A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric converting units and a plurality of charge-accumulating units each accumulating a charge generated in the corresponding photoelectric converting unit. The photoelectric converting unit includes a photosensitive region that generates the charge in accordance with light incidence, and an electric potential gradient forming unit that accelerates migration of charge in a second direction in the photosensitive region. The charge-accumulating unit includes: a plurality of regions (semiconductor layers) having an impurity concentration gradually changed in one way in the second direction, and electrodes adapted to apply electric fields to the plurality of regions. Each of the electrodes is disposed over the plurality of regions having the impurity concentration gradually varied.

An image sensing device includes at least one photoelectric conversion element configured to generate photocharges by performing photoelectric conversion of incident light, a floating diffusion region adjacent to the at least one photoelectric conversion element and configured to receive and store the photocharges, at least one transfer transistor electrically coupled to the at least one photoelectric conversion element and the floating diffusion region and configured to transmit the photocharges generated by the photoelectric conversion element to the floating diffusion region in response to a transmission signal, and at least one boosting conductive material configured to receive a boosting voltage to boost the floating diffusion region and disposed in a region (1) that is vertically apart by a predetermined distance from the floating diffusion region and (2) vertically non-overlapping with the at least one transfer transistor.

There is provided a pixel circuit including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is used to output a first voltage associated with exposure intensity. The second circuit is used to output a second voltage associated with exposure time interval. The processor multiples the first voltage to a ratio between a reference voltage and the second voltage to obtain an actual light intensity, wherein the reference voltage is a voltage value outputted by the second circuit of a dummy pixel.

An image sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. The substrate including a plurality of unit pixel regions having photoelectric conversion regions and floating diffusion regions disposed adjacent to the first surface. A pixel isolation pattern is disposed in the substrate and is configured to define the plurality of unit pixel regions. An interconnection layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The interconnection layer includes a conductive structure having a connection portion that extends parallel to the first surface of the substrate and is spaced apart from the first surface of the substrate. Contacts extend vertically from the connection portion towards the first surface of the substrate. Each of the contacts are spaced apart from each other with the pixel isolation pattern interposed therebetween. The contacts are coupled to the floating diffusion regions, respectively.

A pixel group of an image sensor includes first through fourth unit pixels in a matrix form of two pixels rows and two pixel columns, and a common floating diffusion region in a semiconductor substrate at a center of the pixel group and shared by the first through fourth unit pixels. Each of the first through fourth unit pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element in the semiconductor substrate, and a pair of vertical transfer gates in the semiconductor substrate and extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The pair of vertical transfer gates transfer photo charges collected by the photoelectric conversion element to the common floating diffusion region. Image quality is enhanced by increasing sensing sensitivity of the unit pixel through the shared structure of the floating diffusion region and the symmetric structure of the vertical transfer gates.

A depth pixel includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode and a common microlens. First and second taps are disposed at both sides of the first photodiode in a first horizontal direction to sample a photo charge stored in the first photodiode. The second photodiode is disposed at a side of the first photodiode in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. Third and fourth taps are disposed at both sides of the second photodiode in the first horizontal direction to sample a photo charge stored in the second photodiode. The common microlens is disposed above or below the semiconductor substrate. The common microlens covers both of the first photodiode and the second photodiode to focus an incident light to the first photodiode and the second photodiode.

An image sensing device may include: a plurality of pixels included in a first row; a first signal line configured to transfer a boosting voltage to the plurality of pixels; a first switch transistor coupled between the first signal line and a second signal line disposed adjacent to the top side of the first signal line; and a second switch transistor coupled between the first signal line and a third signal line disposed adjacent to the bottom side of the first signal line.

An image sensor includes a substrate, a photoelectric conversion region disposed inside the substrate, a first active region disposed inside the substrate to include a ground region, a floating diffusion region, and a channel region for connecting the ground region and the floating diffusion region, a substrate trench disposed inside the channel region, a transfer gate disposed on a face of the substrate to include a lower gate which fills a part of the substrate trench and has a first width, and an upper gate having a second width smaller than the first width on the lower gate, and a gate spacer disposed inside the substrate trench to be interposed between the ground region and the upper gate.

Image sensors capable of dark current calibration and associated circuits are disclosed herein. The method for calibrating dark current includes acquiring at least one dark current frame of a first plurality of pixels of a pixel array of the image sensor. The dark current frame contains readings of individual dark currents for the corresponding pixels obtained during an exposure period when a transistor is turned on disabling the photodiode. The method also includes acquiring at least one normal frame of a second plurality of pixels of the pixel array of the image sensor. The normal frame contains readings of individual signals for the corresponding pixels obtained during the exposure period when the transistor is turned OFF. The method includes subtracting the at least one dark current frame from the at least one normal frame.

An image sensor includes a substrate having an element separation pattern, a first active region, and a ground region, the ground region being separated from the first active region by the element separation pattern, a transfer transistor including a transfer gate electrode on the first active region, the transfer gate electrode being separated from the ground region by the element separation pattern, a photo diode within the substrate, the photo diode being spaced apart from the transfer gate electrode, and a contact on the ground region, the contact being configured to receive a ground voltage.