A pixel arrangement comprises a photodiode, a circuit node, a transfer transistor coupled to the photodiode and to the circuit node, an amplifier with an input coupled to the circuit node, a first and a second capacitor, a first transistor coupled to an output of the amplifier and to the first capacitor, a second transistor coupled to the first transistor and to the second capacitor, and a coupling transistor coupled to the circuit node and to the second capacitor.

Disclosed is a device for noise reduction using dual conversion gain, which includes an image sensor including a pixel array, the pixel array configured to generate a first pixel signal corresponding to a first conversion gain and a second pixel signal corresponding to a second conversion gain from pixels sharing a floating diffusion region and the image sensor configured to generate first image data and second image data based on the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal, and an image signal processor that generates an output image based on the first image data and the second image data. The image signal processor includes a normalization circuit that normalizes the first image data based on a dynamic range of the second image data to generate third image data, and a blending circuit that generates the output image based on the second image data and the third image data.

There is provided a semiconductor device that can minimize deterioration of performance of a capacitor due to a bonding process. Between a first substrate and a second substrate bonded to each other, the semiconductor device includes a first electrode which is provided in the first substrate and of which one surface is positioned on the same surface as a bonding surface between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a second electrode which is provided in the second substrate and of which one surface is positioned on the same surface as a bonding surface and bonded to one surface of the first electrode. Therefore, the semiconductor device includes at least one of a first capacitor which is provided in the first substrate and of which one electrode is electrically connected to a non-exposed surface of the first electrode and a second capacitor which is provided in the second substrate and of which one electrode is electrically connected to a non-exposed surface of the second electrode.

A unit pixel circuit includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode different from the first photodiode, a first floating diffusion node in which charges generated in the first photodiode are accumulated, a second floating diffusion node in which charges generated in the second photodiode are accumulated, a capacitor connected to the first floating diffusion node and a first voltage node, and accumulating overflowed charges of the first photodiode, a first switch transistor connecting the first floating diffusion node to a third floating diffusion node, a reset transistor connecting the third floating diffusion node to a second voltage node, a gain control transistor connecting the second floating diffusion node to the third floating diffusion node, and a second switch transistor connected to the first voltage node and the second voltage node.

Provided are a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus capable of reading signals produced with different conversion gains and having different signal directions.

A pixel signal processing part 400 includes a first reading part 410 and a second reading part 420. Of a pixel signal PIXOUT input into an input node ND401, the first reading part 410 inverts the signal direction of a first-conversion-gain signal (HCGRST, HCGSIG) and outputs an inverted first-conversion-gain signal (HCGRST, HCGSIG), which has been subjected to inversion and amplification, to an AD converting part 430 via a connection node ND402. Of the pixel signal PIXOUT input into the input node ND401, the second reading part 420 keeps the signal direction of a second-conversion-gain signal (LCGSIG, LCGRST) unchanged, and outputs a non-inverted second-conversion-gain signal (LCGSIG, LCGRST) to the AD converting part 430 via the connection node ND402.

An image sensing device includes a photoelectric element configured to generate an electric charge in response to light; first and second floating diffusions configured to store the electric charge; a transfer gate having a first end connected to the photoelectric element and a second end connected to the first floating diffusion; a reset transistor configured to reset voltages of the first and second floating diffusions based on a reset signal; a first dual conversion gain (DCG) transistor having a first end connected to the first floating diffusion and a second end connected to the second floating diffusion; first and second pixel circuits configured to generate first and second output voltages based on the first and second floating diffusions; and first and second analog to digital converters configured to receive the first and second output voltages and convert them to first and second digital signals.

In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

An image sensor may include: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; and a timing controller configured to control the pixel array according to an operation mode of the pixel array. The operation mode may be any one of a first mode in which the plurality of pixels operate according to a global shutter method and a second mode in which the plurality of pixels operate according to a dual conversion gain method.

Power consumption in realizing a convolutional neural network (CNN) is reduced.

A solid-state imaging element according to the present technology includes a photoelectric conversion element that photoelectrically converts received light into signal charge corresponding to the amount of received light, a floating diffusion that holds the signal charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion element, a transfer control element that controls transfer of the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion element to the floating diffusion, and a control unit that controls application of a drive voltage to the transfer control element on the basis of a convolution coefficient in a CNN.

An imaging device 100 includes a pixel array PA. A first period, a third period, and a second period appear in this order in one frame. During the first period, pixel signal readout is performed on at least one first row in the pixel array PA. During the second period, pixel signal readout is performed on at least one second row in the pixel array PA. At least one of the at least one first row or the at least one second row includes two rows in the pixel array PA. During the third period, no pixel signal readout is performed on the rows in the pixel array PA. Each of the first period and the second period is one of the high-sensitivity exposure period and the low-sensitivity exposure period. The third period is the other of the high-sensitivity exposure period and the low-sensitivity exposure period.