An image pickup apparatus includes a first pixel electrode connected to a pixel circuit, a second pixel electrode adjoining the first pixel electrode and connected to the pixel circuit, a photoelectric conversion film continuously covering the first and second pixel electrodes, and an opposite electrode facing the first and second pixel electrodes via the film. The film includes a recessed portion recessed toward a portion between the first and second pixel electrodes on a surface opposite to the first and second pixel electrodes. The depth of the recessed portion is greater than the first pixel electrode's thickness, and a distance from the first pixel electrode to the recessed portion is greater than a distance from the first pixel electrode to the second pixel electrode. The opposite electrode is provided continuously along the surface via the film, and the recessed portion surrounds a part of the opposite electrode.

An imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a microlens located closer to the first surface than to the second surface; and a first photoelectric converter located between the first surface and the microlens. The first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges. The first photoelectric converter is the closest of any photoelectric converter existing between the first surface and the microlens to the first surface. The imaging device includes no photodiode as a photoelectric converter, and a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer.

An optical sensor includes: a semiconductor layer including a first region, a second region, and a third region between the first region and the second region; a gate electrode facing to the semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer between the third region and the gate electrode, the gate insulating layer including a photoelectric conversion layer: a signal detection circuit including a first signal detection transistor, a first input of the first signal detection transistor being electrically connected to the first region; a first transfer transistor connected between the first region and the first input; and a first capacitor having one end electrically connected to the first input. The signal detection circuit detects an electrical signal corresponding to a change of a dielectric constant of the photoelectric conversion layer, the change being caused by incident light.

An imaging system includes a first illuminator that irradiates a subject with light whose intensity varies over time; and a first imaging device that includes a first imaging cell having a variable sensitivity, and a first sensitivity control line electrically connected to the first imaging cell. The first imaging cell includes a photoelectron conversion area that receives light from the subject to generate a signal charge, and a signal detection circuit that detects the signal charge. During an exposure period, the first sensitivity control line supplies to the first imaging cell a first sensitivity control signal having a waveform expressed by a first function that takes only positive values by adding a first constant to one basis from among bases of a system of functions constituting an orthogonal system

The present technology relates to, in a photoelectric conversion element using a photoelectric conversion film, the photoelectric conversion element and a method of manufacturing the same, a solid state image sensor, an electronic device, and a solar cell, for enabling improvement of quantum efficiency. The photoelectric conversion element includes two electrodes constituting an anode and a cathode, and a photoelectric conversion layer arranged between the two electrodes, and at least one electrode side of the two electrodes is doped with an impurity at impurity density of 1e16/cm3 or more in the photoelectric conversion layer. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a solid state image sensor, an electronic device, a solar cell and the like.

A photoelectric transducer includes a wiring structure and a photoelectric conversion section provided on a substrate. The photoelectric conversion section includes a first electrode and a photoelectric conversion layer provided on the first electrode. The wiring structure includes a first wiring layer including a wiring pattern. The distance between the bottom face of the first electrode and the substrate is shorter than the distance between the bottom face of the wiring pattern and the substrate.

A more preferable pixel for detecting a focal point may be formed by using a photoelectric converting film. A solid-state image sensor includes a first pixel including a photoelectric converting unit formed of a photoelectric converting film and first and second electrodes which interpose the same from above and below in which at least one of the first and second electrodes is a separated electrode separated for each pixel, and a second pixel including the photoelectric converting unit in which the separated electrode is formed to have a planar size smaller than that of the first pixel and a third electrode extending at least to a boundary of the pixel is formed in a region which is vacant due to a smaller planar size. The present disclosure is applicable to the solid-state image sensor and the like, for example.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device that can achieve a high S/N ratio at a high sensitivity level without any decrease in resolution, and to an electronic apparatus. In the upper layer, the respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that absorbs light of a first wavelength are tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a square pixel array, and are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal directions and vertical directions in an oblique array.

The respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that is sensitive to light of a second or third wavelength are arranged under the first photoelectric conversion unit. That is, pixels that are √{square root over (2)} times as large in size (twice as large in area) and are rotated 45 degrees are arranged in an oblique array. The present disclosure can be applied to solid-state imaging devices that are used in imaging apparatuses, for example.

An imaging device, including a photoelectric converter that generates a signal charge by photoelectric conversion of light; and a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes: a charge accumulation region that is an impurity region of a first conductivity type, and configured to accumulate the signal charge; a first impurity region of the first conductivity type, the first impurity region being one of a source or a drain of a first transistor and adjacent to the charge accumulation region; and a blocking structure located between the charge accumulation region and the first impurity region. The blocking structure includes a second impurity region of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, a part of the second impurity region located on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the second impurity region is not in contact with the first impurity region on the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for image sensors with pixel binning with configurable shared floating diffusion are presented. In one example, an image sensor system includes a plurality of sensor elements; a photo-sensitive layer coupled to the plurality of sensor elements; a plurality of floating diffusion regions in communication with the photo-sensitive layer, each floating diffusion region of the plurality of floating diffusion regions configured to be selectively enabled; and at least one bridge coupled to two floating diffusion regions of the plurality of floating diffusion regions, the bridge configured to be selectively enabled and, when enabled, to allow a transfer of charge between the two floating diffusion regions.