A TDI sensor which is capable of controlling the exposure according to the present disclosure includes a pixel unit which includes a plurality of line sensors; a light blocking unit which blocks light from being incident into some of the plurality of line sensors; a scan controller which generates an exposure control signal based on an external line trigger signal, generates an internal line trigger signal based on the external line trigger signal and the exposure control signal, and controls the movement of charges of the plurality of line sensors based on the internal line trigger signal.

Techniques, systems, architectures, and methods for amplifying the time difference between events detected on a focal plane array, allowing greater resolution than that afforded by a reference clock are herein disclosed.

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.

Provided is a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of achieving both of a high dynamic range operation and an auto focus operation in a pixel configuration in which a plurality of unit pixels includes two or more subpixels. The solid-state imaging device includes a first pixel separation region that separates a plurality of unit pixels including two or more subpixels, a second pixel separation region that separates each of the plurality of unit pixels separated by the first pixel separation region and an overflow region that causes signal charges accumulated in the subpixels to overflow to at least one of adjacent subpixels, in which the overflow region is formed between a first subpixel and a second subpixel.

Disclosed is a CMOS image sensor with global shutters and a method for fabricating the CMOS image sensor. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device, includes: a light-sensing region; a charge-storage region; a light-shielding structure; and at least one via contact; wherein the charge-storage region is spatially configured adjacent to the light-sensing region in a lateral direction, wherein the light-shielding structure is configured over the charge-storage region in a vertical direction so as to prevent incident light leaking from the light-sensing region to the signal-processing region, wherein the light-shielding structure is configured in an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer, and wherein the light-shielding structure is simultaneously formed with the at least one via contact.

To provide a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of achieving both of a high dynamic range operation and an auto focus operation in a pixel configuration in which a plurality of unit pixels includes two or more subpixels. There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: a first pixel separation region that separates a plurality of unit pixels including two or more subpixels; a second pixel separation region that separates each of the plurality of unit pixels separated by the first pixel separation region; and an overflow region that causes signal charges accumulated in the subpixels to overflow to at least one of adjacent subpixels, in which the overflow region is formed between a first subpixel and a second subpixel.

Provided is a photosensor including a light receiving part generating electric charge according to incident light, a charge transfer gate configured to transfer the electric charge generated in the light receiving part, and a signal generation unit configured to generate a charge transfer signal applied to the charge transfer gate, in which the signal generation unit generates the charge transfer signal so that the charge transfer gate is brought into a charge transfer state in a first time range of a first period belonging to an n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) frame and the charge transfer gate is brought into a charge transfer state in a second time range of a second period belonging to an m-th (m is an integer of 1 or more different from n) frame.

Provided is a photosensor including a light receiving part generating electric charge according to incident light, a charge transfer gate configured to transfer the electric charge generated in the light receiving part, and a signal generation unit configured to generate a charge transfer signal applied to the charge transfer gate, in which the signal generation unit generates the charge transfer signal so that the charge transfer gate is brought into a charge transfer state in a first time range of a first period belonging to an n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) frame and the charge transfer gate is brought into a charge transfer state in a second time range of a second period belonging to an m-th (m is an integer of 1 or more different from n) frame.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device capable of receiving light entering a gap between pixel regions of imaging units by the pixel region when a plurality of imaging units is arranged, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. A CMOS image sensor includes a pixel region formed of a plurality of pixels. A convex lens is provided for each of a plurality of CMOS image sensors. A plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on a supporting substrate. The present disclosure is applicable to a solid-state imaging device and the like in which a plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on the supporting substrate, for example.

Real-time autofocus. In an embodiment, a scanning apparatus includes an imaging sensor, a focusing sensor, an objective lens, and processor(s) configured to analyze image data captured by the imaging and focusing sensors, and move the objective lens. Real-time autofocus during scanning of a sample is achieved by determining a true-Z value for the objective lens for a point on a sample and for each of a plurality of regions on the sample. The true-Z values and/or surfaces calculated therefrom are used to determine a predicted-Z value for an unscanned region of the sample. The objective lens is adjusted to the predicted-Z value at the beginning of the unscanned region. After scanning the region, a true-Z value is determined for the region and compared to the predicted-Z value. A rescan of the region is initiated if the comparison exceeds a predetermined threshold.