A light receiver capable of detecting the intensity of light in a certain wavelength range is provided. The light receiver includes a first light receiving element (PD1) and a second light receiving element (PD2) that have an identical spectral sensitivity characteristic, and a UV cut filter (11). Light that has passed through the UV cut filter (11) enters the first light receiving element (PD1). A subtractor is provided that calculates a difference between a photocurrent of the first light receiving element (PD1) and a photocurrent of the second light receiving element (PD2).

An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate integrated with at least one of a first photo-sensing device that may sense a first wavelength spectrum of visible light and a second photo-sensing device that may sense second wavelength spectrum of visible light, and a third photo-sensing device on the semiconductor substrate that may selectively sense third wavelength spectrum of visible light in a longer wavelength spectrum of visible light than the first wavelength spectrum of visible light and the second wavelength spectrum of visible light. The first photo-sensing device and the second photo-sensing device may overlap with each other in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate.

A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.

A solid-state imaging device includes a second image sensor having an organic photoelectric conversion film transmitting a specific light, and a first image sensor which is stacked in layers on a same semiconductor substrate as that of the second image sensor and which receives the specific light having transmitted the second image sensor, in which a pixel for focus detection is provided in the second image sensor or the first image sensor. Therefore, an AF method can be realized independently of a pixel for imaging.

A structure includes a silicon substrate; silicon readout circuitry disposed on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and a radiation detecting pixel disposed on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate. The pixel has a plurality of radiation detectors connected with the readout circuitry. The plurality of radiation detectors are composed of at least one visible wavelength radiation detector containing germanium and at least one infrared wavelength radiation detector containing a Group III-V semiconductor material. A method includes providing a silicon substrate; forming silicon readout circuitry on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and forming a radiation detecting pixel, on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate, that has a plurality of radiation detectors formed to contain a visible wavelength detector composed of germanium and an infrared wavelength detector composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material.

An imaging pixel may include an upper substrate layer with a photosensitive layer and a lower substrate with a photosensitive layer. A color filter layer may be formed over the upper substrate layer. The color filter layer may include a color filter window that allows light to pass through the upper substrate layer to the photosensitive layer in the lower substrate. The color filter window may be formed from a dielectric material or from a color filter element with a different color than the surrounding color filter element. A metal interconnect layer may couple the lower substrate layer to the upper substrate layer. The color filter window may be formed in the central portion of a pixel, or between multiple pixels in an image sensor.

A structure includes a silicon substrate; silicon readout circuitry disposed on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and a radiation detecting pixel disposed on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate. The pixel has a plurality of radiation detectors connected with the readout circuitry. The plurality of radiation detectors are composed of at least one visible wavelength radiation detector containing germanium and at least one infrared wavelength radiation detector containing a Group semiconductor material. A method includes providing a silicon substrate; forming silicon readout circuitry on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and forming a radiation detecting pixel, on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate, that has a plurality of radiation detectors formed to contain a visible wavelength detector composed of germanium and an infrared wavelength detector composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material.

A ballistic carrier spectral sensor includes a photon absorption region to generate photo-generated carriers from incident light; a first potential barrier region adjacent the photon absorption region and having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a second potential barrier region having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a spillage well region disposed between the first potential barrier region and the second potential barrier region and configured to collect photo-generated carriers having an energy lower than that required to pass through the second potential barrier region; and a collection region adjacent the second potential barrier region and configured to collect carriers that cross the second potential barrier region. A total thickness of the first potential barrier region and the spillage well region is less than a mean free path of the photo-generated carriers.

An image sensor including a semiconductor substrate integrated with a plurality of photo-sensing devices and a nanopattern layer on the semiconductor substrate, the nanopattern layer having a plurality of nanopatterns, wherein each nanopattern of the plurality of nanopatterns correspond one to one with a single photo-sensing device of the plurality of photo-sensing devices, respectively.

An imager having a pixel cell having an associated strained silicon layer. The strained silicon layer increases charge transfer efficiency, decreases image lag, and improves blue response in imaging devices.