Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120211643 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging system includes an A/D converter including a holding unit holding a pixel signal as a voltage level, a comparator comparing the voltage level held with a reference level, a circuit capable of changing the voltage level so as to approach the reference level at first and second rates, wherein the voltage level is changed at the first rate to determine higher bits in accordance with inversion of a relationship between the reference level and the voltage level, after that, the voltage level is changed at the second rate to determine lower bits in accordance with inversion of the relationship between the reference level and the voltage level, and an adjusting unit which adjusts the voltage level during a period until the voltage level is changed at the second rate after determination of the higher bits so that the lower bits and the voltage level hold a linear relationship. | 08-23-2012 |
20120248293 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel region including photoelectric conversion units, FDs, and transfer transistors, reset transistors, amplifier transistors, and a reference voltage supply line used to supply reference voltages to the photoelectric conversion units. In the device, the pixel region and the reference voltage supply line are disposed on a first semiconductor substrate, and at least the reset transistors or the amplifier transistors are disposed on a second semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, power supply lines used to supply voltages to the reference voltage supply line are disposed on the second semiconductor substrate. The device further includes second electric connection units which electrically connect the reference voltage supply line to the power supply line. The first electric connection units are disposed in the pixel region whereas the second electric connection units are disposed outside the pixel region. | 10-04-2012 |
20120267690 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device. The device includes a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer gate electrode configured to transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion element, a second substrate having a peripheral circuit portion including a circuit configured to read a signal based charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element, the first and second substrates being laminated. The device further includes a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the first substrate, including an aluminum interconnect and a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the second substrate, including a copper interconnect. | 10-25-2012 |
20120286138 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device is configured such that an effective pixel and a reference pixel are connected to first and second signal lines, respectively. The solid-state imaging device includes a difference signal output unit configured to perform difference processing on a signal output from a first amplifying transistor included in the effective pixel and a signal output from a second amplifying transistor included in the reference pixel. The difference signal output unit is provided separately from the first and second amplifying transistors. | 11-15-2012 |
20120286139 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device has a configuration for selecting from a plurality of reference pixels at least one reference pixel for outputting a reference signal. | 11-15-2012 |
20120286140 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - Dark current from a transfer transistor is suppressed and power-supply voltage in a second semiconductor substrate is lowered. A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel array, a plurality of common output lines receiving signals read out from a plurality of pixels, a transfer scanning unit sequentially driving the plurality of transfer transistors, a signal processing unit processing the signals output to the common signal lines, and a level shift unit making amplitude of a pulse supplied to a gate of the transfer transistor larger than amplitude of a pulse supplied to a gate of a transistor constituting the signal processing unit. The pixel array and the level shift unit are arranged on a first semiconductor substrate, whereas the plurality of common output lines and the signal processing unit are arranged on a second semiconductor substrate. | 11-15-2012 |
20130088628 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of readout circuits provided in each column of the plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, configured to read out for each column a signal of the plurality of pixels, a plurality of comparison units configured to compare a signal output from the plurality of readout circuits with a reference signal whose level changes with time, a counter configured to perform a count operation from when the level of the reference signal starts to change, first and second buffers each configured to buffer a count value of the counter, and a plurality of storing units connected to the plurality of comparison units, configured to store a count value of the counter when a magnitude relation between a signal output from the plurality of the readout circuits and the reference signal is inverted. | 04-11-2013 |
20130105663 | MEMBER FOR SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE | 05-02-2013 |
20130175652 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - In a solid-state imaging device, a photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor, and at least a part of electric charge holding unit, among pixel constituent elements, are disposed on a first semiconductor substrate. An amplifying transistor, a signal processing circuit other than a reset transistor, and a plurality of common output lines, to which signals are read out from a plurality of pixels, are disposed on a second semiconductor substrate. | 07-11-2013 |
20130207825 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - A solid-state image sensing device comprises a pixel which outputs a pixel signal, a first conversion unit which converts the pixel signal into a digital signal with a first bit length, and a second conversion unit which converts, into a digital signal with a second bit length, an analog signal obtained by subtracting, from the pixel signal, an analog signal corresponding to the digital signal with the first bit length. The second conversion unit comprises a current source, a first capacitance, and a switching unit for switching a supply destination of a current supplied from the current source to one of the first capacitance and a reference potential. The second conversion unit performs the conversion based on comparison between a reference voltage and the analog signal which is charged in the first capacitance and is obtained as a subtraction result. | 08-15-2013 |
20130242151 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising an imaging unit and a conversion unit, including a first processing unit and a second processing unit, for converting an analog signal output from the imaging unit into a digital signal, wherein the first processing unit generates a higher-order bit of a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal, and the second processing unit, to which a clock signal having a first edge and a second edge is supplied, starts charging a capacitor and ends the charging in response to an elapse of a predetermined time since the first edge of the clock signal supplied immediately after the charging has started, and then generates a lower-order bit of the digital signal. | 09-19-2013 |
20140014817 | IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor comprises a pixel portion formed by arraying pixels including photoelectric conversion portions in a matrix, a plurality of A/D converters which are provided in a one-to-one correspondence to pixel columns of the pixel portion, an adding unit which adds pixel signals from a plurality of pixel columns to each other, and a connecting portion capable of inputting, to an arbitrary A/D converter, a sum signal obtained by adding the pixel signals by the adding unit. | 01-16-2014 |
20140092286 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE, IMAGING SYSTEM, PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE TESTING METHOD, AND IMAGING SYSTEM MANUFACTURING METHOD - A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of blocks including a plurality of pairs, each of the pairs including a comparator provided correspondingly with a column in the pixel array and a memory provided correspondingly with the comparator, and a block information supply unit configured to supply block information which indicates a location of a block, to the plurality of memories included in the blocks. | 04-03-2014 |
20150036032 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - Column signal processing units are provided in correspondence with respective columns of a pixel array. The column signal processing unit includes a sample-and-hold unit configured to hold an analog signal output from a pixel, a buffer unit configured to buffer the signal held in the sample-and-hold unit, and an AD conversion unit. The AD conversion unit converts the signal held by the sample-and-hold unit and buffered by the buffer unit into a digital signal. | 02-05-2015 |
20150077607 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel section in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, a column signal line configured to output a pixel signal from the pixel section, a column amplifier circuit configured to invert and amplify the pixel signal, a bypass circuit configured to bypass the column amplifier circuit, an AD converter, and a control unit configured to change an operation mode of the AD converter in accordance with the operation of the bypass circuit. | 03-19-2015 |