A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output.

The present technology relates to an image sensor, an imaging device, and a ranging device capable of performing imaging so that noise is reduced. A photoelectric conversion unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion; a charge accumulation unit configured to accumulate charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit; a transfer unit configured to transfer the charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge accumulation unit; a reset unit configured to reset the charge accumulation unit; a reset voltage control unit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the reset unit; and an additional control unit configured to control addition of capacitance to the charge accumulation unit are included. The charge accumulation unit includes a plurality of regions. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an imaging device that captures an image and a ranging device that performs ranging.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic device capable of improving a saturation characteristic. A photo diode is formed on a substrate, and a floating diffusion accumulates a signal charge read from the photo diode. A plurality of vertical gate electrodes is formed from a surface of the substrate in a depth direction in a region between the photo diode and the floating diffusion, and an overflow path is formed in a region interposed between a plurality of vertical gate electrodes. The present technology may be applied to a CMOS image sensor.

According to the present disclosure, an imaging element may include: a substrate or a well; a pinned photodiode disposed on the substrate; a floating diffusion region disposed on the substrate or the well; a first transfer gate transistor disposed between the pinned photodiode and the floating diffusion region a photodiode signal charge generated by the pinned photodiode to the floating diffusion region; one or more gate-controlled storages disposed on the substrate and storing a signal charge generated by the pinned photodiode as a storage signal charge; a storage-controlling gate electrode disposed adjacent to the gate-controlled storage; an overflow path disposed between the pinned photodiode and the gate-controlled storage and transferring the storage signal charge from the pinned photodiode to the gate-controlled storage; and a detecting node connected to the floating diffusion region, wherein the photodiode signal charge and the storage signal charge can be read at the detecting node.

It is possible to curb noise, color mixing, and the like. An imaging apparatus includes: a semiconductor; a photoelectric conversion unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and generates electrical charge in accordance with the amount of received light through photoelectric conversion; an electrical charge holding unit that is disposed on a side closer to a first surface of the semiconductor substrate than the photoelectric conversion unit and holds the electrical charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit; an electrical charge transfer unit that transfers the electrical charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the electrical charge holding unit; a vertical electrode that transmits the electrical charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the electrical charge transfer unit and is disposed in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, and a first light control unit that is disposed on a side closer to a second surface that is a side opposite to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate than the vertical electrode, is disposed at a position overlapping the vertical electrode in a plan view of the semiconductor substrate from a normal line direction of the first surface, and has a T-shaped section in the depth direction of the substrate. The first light control member includes a first light control portion and a second light control portion extending in mutually intersecting directions in an integrated structure.

In a distance measurement device, a control unit performs a charge distribution process in which in a first period, charge generated in a charge generation region is transferred to a first charge storage region and, in a second period, the charge generated in the charge generation region is transferred to a second charge storage region. The control unit applies an electric potential to a first overflow gate electrode so that a potential energy of a region immediately below the first overflow gate electrode is lower than a potential energy of the charge generation region in the first period, and applies an electric potential to a second overflow gate electrode so that a potential energy of a region immediately below the second overflow gate electrode is lower than a potential energy of the charge generation region in the second period.

An image sensor for distance measurement and an image sensor module including the image sensor are provided. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels including a plurality of first pixels arranged on a first line and a plurality of second pixels arranged on a second line, wherein the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels are arranged to be staggered from each other, and each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels includes a plurality of modulation gates for receiving a plurality of modulated signals during a photocharge collection period; a row decoder that provides control signals and the plurality of modulated signals to the pixel array; and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit that receives a plurality of sensing signals from the pixel array and converts the plurality of sensing signals into a plurality of digital signals.

Disclosed is a light receiving element including an on-chip lens, a wiring layer, and a semiconductor layer disposed between the on-chip lens and the wiring layer. The semiconductor layer includes a photodiode, a first transfer transistor that transfers electric charge generated in the photodiode to a first charge storage portion, a second transfer transistor that transfers electric charge generated in the photodiode to a second charge storage portion, and an interpixel separation portion that separates the semiconductor layers of adjacent pixels from each other, for at least part of the semiconductor layer in the depth direction. The wiring layer has at least one layer including a light blocking member. The light blocking member is disposed to overlap with the photodiode in a plan view.

Disclosed herein is a ranging module including a light receiving element, a light emitting unit, and a light-emission control unit. The light receiving element has plural transfer gates which distribute and transfer, to plural floating diffusions, signal charge accumulated in a photodiode that photoelectrically converts incident light, and at least two of the plural transfer gates are disposed point-symmetrically with respect to an optical center as seen from a direction of incidence of the light. The light emitting unit emits irradiation light having a periodically varying brightness. The light-emission control unit controls irradiation timing of the irradiation light.

The present technology relates to an imaging device of global shutter type, and relates to an imaging device and electronic equipment capable of inhibiting interference between a photoelectric conversion unit and an element that holds charge that has been transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit. An imaging device includes, in a pixel: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge transfer unit; an electrode that is used to transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge transfer unit; a charge-voltage conversion unit; and a charge drain unit. Here, the charge transfer unit is allowed to transfer charge in a first transfer direction to the charge-voltage conversion unit and a second transfer direction to the charge drain unit. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a CMOS image sensor of global shutter type.