A pixel cell includes a first subpixel and a plurality of second subpixels. Each subpixel includes a photodiode to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. Image charge is transferred from the first subpixel to a floating diffusion through a first transfer transistor. Image charge is transferred from the plurality of second subpixels to the floating diffusion through a plurality of second transfer transistors. An attenuation layer is disposed over the first subpixel. The first subpixel receives the incident light through the attenuation layer. The plurality of second subpixels receive the incident light without passing through the attenuation layer. A dual floating diffusion (DFD) transistor is coupled to the floating diffusion. A capacitor is coupled to the DFD transistor.

A pixel circuit includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. A transfer transistor is configured to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to a floating diffusion. A reset transistor coupled between a reset voltage source and the floating diffusion. A lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) includes an insulating region disposed between a first metal electrode and a second metal electrode. The first metal electrode is coupled to a bias voltage source, the second metal electrode is selectively coupled to the floating diffusion, and excess image charge photogenerated by the photodiode during an idle period is configured to overflow from the photodiode through the transfer transistor into the floating diffusion.

An image sensor comprising a substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface opposite each other and extending in a first direction and a second direction, a first isolation region in the substrate and apart from the upper surface in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and second direction, the first isolation region defining a boundary of a photoelectric conversion region, a second isolation region in the substrate and extending in the third direction from the lower surface to the first isolation region, a plurality of transistors on the upper surface in the photoelectric conversion region, and a photoelectric conversion device in the substrate in the photoelectric conversion region. The first isolation region includes a potential well doped with an impurity of a first conductivity type, and the second isolation region includes an insulating material layer.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic device capable of improving a saturation characteristic. A photo diode is formed on a substrate, and a floating diffusion accumulates a signal charge read from the photo diode. A plurality of vertical gate electrodes is formed from a surface of the substrate in a depth direction in a region between the photo diode and the floating diffusion, and an overflow path is formed in a region interposed between a plurality of vertical gate electrodes. The present technology may be applied to a CMOS image sensor.

An image sensor (102) includes a photoelectric conversion unit (10) that generates a photoelectric charge, a sense node (SN) (21) that is connected to the photoelectric conversion unit (10) and holds the photoelectric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit (10), a discharge transistor (15) for discharging the photoelectric charge held by the sense node (SN) (21) to the outside, and a voltage control unit (114) that controls a voltage value of an off voltage to be applied to a gate of the discharge transistor (15) when the discharge transistor (15) is turned off.

Anti-blooming control in overflow image sensor pixel. At least one example is an image sensor pixel comprising: a photodetector positioned in a semiconductor substrate; a gate oxide layer positioned on the semiconductor substrate; a floating diffusion; a transfer gate positioned on the gate oxide layer; a first anti-blooming implant positioned in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first anti-blooming implant is coupled to the photodetector and the floating diffusion; and a second anti-blooming implant positioned in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second anti-blooming implant is coupled to the photodetector and a voltage source contact.

A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output.

A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output.

An apparatus for forming a color image of a scene and a method for utilizing that apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of pixel sensors. Each pixel sensor includes a first photodetector includes first main photodiode and a first floating diffusion node. The first main photodiode is characterized by a first light conversion efficiency as a function of wavelength of a light signal incident thereon. The first floating diffusion node includes a parasitic photodiode characterized by a second light conversion efficiency as a function of the wavelength. The second light conversion efficiency is different from the first light conversion efficiency as a function of wavelength. A controller generates an intensity of light in each of a plurality of wavelength bands for the pixel sensor utilizing a measurement of the light signal by each of the first main photodiode and the first parasitic photodiode in that photodetector.

A TDI scanner including a dynamically programmable focal plane array including a two-dimensional array of detectors arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the array being divided into a plurality of banks separated from one another by gap regions, each bank including a plurality of sub-banks, and each sub-bank including at least one row of detectors, a ROIC coupled to the focal plane array and configured to combine in a TDI process outputs from detectors in each column of detectors in each sub-bank, and a controller configured to program the focal plane array to selectively and dynamically set characteristics of the focal plane array, the characteristics including a size and a location within the two-dimensional array of each of the plurality of sub-banks and the gap regions, the size corresponding to a number of rows of detectors included in the respective sub-bank or gap region.