A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: an overflow element group that accumulates a signal charge that overflows from a photodiode; and a floating diffusion layer that selectively holds a signal charge transferred from the photodiode and a signal charge transferred from the overflow element group. The overflow element group includes m groups (m?2) connected in series in stages, each group including an overflow element and a storage capacitive element. An overflow element among the groups transfers, to the storage capacitive element included in the same group as the overflow element, a signal charge that overflows from the photodiode or a signal charge from an upstream storage capacitive element among the groups.

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels each including: a first and a second photoelectric conversion unit that perform photoelectric conversion upon light that has passed through a micro lens and generates a charge; a first accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the first conversion unit; a second accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the second conversion unit; a third accumulation unit that accumulates the charges generated by the first and second conversion units; a first transfer unit that transfers the charge generated by the first conversion unit to the first accumulation unit; a second transfer unit that transfers the charge generated by the second conversion unit to the second accumulation unit; and a third transfer unit that transfers the charges generated by the first and second conversion units to the third accumulation unit.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a first pixel region and a second pixel region located within a semiconductor substrate, a first isolation layer surrounding the first pixel region and the second pixel region, a second isolation layer located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region, and a microlens arranged on the first pixel region and the second pixel region. Each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region include a photoelectric conversion device. The second isolation layer includes at least one first open region that exposes a portion of an area located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and an electronic device capable of increasing the capacitance of a charge holding unit. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel including a photodiode, an FD that accumulates charges generated in the photodiode, and a charge holding unit that is connected in parallel with the FD. The charge holding unit includes a wiring capacitance formed by parallel running of a first wiring connected to a first potential and a second wiring connected to a second potential different from the first potential. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid-state imaging element that performs global shutter type imaging.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device capable of receiving light entering a gap between pixel regions of imaging units by the pixel region when a plurality of imaging units is arranged, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. A CMOS image sensor includes a pixel region formed of a plurality of pixels. A convex lens is provided for each of a plurality of CMOS image sensors. A plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on a supporting substrate. The present disclosure is applicable to a solid-state imaging device and the like in which a plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on the supporting substrate, for example.

Provided is a solid state imaging device including: a pixel unit; row drive circuits respectively corresponding to rows of the pixel unit, each including a first and a second signal generation units; drive signal generation unit configured to generate a readout scan signal and a shutter scan signal, as drive signals for driving pixels, based on signals output from the first and the second signal generation units; and a switching unit configured to switch the row drive circuit between: a first state in which the first signal generation unit generates the readout scan signal and the second signal generation unit generates the shutter scan signal and a second state in which the first signal generation unit generates the shutter scan signal and the second signal generation unit generates the readout scan signal.

Disclosed is an image sensor may include a pixel array having a central region and peripheral regions around the central region, one or more first unit pixels arranged in the peripheral regions. Each of the first unit pixels comprising a pair of left and right photodiodes. The left and right photodiodes in at least one of the one or more of the first unit pixels may have different sizes and are optically isolated from each other by a first PD isolation region.

A distance-measuring imaging device includes: a drive controller that outputs a light emission signal and an exposure signal; a light source; a solid-state imager that performs exposure to reflected light; and a TOF calculator that calculates a distance to an object using an imaging signal. The drive controller: cyclically outputs a first exposure signal group in which, before an exposure period of one exposure signal ends, an exposure period of at least one other exposure signal starts; and outputs a second exposure signal group having a dead zone period during which all exposure signals are in a non-exposure period. The TOF calculator calculates a first distance value using a first imaging signal obtained according to the first exposure signal group, calculates a second distance value using a second imaging signal obtained according to the second exposure signal group, and calculates the distance based on the first and second distance values.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and an electronic device capable of increasing the capacitance of a charge holding unit. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel including a photodiode, an FD that accumulates charges generated in the photodiode, and a charge holding unit that is connected in parallel with the FD. The charge holding unit includes a wiring capacitance formed by parallel running of a first wiring connected to a first potential and a second wiring connected to a second potential different from the first potential. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid-state imaging element that performs global shutter type imaging.

A pixel sensor may include a vertically arranged (or vertically stacked) photodiode region and floating diffusion region. The vertical arrangement permits the photodiode region to occupy a larger area of a pixel sensor of a given size relative to a horizontal arrangement, which increases the area in which the photodiode region can collect photons. This increases performance of the pixel sensor and permits the overall size of the pixel sensor to be reduced. Moreover, the transfer gate may surround at least a portion of the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, which provides a larger gate switching area relative to a horizontal arrangement. The increased gate switching area may provide greater control over the transfer of the photocurrent and/or may reduce switching delay for the pixel sensor.