having an input terminal connected electrically to a bias source and supplying a bias input terminal of the amplifier circuit with an operation bias for an amplifying operation of the amplifier circuit; and a plurality of connection wirings arranged each for each of the groups separately, such that the input terminals of the bias circuits of the signal processing circuits in one of the groups are commonly connected through the connection wirings. This provides an integrated circuit device suppressing the lowering of an image quality in consideration of enabling lower power consumption, a low noise characteristic, and high integration, and an imaging apparatus using the integrated circuit.