A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate including recessed portions and insulators disposed on the respective recessed portions. The semiconductor substrate includes a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor region that is of a conductivity type different from the first-conductivity-type and that is formed in the first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type third semiconductor region in contact with the second semiconductor region on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a first-conductivity-type fourth semiconductor region that includes the recessed portions. The second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region are surrounded by the fourth semiconductor region on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The insulators on the recessed portions extend through the fourth semiconductor region and are in contact with the first semiconductor region.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that perform a stable overflow from a photodiode and prevent Qs from decreasing and color mixing from occurring. A solid-state imaging device according to an aspect of the present technology includes, at a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate, a charge retention part that generates and retains a charge in response to incident light, an OFD into which the charge saturated at the charge retention part is discharged, and a potential barrier that becomes a barrier of the charge that flows from the charge retention part to the OFD, the OFD including a low concentration OFD and a high concentration OFD having different impurity concentrations of the same type, and the high concentration OFD and the potential barrier being formed at a distance. For example, the present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor.

In a pixel 200, a floating diffusion FD11 and a first capacitor CS11 are selectively connected to each other via a first connection element LG11-Tr, to change the capacitance of the floating diffusion FD11 between a first capacitance and a second capacitance, thereby changing the conversion gain between a first conversion gain (HCG) corresponding to the first capacitance and a second conversion gain (MCG) corresponding to the second capacitance. The floating diffusion FD11 and a second capacitor CS12 are connected together through a second connection element SG11-Tr to change the capacitance of the floating diffusion FD11 to a third capacitance, thereby changing the conversion gain of the source following transistor SF11-Tr to a third conversion gain (LCG) corresponding to the third capacitance.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels composed of a photoelectric conversion section and a pixel transistor is arranged; an on-chip color filter; an on-chip microlens; and a multilayer interconnection layer in which a plurality of layers of interconnections is formed through an interlayer insulating film. The solid-state imaging device further includes a light-shielding film formed through an insulating layer in a pixel boundary of a light receiving surface in which the photoelectric conversion section is arranged.

An optical sensor includes: a semiconductor layer including first and second regions; a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer including a photoelectric conversion layer; a voltage supply circuit; and a signal detection circuit connected to the first region. The photoelectric conversion layer has a photocurrent characteristic including first and second voltage ranges where an absolute value of a current density increases as an absolute value of a bias voltage increases, and a third voltage range where an absolute value of a rate of change of the current density relative to the bias voltage is less than in the first and second voltage ranges, The voltage supply circuit applies a predetermined voltage between the gate electrode and the second region such that the bias voltage falls within the third voltage range. The signal detection circuit detects an electrical signal corresponding to a change of a capacitance of the photoelectric conversion layer.

A high dynamic range imaging pixel may include a photodiode that generates charge in response to incident light. When the generated charge exceeds a first charge level, the charge may overflow through a first transistor to a first storage capacitor. When the generated charge exceeds a second charge level that is higher than the first charge level, the charge may overflow through a second transistor. The charge that overflows through the second transistor may alternately be coupled to a voltage supply and drained or transferred to a second storage capacitor for subsequent readout. Diverting more overflow charge to the voltage supply may increase the dynamic range of the pixel. The amount of charge diverted to the voltage supply may therefore be updated to control the dynamic range of the imaging pixel.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus that are capable of preventing leakage of charges between adjacent pixels. A plurality of pixels perform photoelectric conversion on light incident from a back surface via different on-chip lenses for each pixel. A pixel separation wall is formed between pixels adjacent to each other, and includes a front-side trench formed from a front surface and a backside trench formed from the back surface. A wiring layer is provided on the front surface. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a backside illuminated CMOS image sensor.

In a photoelectric conversion apparatus, a pixel transistor and a differential transistor form a differential pair. A clamp circuit clamps a gate voltage of the differential transistor. An output circuit performs a first operation in which a voltage based on the voltage at the gate of a pixel transistor is output to the gate of the differential transistor. The output circuit also performs a second operation in which in response to receiving a current from the differential transistor, a signal based on a result of a comparison between the gate voltage of the pixel transistor and the gate voltage of the differential transistor is output to the output node. In the second operation, a control unit in the output circuit controls a change in the drain voltage of the differential transistor to be smaller than a change in the voltage at the output node.

Manufacture of an imaging element in which light entering a pixel without being transmitted through a color filter arranged in the pixel is attenuated is simplified. An imaging element includes a pixel and an incident light attenuating section. The pixel includes a color filter through which light having a predetermined wavelength of light from a subject is transmitted, and a photoelectric conversion section generating charges responding to the light transmitted through the color filter. The incident light attenuating section is arranged between the subject and the color filter, and attenuates the light entering the photoelectric conversion section without being transmitted through the color filter arranged in the pixel.

An imaging device, including a photoelectric converter that generates a signal charge by photoelectric conversion of light; and a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes: a charge accumulation region that is an impurity region of a first conductivity type, and configured to accumulate the signal charge; a first impurity region of the first conductivity type, the first impurity region being one of a source or a drain of a first transistor and adjacent to the charge accumulation region; and a blocking structure located between the charge accumulation region and the first impurity region. The blocking structure includes a second impurity region of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, a part of the second impurity region located on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the second impurity region is not in contact with the first impurity region on the surface of the semiconductor substrate.