A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixel cells, each of the pixel cells including a light receiving element, a floating diffusion, a first source follower circuit, and a second source follower circuit. The plurality of pixel cells are connected to an output signal line. The light receiving element photoelectrically converts incident light, and stores a signal charge. The floating diffusion converts the signal charge read out of the light receiving element into a signal voltage. The first source follower circuit is connected to the floating diffusion, and outputs an output voltage corresponding to the signal voltage. The second source follower circuit is connected in series with the first source follower circuit, and outputs a pixel signal corresponding to the output voltage.

To make it possible to reduce power consumption in a charge pump that supplies driving power to a pixel array. An imaging element (4) according to an embodiment includes: an imaging unit (100) in which pixels (10) including a light receiving element are arrayed, a drive unit (112) that generates a drive signal for driving the pixels, a charge pump circuit (122) that generates electric power for driving the drive unit, and a control unit (120) that controls, according to operation of the imaging unit, a driving capability of the charge pump circuit to drive the drive unit.

It is an object to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus and a distance measurement system that can detect high-frequency pulsed light. The solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels, a drive section, and a time measurement section. Each of the plurality of pixels has a light-receiving element that converts received light into an electric signal. The drive section drives the plurality of pixels by shifting operation timings of the light-receiving elements. The time measurement section is provided such that the electric signal is input from each of the plurality of pixels and measures the time until light emitted from a light source is reflected by a subject and received by the light-receiving element on the basis of the input of the electric signal.

Disclosed is a CMOS image sensor with global shutters and a method for fabricating the CMOS image sensor. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device, includes: a light-sensing region; a charge-storage region; a light-shielding structure; and at least one via contact; wherein the charge-storage region is spatially configured adjacent to the light-sensing region in a lateral direction, wherein the light-shielding structure is configured over the charge-storage region in a vertical direction so as to prevent incident light leaking from the light-sensing region to the signal-processing region, wherein the light-shielding structure is configured in an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer, and wherein the light-shielding structure is simultaneously formed with the at least one via contact.

An imaging system includes a camera unit and a main body. A clock detection circuit is configured to detect a first clock signal of the camera unit from first digital data transmitted from the camera unit. A phase comparator is configured to generate second digital data that represent a difference between a phase of the first clock signal and a phase of a second clock signal of the main body. A second communicator is configured to perform communication in a second direction in which the second digital data are transmitted to the camera unit in a blanking period. A first clock generation circuit is configured to generate the first clock signal synchronized with the second clock signal on the basis of the second digital data.

A solid-state imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a photoelectric transducer, a transfer transistor, a floating diffusion, a reset transistor, an amplifier transistor, and a selection transistor. The reset transistor includes a gate insulating film formed thinner than the gate insulating film of the transfer transistor.

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels and photo gate controller circuitry. Each pixel may transmit a pixel signal, corresponding to a photoelectric signal, in response to a photo gate signal in a frame. The photo gate controller circuitry may generate photo gate signals and transmit photo gate signals to the pixels. The photo gate controller circuitry includes a first delay circuit configured to transmit first delay clock signals each being delayed with respect to a reference clock signal by a certain amount of time and a second delay circuit configured to transmit second delay clock signals each being delayed with respect to the reference clock signal by a certain amount of time. The pixels are each configured to selectively receive signals, as the photo gate signals, among the delay clock signals output from the first delay circuit and the delay clock signals output from the second delay circuit.

A timing of the readout from an imaging circuit is controlled from the outside of the imaging circuit. An exposure control signal receiving section is configured to receive, from outside, an exposure control signal that controls a timing at which plural pixels are exposed. A control signal receiving section is configured to receive, from the outside, a readout control signal that controls a timing at which the plural pixels are read out. A vertical driving control signal generating section is configured to generate, on the basis of the exposure control signal and the readout control signal, a vertical driving control signal that generates a control signal for exposure and readout with respect to each of pixel columns of a pixel section. A vertical driving circuit is configured to drive and control each of the pixel columns according to the vertical driving control signal.

A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel region in which shared pixels which share pixel transistors in a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are two-dimensionally arranged. The shared pixel transistors are divisionally arranged in a column direction of the shared pixels, the pixel transistors shared between neighboring shared pixels are arranged so as to be horizontally reversed or/and vertically crossed, and connection wirings connected to a floating diffusion portion, a source of a reset transistor and a gate of an amplification transistor in the shared pixels are arranged along the column direction.

A radiation imaging apparatus comprising a pixel array and a readout circuit is provided. The readout circuit includes an integrating amplifier configured to read out a signal from the pixel, a sample-and-hold circuit configured to sample an output from the integrating amplifier, and an A/D convertor configured to perform analog/digital conversion on an output from the sample-and-hold circuit and output the converted output. The apparatus performs first control and second control in parallel in an accumulation period for accumulating the signal in the pixel array. In the first control, the A/D convertor performs an analog/digital conversion operation, and in the second control, the integrating amplifier outputs a reference potential and the A/D convertor is electrically connected to a node configured to output the reference potential of the integrating amplifier.