Embodiments described herein relate to a large area lens-free imaging device. One example is a lens-free device for imaging one or more objects. The lens-free device includes a light source positioned for illuminating at least one object. The lens-free device also includes a detector positioned for recording interference patterns of the illuminated at least one object. The light source includes a plurality of light emitters that are positioned and configured to create a controlled light wavefront for performing lens-free imaging.

In a CMOS image sensor in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix, a transistor in which a channel formation region includes an oxide semiconductor is used for each of a charge accumulation control transistor and a reset transistor which are in a pixel portion. After a reset operation of the signal charge accumulation portion is performed in all the pixels arranged in the matrix, a charge accumulation operation by the photodiode is performed in all the pixels, and a read operation of a signal from the pixel is performed per row. Accordingly, an image can be taken without a distortion.

In a CMOS image sensor in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix, a transistor in which a channel formation region includes an oxide semiconductor is used for each of a charge accumulation control transistor and a reset transistor which are in a pixel portion. After a reset operation of the signal charge accumulation portion is performed in all the pixels arranged in the matrix, a charge accumulation operation by the photodiode is performed in all the pixels, and a read operation of a signal from the pixel is performed per row. Accordingly, an image can be taken without a distortion.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic device capable of improving a saturation characteristic. A photo diode is formed on a substrate, and a floating diffusion accumulates a signal charge read from the photo diode. A plurality of vertical gate electrodes is formed from a surface of the substrate in a depth direction in a region between the photo diode and the floating diffusion, and an overflow path is formed in a region interposed between a plurality of vertical gate electrodes. The present technology may be applied to a CMOS image sensor.

The present disclosure relates to a comparator, an AD converter, a solid-state image pickup device, an electronic device, a method of controlling the comparator, a data writing circuit, a data reading circuit, and a data transferring circuit, capable of improving the determining speed of the comparator and reducing power consumption. The comparator includes: a differential input circuit configured to operate with a first power supply voltage, the differential input circuit configured to output a signal when an input signal is higher than a reference signal in voltage; a positive feedback circuit configured to operate with a second power supply voltage lower than the first power supply voltage, the positive feedback circuit being configured to accelerate transition speed when a compared result signal indicating a compared result between the input signal and the reference signal in voltage, is inverted, on the basis of the output signal of the differential input circuit; and a voltage conversion circuit configured to convert the output signal of the differential input circuit into a signal corresponding to the second power supply voltage. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a comparator of a solid-state image pickup device.

In a solid-state imaging device, a first substrate has a plurality of pixels and a plurality of first control signal lines. The plurality of first control signal lines are connected to pixels of each row. The second substrate includes a plurality of second control signal lines and a control circuit. The arrangement of each of the plurality of second control signal lines on the second substrate corresponds to the arrangement of a corresponding one of the plurality of first control signal lines on the first substrate. The connection portion has a plurality of control connections and a plurality of readout connections. Each of the plurality of control connections is connected to one of the plurality of first control signal lines and a corresponding one of the plurality of second control signal lines.

The present invention relates to an optoelectronic apparatus, comprising: —an optoelectronic device comprising: —a transport structure (T) comprising a 2-dimensional layer; —a photosensitizing structure (P) to absorb incident light and induce changes in the electrical conductivity of the transport structure (T); and—drain (D) and source (S) electrodes electrically connected to the transport structure (T); —a read-out unit to read an electrical signal, generated at a transport channel of the transport structure (T), after an integration time interval t.sub.int has passed, and during a t.sub.access that is at least 10 times shorter than t.sub.int, wherein t.sub.int is longer than a predetermined trapping time τ.sub.tr. The present invention also relates to a reading-out method, comprising performing the operations of the read-out unit of the apparatus of the invention, and to the use of the apparatus as a light detector or as an image sensor.

The invention discloses a pixel acquisition circuit, an image sensor, and an image acquisition system. Therein, the pixel acquisition circuit comprises a photodetection unit, a filter-amplifier unit, a sample and hold unit, and an activation control unit. The photodetection unit is operative to output a first electrical signal corresponding to the light signal illuminating thereon in real time. The filter-amplifier unit has its input terminal coupled with the output terminal of the photodetector, and is operative to perform amplification and filtering out the signal component below a frequency threshold on the first electrical signal, so as to output a second electrical signal. A threshold comparison unit is operative to determine whether the second electrical signal is greater than a first threshold and/or less than a second threshold, and generate an activation instruction signal when the second electrical signal is greater than the first threshold or less than the second threshold. The sample and hold unit has its output terminal coupled with an interface bus. In response to receiving an activation instruction signal, the activation control unit instructs the sample and hold unit to acquire and buffer the first electrical signal, and sends a transmission request to the interface bus.

A system for obtaining color imagery using SPADs includes a SPAD array that has a plurality of SPAD pixels. Each of the plurality of SPAD pixels includes a respective color filter positioned thereover. The system is configurable to capture an image frame using the SPAD array and generate a filtered image by performing a temporal filtering operation using the image frame and at least one preceding image frame. The at least one preceding image frame is captured by the SPAD array at a timepoint that temporally precedes a timepoint associated with the image frame. The system is also configurable to, after performing the temporal filtering operation, generate a color image by demosaicing the filtered image.

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a light sensing structure including first, second and third light sensing elements sequentially stacked on a substrate, the light sensing structure having a first surface adjacent to a readout circuit and a second surface including a light receiving portion between first and second circumferential portions, a first through via on the first circumferential portion, extending from the first surface to connect with the first light sensing element, and configured to transfer charges of the first light sensing element to the readout circuit, and a vertical transfer gate on a second circumferential portion and configured to transfer charges of the second light sensing element to the readout circuit, the first through via and the vertical transfer gate of each pixel being arranged in a 1-shaped or L-shaped pattern in the first and second circumferential portions.