Image sensors may include an array of pixels each having nested sub-pixels. Nested sub-pixels may include an inner photosensitive region and an outer photosensitive region. Inner photosensitive regions of pixels in an array may be provided with a respective local vertical transfer gate structure formed in a trench that laterally surrounds the inner photosensitive region. A trench structure may be formed in a grid-like pattern having gaps in which the nested sub-pixels are formed. The trench structure may be coupled to outer photosensitive regions of each of the pixels in the array. The trench structure may be a global vertical transfer gate structure. The vertical transfer gate structures provided to the pixels may allow for accumulated charges to be transferred to respective charge storage nodes associated with the photosensitive regions in any given pixel. Image sensors formed in this way may be used in rolling shutter or global shutter configurations.

An image sensor may include image pixels arranged in rows and columns. The image pixels may include respective overflow transistors and overflow capacitors and be configured to generate overflow charge during image acquisition. The overflow charge may be generated in a rolling manner on a row-to-row basis by repeatedly activating the overflow transistors and transfer transistors. Row control circuitry may be configured to provide a final synchronous overflow and transfer transistor activation across all of the pixel rows to provide a uniform overflow charge integration time period across all of the pixel rows. Row control circuitry may include a control signal generation circuit configured to generate control signals having full assertions in a first mode and partial assertions for the final synchronous overflow and transfer transistor activation in a second mode.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a radiation-sensing region, at least one isolation structure, and a doped passivation layer. The radiation-sensing region is present in the semiconductor substrate. The isolation structure is present in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the radiation-sensing region. The doped passivation layer at least partially surrounds the isolation structure in a substantially conformal manner.

A vertically stacked image sensor having a photodiode chip and a transistor array chip. The photodiode chip includes at least one photodiode and a transfer gate extends vertically from a top surface of the photodiode chip. The image sensor further includes a transistor array chip stacked on top of the photodiode chip. The transistor array chip includes the control circuitry and storage nodes. The image sensor further includes a logic chip vertically stacked on the transistor array chip. The transfer gate communicates data from the at least one photodiode to the transistor array chip and the logic chip selectively activates the vertical transfer gate, the reset gate, the source follower gate, and the row select gate.

There is provided an imaging device that includes photovoltaic type pixels that have photoelectric conversion regions generating photovoltaic power for each pixel depending on irradiation light; and an element isolation region that is provided between the photoelectric conversion regions of adjacent pixels and in a state of substantially surrounding the photoelectric conversion region.

A scene can be captured by integrating a first sensor pixel for a first amount of time to produce an original first photometric and integrating a second sensor pixel for the first amount of time to produce an original second photometric. The first sensor pixel can be configured to saturate with photocharge slower than the second sensor pixel. The scene can be recaptured by integrating the second sensor pixel for a second amount of time less than the first amount of time.

A scene can be captured by integrating a first sensor pixel for a first amount of time to produce an original first photometric and integrating a second sensor pixel for the first amount of time to produce an original second photometric. The first sensor pixel can be configured to saturate with photocharge slower than the second sensor pixel. The scene can be recaptured by integrating the second sensor pixel for a second amount of time less than the first amount of time.

An imaging device may have an array of image sensor pixels each having a photodiode and a floating diffusion node. Each image sensor pixel in the array may also include a dual conversion gain switch and a dual conversion gain capacitor that allows the image sensor pixel to operate in a low conversion gain mode during which the switch is turned on to share charge between the floating diffusion node and the dual conversion gain capacitor, and a high conversion gain mode in which the switch is turned off. During integration, the photodiode may generate more charge than can be held at the floating diffusion node. A buried channel may be provided beneath the dual conversion gain switch to provide a path along which the excess charge can be shared between the floating diffusion node and the dual conversion gain capacitor even when the dual conversion gain switch is off.

A pixel structure comprises at least one radiation-sensing element, for generating charges when exposed to radiation. The pixel structure includes a first connection arrangement between the at least one radiation-sensing element and a first source follower. The first connection arrangement has a switchable connection to a first reset voltage. At least one second connection arrangement is between the at least one radiation-sensing element and at least one second source follower. The second connection arrangement has a switchable connection to a second reset voltage. The first and at least one second source followers have a common output. The first and second connection arrangements and source followers are configured to provide each a different offset to the common output.

A global shutter imaging pixel may have a single source follower transistor. The source follower transistor may be coupled to a floating diffusion region and a charge storage region. In order to read out samples from the charge storage region without including a second source follower transistor in each pixel, the samples may be transferred to floating diffusion regions of adjacent pixels. Alternatively, a transistor may be configured to transfer charge from the charge storage region to the floating diffusion region of the same pixel, thus reusing a single source follower transistor. These types of pixels may be used for correlated double sampling, where a reset charge level and integration charge level are both sampled. These pixels may also operate in a global shutter mode where images are captured simultaneously by each pixel.