A photo-detecting apparatus is provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes: a substrate made by a first material or a first material-composite; an absorption layer made by a second material or a second material-composite, the absorption layer being supported by the substrate and the absorption layer including: a first surface; a second surface arranged between the first surface and the substrate; and a channel region having a dopant profile with a peak dopant concentration equal to or more than 1×10.sup.15 cm.sup.−3, wherein a distance between the first surface and a location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is less than a distance between the second surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration, and wherein the distance between the first surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is not less than 30 nm.

A charge-coupled device includes an array of insulated electrodes vertically penetrating into a semiconductor substrate. The array includes rows of alternated longitudinal and transverse electrodes. Each end of a longitudinal electrode of a row is opposite and separated from a portion of an adjacent transverse electrode of that row. Electric insulation walls extend parallel to one another and to the longitudinal electrodes. The insulation walls penetrate vertically into the substrate deeper than the longitudinal electrodes. At least two adjacent rows of electrodes are arranged between each two successive insulation walls.

A solid-state imaging device includes an N-type semiconductor layer, an element layer including a photoelectric conversion element and an active element, an interconnect layer providing an interconnect for the active element, and an element isolation trench penetrating the semiconductor layer. The element layer includes a P-type region and an N-type region. A first hole storage layer is formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer on a side opposite to the element layer. A second hole storage layer is formed in contact portions of the semiconductor layer and the element layer with the element isolation trench. The P-type region of the element layer and the first hole storage layer are connected to each other by the second hole storage layer.

A time of flight sensor includes at least one demodulation pixel. Each demodulation pixel includes a semiconductor substrate; a charge generation region in the semiconductor substrate, the charge generation region having a lateral extent, the charge generation region being configured to convert light into charge carriers; a light directing element in the charge generation region of the semiconductor substrate, the light directing element being configured to direct light through at least a portion of the lateral extent of the charge generation region; a collection region in the semiconductor substrate, the collection region being configured to collect the charge carriers generated in at least a portion of the lateral extent of the charge generation region, and a readout component in electrical communication with the collection region, the readout component being operable to control an electrical coupling between the charge generation region and the collection region.

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes a pixel array part, in which pixels are disposed, the pixel including a photoelectric conversion element, and an analog-digital converter that converts an analog signal outputted from each of the pixels of the pixel array part into a digital signal, the analog-digital converter including a comparator that compares, with a reference signal, the analog signal outputted from each of the pixels of the pixel array part. A transistor constituting the comparator is a transistor that has a three-dimensional structure including a channel parallel to or perpendicular to a direction of a current flow.

An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a first photoelectric converter, and a second photoelectric converter. The semiconductor substrate has an electric-charge storage region. The second photoelectric converter is located between the first photoelectric converter and the semiconductor substrate. The first photoelectric converter includes a first counter electrode, a first pixel electrode, and a first photoelectric conversion layer. The first photoelectric conversion layer is located between the first counter electrode and the first pixel electrode. The second photoelectric converter includes a second counter electrode, a second pixel electrode, and a second photoelectric conversion layer. The second photoelectric conversion layer is located between the second counter electrode and the second pixel electrode. The electric-charge storage region is electrically connected to the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode.

An imaging apparatus includes a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, a first transistor, and a penetrating electrode. The photoelectric conversion layer is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and converts light into charges. The first transistor includes a first impurity region serving as one of a source and a drain, a second impurity region serving as the other of the source and the drain, and a first gate electrode. The penetrating electrode penetrates the substrate and electrically connects the first electrode to the first impurity region. The charges are accumulated in the first impurity region. A distance between the first impurity region and the penetrating electrode is longer in a plan view than a distance between the second impurity region and the penetrating electrode.

A photo-detecting apparatus is provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes: a substrate made by a first material or a first material-composite; an absorption layer made by a second material or a second material-composite, the absorption layer being supported by the substrate and the absorption layer including: a first surface; a second surface arranged between the first surface and the substrate; and a channel region having a dopant profile with a peak dopant concentration equal to or more than 1×10.sup.15 cm.sup.−3, wherein a distance between the first surface and a location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is less than a distance between the second surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration, and wherein the distance between the first surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is not less than 30 nm.

An operating method of an image sensor, including performing a first sampling operation corresponding to first illumination in at least one pixel; performing a second sampling operation corresponding to second illumination in the at least one pixel; and outputting a first pixel voltage corresponding to the first sampling operation, or outputting a second pixel voltage corresponding to the second sampling operation, in the at least one pixel.

A pixel array includes pixel cells disposed in semiconductor material. Each of the pixel cells includes photodiodes, and a floating diffusion to receive image charge from the photodiodes. A source follower is coupled to the floating diffusion to generate an image signal in response image charge from the photodiodes. Drain regions of first and second row select transistors are coupled to a source of the source follower. A common junction is disposed in the semiconductor material between gates of the first and second row select transistors such that the drains of the first and second row select transistors are shared and coupled together through the semiconductor material of the common junction. The pixel cells are organized into a rows and columns with bitlines.