In a ranging image sensor, each pixel includes an avalanche multiplication region, a charge distribution region, a pair of first charge transfer regions, a pair of second charge transfer regions, a well region, a photogate electrode, a pair of first transfer gate electrodes, and a pair of second transfer gate electrodes. The first multiplication region of the avalanche multiplication region is formed so as to overlap the charge distribution region and so as not to overlap the well region in the Z direction. The second multiplication region of the avalanche multiplication region is formed so as to overlap the charge distribution region and the well region in the Z direction.

A light receiving element according to the present disclosure includes a sensor substrate (102) and a circuit board (101). The sensor substrate (102) is provided with a light receiving region (103), a pair of voltage application electrodes, and an incident surface electrode (104). The light receiving region (103) photoelectrically converts incident light into signal charges. A voltage is alternately applied to the pair of voltage application electrodes to generate, in the light receiving region (103), an electric field that time-divides the signal charges and distributes the signal charges to a pair of charge accumulation electrodes. The incident surface electrode (104) is provided on an incident surface of light in the light receiving region (103), and a voltage equal to or lower than a ground potential is applied to the incident surface electrode. The circuit board (101) is provided on a surface facing the incident surface of the light, of the sensor substrate (102). The circuit board (101) is provided with a pixel transistor that processes the signal charges accumulated in the charge accumulation electrodes.

A solid-state imaging element (100) includes a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit (600). The first and second photoelectric conversion units (500, 600) are joined at joint surfaces facing each other, and include an upper electrode (502, 602), a lower electrode (508A, 608), a photoelectric conversion film (504, 604), and a storage electrode (510, 610). The lower electrode (508A) of the first photoelectric conversion unit (500) is connected to a charge storage unit (314) via a first through electrode (460A, 460B) penetrating a semiconductor substrate (300). The lower electrode (608) of the second photoelectric conversion unit (600) is connected to the charge storage unit (314) via: a second electrode (673) provided on a joint surface of the second photoelectric conversion unit (600); a first electrode (573) provided on a joint surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit (500); a second through electrode (560) penetrating the first photoelectric conversion unit (500); and the first through electrode (460A, 460B).

A solid-state imaging device according to the present disclosure includes a light-receiving substrate, a circuit board, and a plurality of first connections. The light-receiving substrate includes a plurality of light-receiving circuits provided with photoelectric conversion elements. The circuit board is directly bonded to the light-receiving substrate and includes a plurality of address event detection circuits that detects individual changes in voltages output from the photoelectric conversion elements of the plurality of light-receiving circuits. The plurality of first connections is provided at a joint between the light-receiving substrate and the circuit board to electrically connect the light-receiving circuits and the address event detection circuits corresponding to each other.

A photoelectric conversion element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode and including a donor semiconductor material and an acceptor semiconductor material, and a first charge blocking layer positioned between the first electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. The first charge blocking layer includes a first material and a second material having an energy band gap narrower than that of the first material. The electron affinity of the first material is lower than that of the second material, and the ionization potential of the first material is higher than that of the second material.

In an embodiment a pixel arrangement includes a photodetector configured to accumulate charge carriers by converting electromagnetic radiation, a transfer transistor electrically coupled to the photodetector, a diffusion node electrically coupled to the transfer transistor, a reset transistor electrically coupled to the diffusion node and to a pixel supply voltage and a sample-and-hold stage including at least a first capacitor and a second capacitor, an input of the sample-and-hold stage being electrically coupled to the diffusion node via an amplifier, wherein the transfer transistor is configured to be pulsed to different voltage levels for transferring parts of the accumulated charge carriers to the diffusion node, wherein at least the second capacitor is configured to store a low conversion gain signal representing a first part of the accumulated charge carriers, and wherein the first capacitor is configured to store a high conversion gain signal representing a remaining part of the accumulated charge carriers.

According to one embodiment, an optical sensor device includes an insulating substrate, a first conductive layer and an optical sensor element disposed between the insulating substrate and the first conductive layer. The optical sensor element is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and covered by the first conductive layer. The optical sensor element includes a first semiconductor layer formed of an oxide semiconductor and controls an amount of charge flowing to the first conductive layer according to an amount of incident light to the first semiconductor layer.

To improve image quality of image data in a solid-state image sensor that detects an address event. The solid-state image sensor includes a photodiode, a pixel signal generation unit, and a detection unit. In the solid-state image sensor, the photodiode generates electrons and holes by photoelectric conversion. The pixel signal generation unit generates a pixel signal having a voltage according to an amount of one of the electrons and the holes. The detection unit detects whether or not a change amount in the other of the electrons and the holes has exceeded a predetermined threshold and outputs a detection signal.

An image sensor includes a pixel with a photosensitive region accommodated within a semiconductor substrate and a MOS capacitive element with a conducting electrode electrically isolated by a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer forms an interface with both the photosensitive region and the semiconductor substrate, the interface of the dielectric layer including charge traps. A control circuit biases the electrode of the MOS capacitive element with a charge pumping signal designed to generate an alternation of successive inversion regimes and accumulation regimes in the photosensitive region. The charge pumping signal produces recombinations of photogenerated charges in the charge traps of the interface of the dielectric layer and the generation of a substrate current to empty recombined photogenerated charges.

A depth sensor includes a first pixel including a plurality of first photo transistors each receiving a first photo gate signal, a second pixel including a plurality of second photo transistors each receiving a second photo gate signal, a third pixel including a plurality of third photo transistors each receiving a third photo gate signal, a fourth pixel including a plurality of fourth photo transistors each receiving a fourth photo gate signal, and a photoelectric conversion element shared by first to fourth photo transistors of the plurality of first to fourth photo transistors.