A pixel cell includes a plurality of subpixels to generate image charge in response to incident light. The subpixels include an inner subpixel laterally surrounded by outer subpixels. A first plurality of transfer gates disposed proximate to the inner subpixel and a first grouping of outer subpixels. A first floating diffusion is coupled to receive the image charge from the first grouping of outer subpixels through a first plurality of transfer gates. A second plurality of transfer gates disposed proximate to the inner subpixel and the second grouping of outer subpixels. A second floating diffusion disposed in the semiconductor material and coupled to receive the image charge from each one of the second grouping of outer subpixels through the second plurality of transfer gates. The image charge in the inner subpixel is received by the first, second, or both floating diffusions through respective transfer gates.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion circuit, a second photoelectric conversion circuit, and a divergence optical circuit for diverging incident light. The divergence optical circuit is disposed on a semiconductor substrate where the first photoelectric conversion circuit and the second photoelectric conversion circuit are disposed, and covers at least a part of the first photoelectric conversion circuit in a plan view as viewed from a light incidence side.

A fingerprint sensor includes: a first layer including a plurality of pixels; a light transmitting hole array layer including a plurality of light transmitting holes providing light transmitting paths of light rays that are incident through the first layer; and a sensor layer including a plurality of photo sensors configured to sense the light rays that pass through the light transmitting holes and are incident on the sensor layer. A resolution at which the photo sensors are disposed in first areas on the sensor layer differs from a resolution at which the photo sensors are disposed in second areas on the sensor layer.

Disclosed is a method of generating an output signal of a PDAF pixel of an optoelectronic image sensor array, including detecting pixel signals of the pixels of the image sensor arranged within the environment of a PDAF pixel; determining a structure direction of an image structure imaged onto the image sensor from the pixel signals of at least some of the pixels arranged within the environment; and generating the output signal of the PDAF pixel, wherein, the output signal is generated in one case as an interpolation signal from the pixel signals of further pixels arranged within the environment and in another case as an amplified signal by correcting the pixel signal of the PDAF pixel with an amplification factor, wherein the output signal of the PDAF pixel is generated as the amplified signal when the structure direction differs from the first direction by less than a predefined angle.

A solid-state imaging device capable of improving image quality and functionality is provided.

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally disposed, in which each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit and a concavo-convex portion, the photoelectric conversion unit photoelectrically converting incident light formed on a semiconductor substrate, and the concavo-convex portion being positioned above the photoelectric conversion unit and formed on a light receiving surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and the number of irregularities of a concavo-convex portion included in a pixel disposed in a central portion of the pixel region and the number of irregularities of a concavo-convex portion included in a pixel disposed in a peripheral portion of the pixel region are different from each other.

A sensor device according to the present disclosure includes a Peltier element, a sensor element thermally connected to a cooling surface of the Peltier element, and a window member that faces a light receiving surface of the sensor element and is made of borosilicate glass.

Disclosed is an image sensor. The image sensor includes an active pixel sensor array including first to fourth pixel units sequentially arranged in a column direction, and each of the first to fourth pixel units is composed of a plurality of pixels. A first pixel group including the first and second pixel units is connected to a first column line, and a second pixel group including the third pixel unit and the fourth pixel unit is connected to a second column line. The image sensor includes a correlated double sampling circuit including first and second correlated double samplers and configured to convert a first sense voltage sensed from a selected pixel of the first pixel group and a second sense voltage sensed from a selected pixel of the second pixel group into a first correlated double sampling signal and a second correlated double sampling signal, respectively.

An image sensor comprises: a pixel region including a plurality of microlenses arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions provided for each of the microlenses; a plurality of amplifiers that apply a plurality of different gains to signals output from the pixel region; and a scanning circuit that scans the pixel region so that a partial signal and an added signal are read out, the partial signal being a signal from some of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions, and the added signal being a signal obtained by adding the signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions.

An imaging device includes: a first electrode; a charge storage electrode disposed at a distance from the first electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer in contact with the first electrode and above the charge storage electrode, with an insulating layer between the charge storage electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer; and a second electrode on the photoelectric conversion layer. The portion of the insulating layer between the charge storage electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer includes a first region and a second region, the first region is formed with a first insulating layer, the second region is formed with a second insulating layer, and the absolute value of the fixed charge of the material forming the second insulating layer is smaller than the absolute value of the fixed charge of the material forming the first insulating layer.

Designs of image sensors including a plurality of first gild structures arranged in row and column directions of a pixel array of imaging pixels and structured to separate the imaging pixels from one another, each of the first grid structures including an air to provide optical isolation between two adjacent imaging pixels and a plurality of second grid structures respectively disposed at each intersection between the row direction and the column direction in which the first grid structures are arranged.