Provided is a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of achieving both of a high dynamic range operation and an auto focus operation in a pixel configuration in which a plurality of unit pixels includes two or more subpixels. The solid-state imaging device includes a first pixel separation region that separates a plurality of unit pixels including two or more subpixels, a second pixel separation region that separates each of the plurality of unit pixels separated by the first pixel separation region and an overflow region that causes signal charges accumulated in the subpixels to overflow to at least one of adjacent subpixels, in which the overflow region is formed between a first subpixel and a second subpixel.

Improvement of noise characteristics is achievable. A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (333) arranged in a two-dimensional grid shape in a matrix direction and each generating a charge corresponding to a received light amount, and a detection unit (400) that detects a photocurrent produced by the charge generated in each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. A chip (201a) on which the photoelectric conversion elements are disposed and a chip (201b) on which at least a part of the detection unit is disposed are different from each other.

A solid-state imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a photoelectric transducer, a transfer transistor, a floating diffusion, a reset transistor, an amplifier transistor, and a selection transistor. The reset transistor includes a gate insulating film formed thinner than the gate insulating film of the transfer transistor.

Provided is a solid-state imaging element configured to automatically extend dynamic range for each unit pixel. A solid-state imaging element includes, for a unit pixel, a first photoelectric conversion element, a first accumulation portion that accumulates electric charge obtained by photoelectric conversion by the first photoelectric conversion element, and a first film that is electrically connected to the first accumulation portion and has an optical characteristic changing according to applied voltage. Furthermore, the unit pixel of the solid-state imaging element can further include a first transfer transistor that transfers electric charge obtained by photoelectric conversion by the photoelectric conversion element to the first accumulation portion, an amplification transistor that is electrically connected to the first accumulation portion, and a selection transistor that is electrically connected to the amplification transistor.

Examples are disclosed that relate to the use of an always-depleted photodiode in a ToF depth image sensor. One example provides a method of operating a pixel of a depth image sensor, the method comprising receiving photons in a photocharge generation region of the pixel, the photocharge generation region of the pixel comprising an always-depleted photodiode formed by a doped first region comprising one of p-doping or n-doping and a more lightly-doped second region comprising the other of p-doping or n-doping. The method further comprises, during an integration phase, energizing a clock gate for a pixel tap, thereby directing photocharge generated in the photocharge generation region to an in-pixel storage comprising a capacitor, and in a readout phase, reading charge out from the in-pixel storage.

A photodetector including a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections that is provided to a semiconductor substrate. The photoelectric conversion sections each include a first region of a first electrical conduction type that is provided on a first surface side of the semiconductor substrate, a second region of a second electrical conduction type that is provided on a second surface side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first surface, a third region of a third electrical conduction type that is provided in a region between the first region and the second region of the semiconductor substrate, a first electrode that is electrically coupled to the first region from the first surface side, and a second electrode that is electrically coupled to the second region from the second surface side. The third region absorbs incident light.

A solid-state imaging device includes: plural photodiodes formed in different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate; and plural vertical transistors formed in the depth direction from one face side of the substrate so that gate portions for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plural photodiodes are formed in depths corresponding to the respective photodiodes.

A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor layer on which a plurality of pixels are arranged along a light-receiving surface being a main surface of the semiconductor layer, photoelectric conversion units provided for the respective pixels in the semiconductor layer, and a trench element isolation area formed by providing an insulating layer in a trench pattern formed on a light-receiving surface side of the semiconductor layer, the trench element isolation area being provided at a position displaced from a pixel boundary between the pixels.

To provide a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of achieving both of a high dynamic range operation and an auto focus operation in a pixel configuration in which a plurality of unit pixels includes two or more subpixels. There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: a first pixel separation region that separates a plurality of unit pixels including two or more subpixels; a second pixel separation region that separates each of the plurality of unit pixels separated by the first pixel separation region; and an overflow region that causes signal charges accumulated in the subpixels to overflow to at least one of adjacent subpixels, in which the overflow region is formed between a first subpixel and a second subpixel.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and a driving method thereof, and an electronic apparatus that make it possible to improve the precision of phase difference detection while suppressing deterioration of resolution in a solid-state imaging device having a global shutter function and a phase difference AF function. Provided is a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array unit including, as pixels including an on-chip lens, a photoelectric conversion unit, and a charge accumulation unit, imaging pixels for generating a captured image and phase difference detection pixels for performing phase difference detection arrayed therein; and a driving control unit configured to control driving of the pixels. The imaging pixel is formed with the charge accumulation unit shielded from light. The phase difference detection pixel is formed in a manner that at least part of at least one of the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge accumulation unit refrains from being shielded from light. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a CMOS image sensor.