An image sensor comprises: a plurality of pixels each having an avalanche photodiode; and a control unit that controls, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device that can achieve a high S/N ratio at a high sensitivity level without any decrease in resolution, and to an electronic apparatus. In the upper layer, the respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that absorbs light of a first wavelength are tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a square pixel array, and are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal directions and vertical directions in an oblique array. The respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that is sensitive to light of a second or third wavelength are arranged under the first photoelectric conversion unit. That is, pixels that are 2 times as large in size (twice as large in area) and are rotated 45 degrees are arranged in an oblique array. The present disclosure can be applied to solid-state imaging devices that are used in imaging apparatuses, for example.

In an array of multi-color vertical detector color pixel sensors, a readout wiring architecture includes a transfer transistor for each individual color detector. In first and second rows in a first column, the first, second, and third color transfer transistor gates are coupled, respectively, to the first, second, and third row-select lines. In a first row in a second column, the first color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the second row-select line, the second color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the first row-select line, and the third color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the third row-select line. In a second row in the second column, the first color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the first row-select line, the second color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the third row-select line, and t the third color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the second row-select line.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device that can achieve a high S/N ratio at a high sensitivity level without any decrease in resolution, and to an electronic apparatus. In the upper layer, the respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that absorbs light of a first wavelength are tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a square pixel array, and are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal directions and vertical directions in an oblique array. The respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that is sensitive to light of a second or third wavelength are arranged under the first photoelectric conversion unit. That is, pixels that are 2 times as large in size (twice as large in area) and are rotated 45 degrees are arranged in an oblique array. The present disclosure can be applied to solid-state imaging devices that are used in imaging apparatuses, for example.

In one example, a pixel cell comprises a first photodiode to generate a first charge and a second photodiode to generate a second charge. The pixel cell may include a charge sensing unit shared between the first photodiode and the second photodiode. The charge sensing unit may include a charge storage device to temporarily store a charge and convert the charge to a voltage. The pixel cell may include a quantizer to quantize the voltage output by the charge sensing unit, and a memory to store the quantization output. Depending on an operation mode, the first charge and the second charge can be controlled to flow simultaneously to the charge sensing unit for read out, or can be controlled to flow separately to the charge sensing unit for read out. The pixel cell further includes a memory to store a quantization result of the first charge and the second charge.

A method of classifying and correcting defects in vertical color pixel sensors in utilizing defective pixel information, the method includes defining ranges of output levels of normal pixel sensors from exposure to dark and bright flat field light sources. Dark and bright images are captured, and pixel outputs are measured for each image. Pixels in the dark and bright images having outputs in at least one color channel that are outside of the ranges of the output levels of normal pixel sensors are entered into defective pixel maps. The defective pixels are classified into categories and defective pixel sensors that can be corrected are identified. Correction values for identified defective pixel sensors that can be corrected are generated and entered into a calibration memory associated with the vertical color image sensor.

An image sensor including a pixel array, the pixel array includes alternately distributed first pixel units and second pixel units, the first pixel unit includes a first radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in a first wavelength range, and a second radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range, in which the first radiation sensing element is separated from the second radiation sensing element, and the second pixel unit includes a third radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in the third wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range, and a fourth radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in the second wavelength range, in which the third radiation sensing element is separated from the fourth radiation sensing element.

An image processing apparatus including a processor is provided. The processor inputs, from an imaging element in which first imaging pixels having a lower SNR and second imaging pixels having a higher SNR are arranged on a same layer, a first captured image by the first imaging pixels and a second captured image by the second imaging pixels when the first imaging pixels and the second imaging pixels perform imaging simultaneously, selects a target pixel from the first captured image, extracts, from the second captured image or an interpolated image of the second captured image, pixels having luminance values close to a luminance value of a pixel corresponding to the target pixel in the second captured image or interpolated image, selects pixels corresponding to the extracted pixels from the first captured image, and corrects a luminance value of the target pixel based on luminance values of the selected pixels.

An image pickup element is constituted by laminating at least a first electrode, an organic photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode in order, and the organic photoelectric conversion layer includes a first organic semiconductor material having the following structural formula (1).

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In an array containing rows and columns of multi-color vertical detector color pixel sensors disposed in a rows and columns of the array, a readout wiring architecture includes a plurality of row-select lines for each row of the array, equal to the number of colors in the vertical detector color pixel sensors, an individual column line for each column, a transfer transistor for each individual color detector coupled between a color detector and a column line associated with the column in which the color detector is disposed. Each transfer transistor has a gate coupled to one of the plurality of row-select lines in a row in which the vertical detector color pixel sensor is disposed. The gates of at least some of the transfer transistors in each row for each color detector in adjacent columns of the array are coupled to different ones of the row-select lines for that row.