It is an object of the present technology to provide an image sensor capable of reducing crosstalk in an AD conversion unit. The image sensor includes: capacitors in an even-numbered column region; and a capacitor in an odd-numbered column region disposed facing the capacitors in the even-numbered column region with different areas.

An AD conversion circuit provided in a solid-state image sensor includes a counter circuit that performs count processing and a first latch circuit that holds at least one of a discrimination result of a first comparison circuit and a first output result of the counter circuit.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a counting code generator configured to generate a counting code, a pixel array including at least one pixel, a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit configured to compare a magnitude of a pixel signal output from the at least one pixel with a magnitude of a ramp signal and to output a corresponding comparison signal, a pulse generator configured to generate a pulse signal synchronized with a first clock signal based on the comparison signal, and a counter circuit configured to latch a value of the counting code to correspond to a transition of a level of the comparison signal based on the pulse signal.

An image sensing system includes a pixel array, an analog-to-digital converter circuit, and an average calculator. The analog-to-digital converter circuit converts a first pixel signal to first pixel data and converts a second pixel signal to second pixel data. The average calculator generates a first average bit based on a first bit of the first pixel data and a first bit of the second pixel data during a first time and generates a second average bit based on a second bit of the first pixel data and a second bit of the second pixel data during a second time.

A semiconductor device using a pass transistor is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a plurality of input terminals, and an output terminal. The first circuit includes a plurality of first transistors functioning as pass transistors, and the second circuit includes a plurality of second transistors functioning as pass transistors. Note that the number of the first transistors is larger than the number of the second transistors, a gate of the first transistor is supplied with a first signal, and a gate of the second transistor is supplied with a second signal. The first circuit is supplied with grayscale signals through x input terminals, and the first circuit selects y grayscale signals of the grayscale signals with the first signal. The second circuit is supplied withy (y<x) grayscale signals, the second circuit outputs z (z<y) grayscale signals of they grayscale signals to the output terminal with the second signal.

A solid state imaging element according to an embodiment includes: a converter (14) that converts an analog pixel signal read out from a pixel into a bit value, successively for each of a plurality of bits, on the basis of a threshold voltage set according to a conversion history of the bit converted before a target bit; a plurality of voltage generation units (102a and 102b) that each generate a plurality of reference voltages; and a setting unit (12d) that sets the threshold voltage using the reference voltage selected from the reference voltages generated by each of the voltage generation units on the basis of a conversion result.

A pulse generator of an image sensor includes a delay cell including a plurality of transistors arranged in series between a power voltage and a ground, a stabilization capacitor, and a stabilization switch. The power voltage is supplied to a first terminal of a first transistor disposed first among the plurality of transistors, and a gate terminal of the first transistor is connected to a first node. An input voltage is supplied to a gate terminal of an n-th transistor disposed last among the plurality of transistors, and a ground voltage is supplied to a first terminal of the n-th transistor. The stabilization switch is disposed between a reference voltage input terminal providing a reference voltage and the first node. The stabilization switch is turned on by an input bias control signal to supply the reference voltage to the first node.

An A/D converter and an image sensor are disclosed. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; a ramp signal generator configured to generate a ramp signal; and a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison result signal by comparing a pixel signal output by the pixel array with the ramp signal. The comparison circuit includes: a first comparator stage configured to output a first stage output signal according to a result of comparing the pixel signal with the ramp signal, to a first circuit node; a limiter including an n-type transistor having one end connected to the first circuit node and an opposite end to which power supply voltage is applied; and a second comparator stage configured to generate the comparison result signal by shaping the first stage output signal.

An analog-to-digital conversion circuit includes a comparator circuit configured to perform processing of comparison between an analog signal and a ramp signal, and a counter configured to perform count processing in parallel with the comparison processing by the comparator circuit. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit acquires digital data, which is a count value corresponding to the comparison processing, and subjects the analog signal to analog-to-digital conversion. A period from the start to the end of the analog-to-digital conversion of the one analog signal includes a first period and a second period following the first period. The first and the second periods are switched based on an output of the counter. The count processing is performed at a high speed during the first period and performed at a low speed during the second period.

Solid-state imaging elements that prevent deterioration of image quality, and reduce power consumption and AD-conversion time are disclosed. In one example, a solid-state imaging element includes a first comparator that uses a first voltage corresponding to an input voltage received from a first pixel, in reference to a first voltage difference between the input voltage and a first reference voltage, and that outputs a comparison result between the input voltage and the first reference voltage in reference to a second voltage difference, and a second comparator that outputs a comparison result of comparison between the input voltage and the second reference voltage in reference to a fourth voltage difference.