An imaging pixel may have a fully depleted charge transfer path between a pinned photodiode and a floating diffusion region. A pinned transfer diode may be coupled between the pinned photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The imaging pixel may be formed in upper and lower substrates with an interconnect layer coupling the upper substrate to the lower substrate. The imaging pixel may include one or more storage diodes coupled between the transfer diode and the floating diffusion region. The imaging pixel may be used to capture high dynamic range images with flicker mitigation, images synchronized with light sources, or for high frame rate operation.

A two-side illuminated image sensor includes: a first optical sensor layer and a second optical sensor layer each including a plurality of optical sensing cells, and a signal wiring layer disposed between the first and second optical sensor layers. The first and second optical sensor layers may include a first color filter layer and a second color filter layer each including a plurality of color filters corresponding to the plurality of optical sensing cells.

Provided are an image sensor and an imaging apparatus. The image sensor of a multi-layered sensor structure, the image sensor includes a plurality of sensing pixels, each of the plurality of sensing pixels including a micro lens configured to collect light, a first photoelectric converter configured to convert light of a first wavelength band into an electric signal, and a second photoelectric converter formed on a substrate configured to convert incident light into the electric signal, wherein a central axis of the second photoelectric converter is spaced apart from an optical axis of the micro lens.

An image sensor pixel having a hybrid transfer storage gate-storage diode storage node is disclosed herein. An example image sensor includes a photodiode, a storage diode, a transfer gate, and a buried storage well. The photodiode, storage diode, and buried storage well are all disposed in a semiconductor material. The transfer storage gate may be disposed on a surface of the semiconductor material between the photodiode and the storage diode. Further, the buried storage well may be disposed under the storage diode and partially under the transfer storage gate. Additionally, a length of the transfer storage gate and a length of the storage diode may be equal, and the storage diode may passivate a surface of the semiconductor material between the transfer storage gate and an output gate.

In each pixel having a plurality of photodiodes for one microlens of a plurality of pixels arranged in a pixel array part, the photoelectrically converted electrons are prevented from moving between the photodiodes, thereby to improve the electron isolating characteristic, resulting in improved performances of a semiconductor device. In a well region immediately under between a first N.sup. type semiconductor region forming a first photodiode in a pixel and a second N.sup. type semiconductor region forming a second photodiode in the pixel, an isolation region higher in impurity density than the well region is formed.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels each of which includes a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charges by photoelectrically converting light, and a transistor that reads a pixel signal of a level corresponding to the charges generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. A phase difference pixel which is at least a part of the plurality of pixels is configured in such a manner that the photoelectric conversion unit is divided into a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and an insulated light shielding film is embedded in a region for separating the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, which are divided, from each other.

A sensor includes a plurality of image sensors, wherein each image sensor of the plurality of image sensors is configured to detect a first spectrum of light. The sensor further includes a depth sensing pixel bonded to each image sensor of the plurality of image sensors, wherein the depth sensing pixel is configured to detect a second spectrum of light different from the first spectrum.

Provided is an image sensor having improved performance. An image sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention including a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged, wherein each of the plurality of pixels may include: a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate; a transfer gate overlapping with a portion of the photoelectric conversion element and formed on the substrate; and a color filter over the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the plurality of pixels include two adjacent pixels which have the same color filter, and wherein one of the two adjacent pixels comprises an incident light control pattern.

In a solid state image sensor which has two photodiodes juxtaposed in a predetermined direction in each pixel and is formed by carrying out divided exposure, that is, exposure treatment of an entire chip by a plurality of times of exposure, image quality is improved and autofocusing speed is increased. Provided is a solid state image sensor having a first exposure region having a first region and a second exposure region having a second region. They overlap with each other in a third region between the first and second regions. In a pixel formed in the third region, a photodiode formed through a mask for first exposure region is placed at a position closer to the side of the second region than another photodiode formed through a mask for second exposure region is.

A mask includes a substrate, an effective pixel formation region and a reference pattern formation region. A pixel pattern for forming a pixel component that constitutes a pixel is arranged in the effective pixel formation region. A reference pattern for indicating a reference position where pixel pattern should be arranged in the effective pixel formation region is arranged in the reference pattern formation region. Pixel pattern is arranged to be displaced from the reference position toward a center side of the effective pixel formation region.