A metal grid within a trench isolation structure on the back side of an image sensor is coupled to a contact pad so that a voltage on the metal grid is continuously variable with a voltage on the contact pad. One or more conductive structures directly couple the metal grid to a contact pad. The conductive structures may bypass a front side of the image sensor. A bias voltage on the metal grid may be varied through the contact pad whereby a trade-off between reducing cross-talk and increasing quantum efficiency may be adjusted dynamically in accordance with the application of the image sensor, its environment of use, or its mode of operation.

A sensing device includes a light source to emit light, a light sensor to detect reflection of the emitted light and distance determination circuitry responsive to reflected-light detection within the light sensor. The light sensor includes a photodetector having a photocharge storage capacity in excess of one electron and an output circuit that generates an output signal responsive to light detection within the photodetector with sub-hundred nanosecond latency. The distance determination circuitry measures an elapsed time based on transition of the output signal in response to photonic detection within the photodetector and determines, based on the elapsed time, a distance between the sensing device and a surface that yielded the reflection of the emitted light.

Methods for discriminating among x-ray beams of distinct energy content. A first volume of scintillation medium converts energy of incident penetrating radiation into scintillation light which is extracted from a scintillation light extraction region by a plurality of optical waveguides that convert the scintillation light to light of a longer wavelength. An x-ray beam initially incident upon the first volume of scintillation medium and traversing the first volume is then incident on a second volume of scintillation medium. The first and second scintillation media may be separated by an absorber or one or more further volumes of scintillation medium, and may also have differential spectral sensitivities. Scintillation light from the first and second scintillation volumes is detected in respective detectors and processed to yield a measure of respective low energy and high-energy components of the incident x-ray beam.

An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels. Each pixel may have a photodiode, a charge storage region, and a charge overflow circuit. The charge storage region may be used to operate the image sensor array in global shutter mode. During high light level illumination, the charge overflow circuit may divert charge away from the photodiode such that only a predetermined portion of the accumulated charge remains in the photodiode. During low light level illumination all of the accumulated charge may be stored in the pixel photodiode. The charge overflow circuit may include a transistor and a resistor or capacitor. By implementing a charge overflow circuit, the size of the charge storage region may be reduced while still preserving the high dynamic range and low noise of the image sensor during all light illumination conditions.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, manufacturing method of a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic device, which can provide a solid-state imaging device having further improved features such as reduced optical color mixing and the like. Also, an electronic device using the solid-state imaging device thereof is provided. According to a solid-state imaging device having a substrate and multiple photoelectric converters that are formed on the substrate, an insulating film forms an embedded element separating unit. The element separating unit is configured of an insulating film having a fixed charge that is formed so as to coat the inner wall face of a groove portion, within the groove portion which is formed in the depth direction from the light input side of the substrate.

To provide a memory cell for storing multilevel data that is less likely to be affected by variations in characteristics of transistors and that is capable of easily writing multilevel data in a short time and accurately reading it out. In writing, a current corresponding to multilevel data is supplied to the transistor in the memory cell and stored as the gate-drain voltage of the transistor in the memory cell. In reading, a current is supplied to the transistor in the transistor with the stored gate-drain voltage, and the multilevel data is obtained from the voltage supplied to generate a current that is equal to the current.

Embodiments of a hybrid imaging sensor that optimizes a pixel array area on a substrate using a stacking scheme for placement of related circuitry with minimal vertical interconnects between stacked substrates and associated features are disclosed. Embodiments of maximized pixel array size/die size (area optimization) are disclosed, and an optimized imaging sensor providing improved image quality, improved functionality, and improved form factors for specific applications common to the industry of digital imaging are also disclosed.

A radiographic imaging control device is provided with a radiation detector, amplifiers and a controller. A plurality of pixels are arrayed in the radiation detector, each pixel including a sensor portion that generates charges in accordance with irradiated radiation and a switching element that is for reading out the charges generated at the sensor portion. Each amplifier is provided in correspondence with a respective pixel of the radiation detector, is equipped with a resetter that resets charges remaining at an integration capacitor, and amplifies an electronic signal according to the charges read out by the switching element from the corresponding pixel by a pre-specified amplification factor. In accordance with pre-specified conditions, the controller controls so as to alter a bias current supplied to the amplifiers in at least some periods of resetting by the resetter.

A laser designator system using modulated CW laser diodes and a conventional high pixel count image sensor array, such as CCD or CMOS array. These two technologies, diode lasers and imaging sensor arrays are reliable, widely used and inexpensive technologies, as compared with prior art pulsed laser systems. These systems are distinguished from the prior art systems in that they filter the laser signal spatially, by collecting light over a comparatively long period of time from a very few pixels out of the entire field of view of the image sensor array. This is in contrast to the prior art systems where the laser signal is filtered temporarily, over a very short time span, but over a large fraction of the field of view. By spatially filtering the signal outputs of the individual pixels, it becomes possible to subtract the background illumination from the illuminated laser spot.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor image sensor device. In some embodiments, the semiconductor image sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface configured to receive incident radiation. A plurality of sensor elements are arranged within the semiconductor substrate. A first charged layer is arranged on an entirety of a second surface of the semiconductor substrate facing an opposite direction as the first surface. The second surface is between the first charged layer and the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.