An imaging device includes: a light source emitting light based on a first pulse; a solid-state imaging element including pixel units and exposing the light based on a second pulse; and a signal processor. Each pixel unit includes a photoelectric converter and charge accumulating units, and generates first to third signal charges by first to third exposure processes in this order to be accumulated in the charge accumulating units. Each of the first and third exposure processes is based on the second pulse delayed from the first pulse by a first period, and the second exposure process is based on the second pulse delayed from the first pulse by a second period. A total period of the first and third exposure processes is equal to that of the second exposure process. The signal processor calculates a distance signal for each pixel unit by using the first to third signal charges.

A first region includes a plurality of first transfer column regions distributed in a first direction. A second region includes a plurality of second transfer column regions distributed in the first direction. The second region is positioned downstream of the first region in a charge transfer direction in the second transfer section. Lengths in a second direction of the plurality of first transfer column regions are equal. Lengths in the second direction of the plurality of second transfer column regions are longer than the length of the first transfer column region, and increase as the second transfer column region is positioned downstream in the charge transfer direction. A third region is disposed to correspond to the first region and extends along the first direction. A fourth region is disposed to correspond to the second region and extends such that an interval between the fourth region and a pixel region in the second direction increases in the charge transfer direction in response to a change in the lengths of the plurality of second transfer column regions.

A first region includes first transfer column regions distributed in a first direction. A second region includes second transfer column regions distributed in the first direction. The second region is positioned downstream of the first region in a charge transfer direction. Lengths in a second direction of the first transfer column regions are equal. Lengths in the second direction of the second transfer column regions are longer than the length of the first transfer column region, and increase as the second transfer column region is positioned downstream in the charge transfer direction. A third region is disposed to correspond to the first region and extends along the first direction. A fourth region is disposed to correspond to the second region and extends such that an interval between the fourth region and a pixel region increases in response to a change in the lengths of the second transfer column regions.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device enabling to suppress waste of energy consumption. There is provided a semiconductor device including: an input unit configured to input a charge; a memory unit configured to collect and accumulate a charge from the input unit; and an output unit configured to detect and output a charge accumulated in the memory unit. The memory unit includes a transfer unit to which a plurality of pairs of a gate unit and an accumulation unit is connected, the gate unit selects the accumulation unit that accumulates a charge, the transfer unit transfers a charge from the input unit to the accumulation unit selected by the gate unit, the accumulation unit accumulates a charge transferred from the transfer unit, and the transfer unit transfers a charge accumulated in the accumulation unit selected by the gate unit, to the output unit. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, an analog memory device.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device enabling to suppress waste of energy consumption. There is provided a semiconductor device including: an input unit configured to input a charge; a memory unit configured to collect and accumulate a charge from the input unit; and an output unit configured to detect and output a charge accumulated in the memory unit. The memory unit includes a transfer unit to which a plurality of pairs of a gate unit and an accumulation unit is connected, the gate unit selects the accumulation unit that accumulates a charge, the transfer unit transfers a charge from the input unit to the accumulation unit selected by the gate unit, the accumulation unit accumulates a charge transferred from the transfer unit, and the transfer unit transfers a charge accumulated in the accumulation unit selected by the gate unit, to the output unit. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, an analog memory device.

An imaging device includes: a light source emitting light based on a first pulse; a solid-state imaging element including pixel units and exposing the light based on a second pulse; and a signal processor. Each pixel unit includes a photoelectric converter and charge accumulating units, and generates first to third signal charges by first to third exposure processes in this order to be accumulated in the charge accumulating units. Each of the first and third exposure processes is based on the second pulse delayed from the first pulse by a first period, and the second exposure process is based on the second pulse delayed from the first pulse by a second period. A total period of the first and third exposure processes is equal to that of the second exposure process. The signal processor calculates a distance signal for each pixel unit by using the first to third signal charges.

A pixel array uses two sets of pixels to provide accurate exposure control. One set of pixels provide continuous output signals for automatic light control (ALC) as the other set integrates and captures an image. ALC pixels allow monitoring of multiple pixels of an array to obtain sample data indicating the amount of light reaching the array, while allowing the other pixels to provide proper image data. A small percentage of the pixels in an array is replaced with ALC pixels and the array has two reset lines for each row; one line controls the reset for the image capture pixels while the other line controls the reset for the ALC pixels. In the columns, at least one extra control signal is used for the sampling of the reset level for the ALC pixels, which happens later than the sampling of the reset level for the image capture pixels.

A first region includes first transfer column regions distributed in a first direction. A second region includes second transfer column regions distributed in the first direction. The second region is positioned downstream of the first region in a charge transfer direction. Lengths in a second direction of the first transfer column regions are equal. Lengths in the second direction of the second transfer column regions are longer than the length of the first transfer column region, and increase as the second transfer column region is positioned downstream in the charge transfer direction. A third region is disposed to correspond to the first region and extends along the first direction. A fourth region is disposed to correspond to the second region and extends such that an interval between the fourth region and a pixel region increases in response to a change in the lengths of the second transfer column regions.

The photosensitive region includes a first impurity region and a second impurity region having a higher impurity concentration than that of the first impurity region. The photosensitive region includes one end positioned away from the transfer section in the second direction and another end positioned closer to the transfer section in the second direction. A shape of the second impurity region in plan view is line-symmetric with respect to a center line of the photosensitive region along the second direction. A width of the second impurity region in the first direction increases in a transfer direction from the one end to the other end. An increase rate of the width of the second impurity region in each of sections, obtained by dividing the photosensitive region into n sections in the second direction, becomes gradually higher in the transfer direction. Here, n is an integer of two or more.

A pixel array uses two sets of pixels to provide accurate exposure control. One set of pixels provide continuous output signals for automatic light control (ALC) as the other set integrates and captures an image. ALC pixels allow monitoring of multiple pixels of an array to obtain sample data indicating the amount of light reaching the array, while allowing the other pixels to provide proper image data. A small percentage of the pixels in an array is replaced with ALC pixels and the array has two reset lines for each row; one line controls the reset for the image capture pixels while the other line controls the reset for the ALC pixels. In the columns, at least one extra control signal is used for the sampling of the reset level for the ALC pixels, which happens later than the sampling of the reset level for the image capture pixels.