Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090174800 | SHIFT REGISTER, AND SOLID STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND CAMERA USING SHIFT REGISTER - The present invention provides a solid state image sensor and a camera using such a solid state image sensor, in which all of stage registers of the shift register can be reset efficiently without increasing the number of pads and/or sensor pins. The solid state image sensor comprises a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements | 07-09-2009 |
20090237544 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor. | 09-24-2009 |
20090256937 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - There is provided a solid-state image pickup device comprising a plurality of pixel units, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, a signal line which reads out signals from said plurality of pixel units, a first capacitor element which has a first electrode connected to the signal line, an amplifier which has an input terminal connected to a second electrode of the first capacitor element, and a second capacitor element connected between the input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier, wherein the first capacitor element has a capacitance value which is smaller at the time of execution of an adding mode than at the time of execution of a non-adding mode, and thereby making an amplification factor of the amplifier smaller at the time of execution of the adding mode than at the time of execution of the non-adding mode. | 10-15-2009 |
20100296602 | SIGNAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - A signal transmission apparatus that transmits a 1-bit signal obtained by delta-sigma modulation is provided. In the signal transmission apparatus, a pseudo-random noise pattern having a data rate equal to that of the delta-sigma modulated 1-bit signal is generated, and the 1-bit signal is code-modulated using the generated pseudo-random noise pattern. The generated pseudo-random noise pattern and the code-modulated signal obtained through code modulation are transmitted via a transmission line. The transmitted code-modulated signal is demodulated using the transmitted pseudo-random noise pattern. | 11-25-2010 |
20120075512 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor. | 03-29-2012 |
20120119272 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state image sensor includes a pixel region and peripheral circuit region arranged on a semiconductor substrate. The pixel region includes pixels. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification MOS transistor that outputs a signal corresponding to charges of the photoelectric conversion element to a column signal line. The peripheral circuit region includes a circuit that drives the pixel or processes the signal output to the column signal line. A resistance of a source region of the amplification MOS transistor is lower than a resistance of a drain region of the amplification MOS transistor. | 05-17-2012 |
20130099291 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR - A solid-state imaging device includes a first and second pixel regions. In the first pixel region, a photoelectric conversion unit, a floating diffusion region (FD), and a transferring transistor are provided. In the second pixel region, an amplifying transistor, and a resetting transistor are provided. A first element isolation portion is provided in the first pixel region, while a second element isolation portion is provided in the second pixel region. An amount of protrusion of an insulating film into a semiconductor substrate in the first element isolation portion is smaller, than that in the second element isolation portion. | 04-25-2013 |
20130105871 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE | 05-02-2013 |
20140042507 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup apparatus includes a pixel portion in which pixels are arranged, the pixels each including a first semiconductor region of first conductivity type having signal charges as majority carriers and a second semiconductor region of second conductivity type having signal charges as minority carriers, the second semiconductor region being contiguous to the first semiconductor region, the first semiconductor region being disposed between a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The pixel portion includes a class I pixel and a class II pixel located near a reference contact. A distance between the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor region of the class I pixel is smaller than a distance between the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor region of the class II pixel. | 02-13-2014 |
20140085521 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, METHOD OF DRIVING IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion unit, an amplifying transistor, and a reset transistor. Each pixel is set into a selected state or a non-selected state according to a voltage supplied to an input node of an amplifying transistor via the reset transistor. A control unit controls the reset transistor to turn on or off by supplying a voltage to a control node of the reset transistor. More specifically, a first voltage is supplied to the control node of the reset transistor in the pixel at the selected state to control it in the off-state, and a second voltage is supplied to the control node of the reset transistor in the pixel at the non-selected state to control it to be in the off-state. | 03-27-2014 |
20150062367 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CAMERA - An image capturing apparatus, comprising a pixel array in a semiconductor region, a pad portion for receiving a voltage, a plurality of first power wiring patterns arranged on the pixel array along a first direction as one direction of a row direction and a column direction, a second power wiring pattern, arranged on a region outside the pixel array along a second direction as the other direction of the row direction and the column direction, for electrically connecting the plurality of first wiring patterns to the pad portion, and a plurality of contacts for electrically connecting the plurality of first power wiring patterns to the semiconductor region, wherein a resistance value of the second power wiring pattern in the second direction is smaller than a resistance value of the plurality of first power wiring patterns in the first direction. | 03-05-2015 |
20150076574 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR - A solid-state imaging device includes a first and second pixel regions. In the first pixel region, a photoelectric conversion unit, a floating diffusion region (FD), and a transferring transistor are provided. In the second pixel region, an amplifying transistor, and a resetting transistor are provided. A first element isolation portion is provided in the first pixel region, while a second element isolation portion is provided in the second pixel region. An amount of protrusion of an insulating film into a semiconductor substrate in the first element isolation portion is smaller, than that in the second element isolation portion. | 03-19-2015 |