Methods and apparatus for determining the temperature of a pixel array. In embodiments, a first pixel in a pixel array is reverse-biased and a second pixel in the pixel array is forward-biased. A voltage for the second pixel can be measured to determine a temperature of the pixel array from the measured voltage for the second pixel.

A decrease in image quality is suppressed. A solid-state imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a photoelectric conversion unit (PD) including a material having a smaller band gap energy than silicon; and a circuit board joined to the photoelectric conversion unit, the circuit board including: a pixel signal generation circuit that generates a pixel signal having a voltage value corresponding to a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit; and a thermometer circuit that detects a temperature of the circuit board.

To provide a semiconductor device, an image pickup device, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device that reduce wiring capacity by using gaps and maintain mechanical strength and reliability. A semiconductor device including: a multilayered wiring layer in which insulating layers and diffusion preventing layers are alternately laminated and a wiring layer is provided inside; a through-hole that is provided to penetrate through at least one or more insulating layers from one surface of the multilayered wiring layer and has an inside covered with a protective side wall; and a gap that is provided in at least one or more insulating layers immediately below the through-hole.

A detector including a detector membrane comprising a semiconductor sensor and a readout circuit, the detector membrane having a thickness of 100 micrometers or less and a curved surface conformed to a curved focal plane of an optical system imaging electromagnetic radiation onto the curved surface; and a mount attached to a backside of the detector membrane. A maximum of the strain experienced by the detector membrane is reduced by distribution of the strain induced by formation of the curved surface across all of the curved surface of the detector membrane, thereby allowing an increased radius of curvature of the curved surface as compared to without the distribution.

A method of, and a detector for, performing energy sensitive imaging of ionizing radiation are provided, including acquiring a first frame having a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality having an energy of detection and a location; grouping, into a cluster, pixels of the plurality having an energy of detection above a predetermined threshold and a location along with at least one other pixel also having an energy of detection above the predetermined threshold and being within a predetermined distance of the location; summing the energy of detection of all pixels within the grouped cluster to determine a cluster energy; determining a location of the cluster based on a distribution and an intensity of the summed energy of detection; and generating an image of the cluster based on the determined cluster energy and the determined location of the cluster.

A light receiving device according to the present disclosure includes: a light receiving element that generates a signal in response to reception of a photon; a readout circuit that reads out a signal generated by the light receiving element; and a protection circuit that is provided between the light receiving element and the readout circuit and protects a circuit element of the readout circuit from overvoltage. Further, a distance measuring device according to the present disclosure includes a light receiving device of the above configuration.

A unit pixel arranged along with a display pixel in each pixel of a display panel is provided. The unit pixel may include a thin-film transistor (TFT) photodetector including an active layer formed of amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon on an amorphous transparent substrate, and at least one transistor electrically coupled to the TFT photodetector and configured to generate a voltage output from photocurrent generated from the active layer.

Provided is an opto-electronic device including a semiconductor substrate doped with a first conductivity type impurity, a source region and a drain region provided on the semiconductor substrate spaced apart from each other and doped with a second conductivity type impurity which is electrically opposite to the first conductivity type impurity, a first electrode and a second electrode electrically connected to the source region and the drain region, respectively, a quantum dot layer provided between the source region and the drain region on the semiconductor substrate and including quantum dots, a first insulation layer configured to insulate the semiconductor substrate and the quantum dot layer from each other, and a transparent electrode layer provided on the quantum dot layer.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arrayed in a well region disposed on a semiconductor substrate, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion section having a charge accumulation region which accumulates signal charge; an element isolation layer which is disposed on the surface of the well region along the peripheries of the individual charge accumulation regions and which electrically isolates the individual pixels from each other; and a diffusion layer which is disposed beneath the element isolation layer and which electrically isolates the individual pixels from each other, the diffusion layer having a smaller width than that of the element isolation layer. Each charge accumulation region is disposed so as to extend below the element isolation layer and be in contact with or in close proximity to the diffusion layer.

An example image sensor structure includes an image layer. The image layer includes an array of light detectors disposed therein. A device stack is disposed over the image layer. An array of light guides is disposed in the device stack. Each light guide is associated with at least one light detector of the array of light detectors. A passivation stack is disposed over the device stack. The passivation stack includes a bottom surface in direct contact with a top surface of the light guides. An array of nanowells is disposed in a top layer of the passivation stack. Each nanowell is associated with a light guide of the array of light guides. A crosstalk blocking metal structure is disposed in the passivation stack. The crosstalk blocking metal structure reduces crosstalk within the passivation stack.