H04N5/378

IMAGING DEVICE

An imaging device of an embodiment has a first substrate, a second substrate, a wire, and a trench. The first substrate has a pixel having a photodiode and a floating diffusion that holds a charge converted by the photodiode. The second substrate has a pixel circuit that reads a pixel signal based on the charge held in the floating diffusion in the pixel, and is stacked on the first substrate. The wire penetrates the first substrate and the second substrate in a stacking direction, and electrically connects the floating diffusion in the first substrate to an amplification transistor in the pixel circuit of the second substrate. The trench is formed at least in the second substrate, runs in parallel with the wire, and has a depth equal to or greater than the thickness of a semiconductor layer in the second substrate.

IMAGING DEVICE
20220368867 · 2022-11-17 ·

Provided is an imaging device (1) capable of improving quality of an image captured using a color filter. An imaging device according to an embodiment includes a pixel array (110) including a plurality of pixel blocks (130) each including 6×6 pixels, and each pixel block includes a first pixel on which a first optical filter that transmits light in a first wavelength range is provided, a second pixel on which a second optical filter that transmits light in a second wavelength range is provided, a third pixel on which a third optical filter that transmits light in a third wavelength range is provided, and a fourth pixel on which a fourth optical filter that transmits light in a fourth wavelength range is provided. The first pixels are alternately arranged in each of a row direction and a column direction of the arrangement, one second pixel, one third pixel, and one fourth pixels are alternately arranged in each row and each column of the arrangement, and the pixel block further includes a line including at least one second pixel, one third pixel, and one fourth pixel in a first oblique direction that is parallel to a diagonal of the pixel block of the arrangement, and a line including at least one second pixel, one third pixel, and one fourth pixel in a second oblique direction that is parallel to a diagonal of the pixel block and is different from the first oblique direction.

READING CIRCUIT FOR A PIXEL ARRAY
20220368847 · 2022-11-17 ·

The present disclosure relates to a read-out circuit comprising N inputs configured to be connected to N respective outputs of a pixel array of an image sensor, with N being an integer strictly greater than 1; and N analog-to-digital converters organized in K groups, with K being an integer strictly greater than 1 and strictly less than N, and each having a first input coupled to a respective one of the N inputs and a second input. In each group, the second inputs of the analog-to-digital converters of the group are connected together, electrically decoupled from the second inputs of the analog-to-digital converters of the other groups, and configured to receive a first reference signal that is identical for all the analog-to-digital converters of the group.

SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
20220367557 · 2022-11-17 ·

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel circuit and a negative feedback circuit. The pixel circuit includes: a photodiode; a charge storage that holds a signal charge generated by the photodiode; an amplification transistor that outputs a pixel signal corresponding to the signal charge in the charge storage; a first reset transistor that resets the charge storage; a first storage capacitive element for holding a signal charge; and a first transistor that controls the connection between the charge storage and the first storage capacitive element. The negative feedback circuit negatively feeds back a feedback signal corresponding to a reset output of the amplification transistor to the charge storage via the first reset transistor.

RADIATION IMAGING APPARATUS, RADIATION IMAGING SYSTEM, DRIVE METHOD FOR RADIATION IMAGING APPARATUS, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
20220365228 · 2022-11-17 ·

A radiation imager comprising pixels each including a converter to generate a signal, a sampling circuit and a processor is provided. The sampling circuit samples the signal with first sensitivity and with second sensitivity higher than the first sensitivity. If a first signal value obtained by sampling the signal with the first sensitivity is smaller than a first threshold, the processor generates a pixel value based on a second signal value obtained by sampling the signal with the second sensitivity, if the first signal value exceeds a second threshold larger than the first threshold value, the processor generates a pixel value based on the first signal value, and if the first signal value is not less than the first threshold and not more than the second threshold, the processor generates a pixel value based on the first and second signal values.

ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTING CIRCUIT, IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

An analog-to-digital converting circuit includes: an analog-to-digital converter suitable for performing an analog-to-digital conversion on pixel signals of a plurality of pixels provided in a pixel array; a ramp signal generator suitable for providing a ramp signal to the analog-to-digital converter; and an auto-zero controller suitable for providing a reference voltage to the analog-to-digital converter to perform an auto-zeroing operation by using a row pixel for which a readout operation is performed by the analog-to-digital converter.

Image sensor

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a pixel array including first and second pixels, the first and second pixels receiving the same transfer gate signal and outputting first and second signal voltages, respectively, a transfer gate driver receiving first and second voltages and generating the transfer gate signal, the transfer gate signal having the first voltage as its maximum voltage and having the second voltage as its minimum voltage and a compensation module detecting a variation in the second voltage, generating a compensation voltage based on the variation in the second voltage, and performing a compensation operation.

Imaging device, imaging system, and moving object

An imaging device is provided in which a shield wiring is arranged between signal lines of a first set out of a plurality of signal lines, and, in which signal lines of a second set out of a plurality of signal lines are adjacent to each other.

Solid-state image pickup element, electronic apparatus, and method of controlling solid-state image pickup element

Provided is a solid-state image pickup element that amplifies the difference between respective signals of a pair of pixels and enables a reduction in the number of wiring lines. The solid-state image pickup element includes an electric-charge accumulation unit, a reference reset transistor, and a readout reset transistor. The electric-charge accumulation unit accumulates electric charge transferred from a photoelectric conversion unit and generates signal voltage corresponding to the amount of the electric charge. The reference reset transistor supplies predetermined reset voltage to the electric-charge accumulation unit in a case of generating predetermined reference voltage. The readout reset transistor supplies voltage different from the reset voltage to the electric-charge accumulation unit in a case of reading out the signal voltage.

Electronic circuit for configuring amplifying circuit configured to output voltage including low noise

An electronic circuit is provided. The electronic circuit includes a first current generating circuit configured to output a first operating current based on a first operating voltage; and an input circuit configured to: receive a first current corresponding to a first input voltage and a second current corresponding to a second input voltage, wherein the first current and the second current are based on the first operating current; receive a third current and a fourth current that are generated based on the first operating voltage; and generate a fifth current corresponding to the second input voltage based on a second operating current. The electronic circuit is configured to generate an output voltage that is associated with a difference between the first input voltage and the second input voltage based on the second current, the fourth current and the fifth current, and the fourth current corresponds to the third current.