Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080258190 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A solid-state image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel has a photodiode, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The photodiode is constituted by a first-conductivity-type semiconductor region and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor region. The first and second conductivity types are opposite to each other. The first transistor has a first-conductivity-type drain region formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region to transfer signal charge to the drain region. The second transistor has a source region and a drain region which are formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region and which have the first conductivity type. At least one second-conductivity-type potential barrier is provided under the drain region of the first transistor and the source region and/or the drain region of the second transistor. | 10-23-2008 |
20100002117 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A photoelectric conversion device in which at least a first metal wiring layer and a second metal wiring layer are arranged on a semiconductor substrate in an order named, the semiconductor substrate comprises a pixel region where a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a matrix, each pixel including at least a photoelectric conversion portions and an amplification transistor, wherein the second metal wiring layer includes power supply lines each configured to supply a power supply voltage to the amplification transistors of at least two pixel columns, and wherein the amplification transistor of a pixel column having no power supply line receives the power supply voltage from the power supply line via the first metal wiring layer. | 01-07-2010 |
20100187581 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A solid-state image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel has a photodiode, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The photodiode is constituted by a first-conductivity-type semiconductor region and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor region. The first and second conductivity types are opposite to each other. The first transistor has a first-conductivity-type drain region formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region to transfer signal charge to the drain region. The second transistor has a source region and a drain region which are formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region and which have the first conductivity type. At least one second-conductivity-type potential barrier is provided under the drain region of the first transistor and the source region and/or the drain region of the second transistor. | 07-29-2010 |
20100194946 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND CAMERA - The invention provides a solid-state image pickup apparatus which comprises a pixel area in which pixels each having at least a photoelectric conversion unit and an amplification transistor for amplifying and outputting a signal of the photoelectric conversion unit are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal and vertical directions, wherein a power supply wiring, which extends in a vertical direction along pixel boundaries of horizontal and vertical directions while meandering, is arranged on one of two pixel lines adjoining to each other in the horizontal direction in the pixel area, and the power supply wiring is connected to one of a source and a drain of the amplification transistor on each of the two pixel lines. Thus, it is possible to provide a high-sensitivity and high-image-quality amplified solid-state image pickup apparatus in which a difference of sensitivities at one-line intervals is small. | 08-05-2010 |
20100321518 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A solid-state image pickup device including a photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion, and an element isolation region that are disposed above a first semiconductor region has a second semiconductor region of a first conductivity type disposed on the first semiconductor region. An interface between the first semiconductor region and a portion of the second semiconductor region corresponding to the photoelectric conversion element is located at a first depth, whereas the interface between the first semiconductor region and a portion of the second semiconductor region disposed under the element isolation region and the floating diffusion is located at a second depth smaller than the first depth. | 12-23-2010 |
20110013065 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR - For inhibiting blooming, a solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a photoelectric conversion unit for generating and accumulating an electric charge according to an incident light; a floating diffusion for accumulating electric charges; a transfer transistor for transferring electric charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the floating diffusion unit; a reset transistor for resetting a voltage according to electric charges accumulated in the floating diffusion unit; and a drive circuit for intermittently applying to a gate of the transfer transistor a pulse having a first potential which is intermediate between a transfer potential for transferring electric charges and a non-transfer potential for disabling transfer of electric charges and applying to a gate of the reset transistor a second potential lower than the potential of the pulse for resetting voltage of the floating diffusion unit and higher than the first potential, during accumulation of electric charges in the photoelectric conversion unit. | 01-20-2011 |
20110019052 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion device comprises an isolation portion defining an active region, a photoelectric converter arranged in the active region and including a charge accumulation region containing an impurity of a first conductivity type, a photoelectric converter arranged in the active region, a transfer electrode arranged on the active region and configured to form a channel to transfer charges generated by the photoelectric converter to the charge voltage converter, a first semiconductor region arranged in the active region between the photoelectric converter and the charge voltage converter, the first semiconductor region being covered with the transfer electrode and containing the impurity of the first conductivity type at a concentration lower than that in the charge accumulation region; and a second semiconductor region extending in the active region along an interface of the isolation portion facing at least the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region being of a second conductivity. | 01-27-2011 |
20120154650 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND CAMERA - A solid-state image sensor includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type that is arranged to contact a lower face of the first semiconductor region and functions as a charge accumulation region, a third semiconductor region including side faces surrounded by the second semiconductor region, a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type that is arranged apart from the second semiconductor region, and a transfer gate that forms a channel to transfer charges accumulated in the second semiconductor region to the fourth semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is one of a semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and a semiconductor region of the second conductivity type whose impurity concentration is lower than that in the second semiconductor region. | 06-21-2012 |
20120196429 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method includes: exposing a photoresist coated on the semiconductor substrate using a photomask including a plurality of regions having different light transmittances; developing the photoresist to form a resist pattern including a plurality of regions having different thicknesses that depend on an exposure amount of the photoresist; and implanting impurity ions into the semiconductor substrate through the plurality of regions of the resist pattern having different thicknesses to form a plurality of impurity regions whose depths from a surface of the semiconductor substrate to peak positions are different from each other. The depths to the peak positions depend on the thickness of the resist pattern through which the implanted impurity ions pass. | 08-02-2012 |
20120199725 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT, AND PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A light condensing member focuses light, which is incident upon a first area of the light condensing member corresponding to an opening portion of an insulation film, in an upper portion region of a light path member arranged within the opening portion, the insulation film having an upper face extending from the opening portion, and the light path member having a lower face in a region corresponding to a light receiving face of an photoelectric conversion portion. | 08-09-2012 |
20120200728 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion apparatus at least includes an insulating film, a plurality of high-refractive-index members provided so as to correspond respectively to individual photoelectric conversion portions, being surrounded by the insulating film and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and a high-refractive-index film provided on the insulating film so as to connect the plurality of high-refractive-index members to one another and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and lens portions lying next to each other from among a plurality of lens portions border each other. | 08-09-2012 |
20120200751 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens. | 08-09-2012 |
20130056619 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND DRIVE METHOD THEREFOR - A solid-state image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. For the convenience sake, among the plurality of pixels, two pixels from which signals are not read in parallel are set to be a first pixel and a second pixel. A first reset transistor is disposed in an electrical path between a first reset power supply line and the control electrode of an amplifying transistor contained in the first pixel. A second reset transistor is disposed in an electrical path between the control electrode of the amplifying transistor contained in the first pixel and the control electrode of an amplifying transistor contained in the second pixel. A third reset transistor is disposed in an electrical path between the control electrode of the amplifying transistor contained in the second pixel and a second reset power supply line. | 03-07-2013 |
20130089945 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR - A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor having photoelectric conversion elements and one or more MOS transistors are formed on a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method includes forming a resist pattern having an opening and a shielding portion over the substrate; and implanting ions in the substrate through the opening. When the substrate is viewed from a direction, an isolation region that is positioned between accumulation regions adjacent to one another is exposed in the opening, and when viewed from a different direction, a channel region of the MOS transistors is exposed in the opening, and the isolation region is shielded by the shielding portion. Ions irradiated in the direction are implanted in the isolation region, and ions irradiated in the different direction are implanted in the channel region. | 04-11-2013 |
20130113024 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A solid-state image pickup device including a photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion, and an element isolation region that are disposed above a first semiconductor region has a second semiconductor region of a first conductivity type disposed on the first semiconductor region. An interface between the first semiconductor region and a portion of the second semiconductor region corresponding to the photoelectric conversion element is located at a first depth, whereas the interface between the first semiconductor region and a portion of the second semiconductor region disposed under the element isolation region and the floating diffusion is located at a second depth smaller than the first depth. | 05-09-2013 |
20130203208 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A solid-state image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel has a photodiode, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The photodiode is constituted by a first-conductivity-type semiconductor region and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor region. The first and second conductivity types are opposite to each other. The first transistor has a first-conductivity-type drain region formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region to transfer signal charge to the drain region. The second transistor has a source region and a drain region which are formed in the second-conductivity-type semiconductor region and which have the first conductivity type. At least one second-conductivity-type potential barrier is provided under the drain region of the first transistor and the source region and/or the drain region of the second transistor. | 08-08-2013 |
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 |
20140118602 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising a substrate having a first face and a second face opposing each other, and in which photoelectric conversion portions are formed, an optical system including microlenses provided on a side of the first face, and light absorbing portions provided on a side of the second face, wherein the apparatus has pixels of first type for detecting light of a first wavelength and second type for detecting light of a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength, and the apparatus further comprises a first portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each first type pixel, and a second portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each second type pixel, and the first portion has a reflectance higher than that of the second portion for the light of the first wavelength. | 05-01-2014 |
20140306309 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens. | 10-16-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080252764 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion apparatus is disclosed. A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel array in which pixels including photoelectric conversion units are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, a plurality of first column signal lines which are electrically connected to the pixels arrayed in the pixel array in the column direction, respectively, a plurality of column amplification units which amplify signals provided via the plurality of the first column signal lines, respectively, a power supply line which provides a power supply voltage to the plurality of column amplification units, and a plurality of second column signal lines which are electrically connected to output sides of the plurality of column amplification units, respectively. Each column amplification unit includes a current limiting unit which limits the flow of an excessive current to each of the plurality of second column signal lines. | 10-16-2008 |
20090200449 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion device comprises: a clipping unit including a MOS transistor which has a source connected to a signal line and a drain being connected to a power supply, and the clipping unit clipping an electric potential of the signal line to an electric potential corresponding to an electric potential of the source; a holding capacitance which has a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode being connected to a gate of the MOS transistor, and the holding capacitance holding at least a voltage transferred to the signal line while the charge-voltage converter has been reset; and a shift unit which shifts an electric potential of the second electrode in a direction such that the electric potential of the second electrode comes close to a level to be transferred to the signal line while the charge-voltage converter has been reset. | 08-13-2009 |
20090231478 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes a voltage supply circuit configured to supply a voltage to load MOS transistors provided to vertical output lines and columnar signal-processing circuits. The voltage supply circuit includes a first amplifier circuit configured to amplify a predetermined voltage supplied to an input part thereof from a voltage generator and to output an amplified voltage to a voltage supply wire, and a sample-and-hold circuit including a sampling switch provided on a path between the voltage generator and the input part and a hold capacitor configured to hold the voltage sampled by the sampling switch. | 09-17-2009 |
20090244340 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - There is provided an image pickup device, including a photoelectric conversion element converting light into charges, a transfer gate for transferring the converted charges to a floating node, a source follower transistor for outputting a signal based on a voltage of the floating node to a signal line, and a clip circuit clipping the signal line at a first voltage and a second voltage. | 10-01-2009 |
20120092540 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes a voltage supply circuit configured to supply a voltage to load MOS transistors provided to vertical output lines and columnar signal-processing circuits. The voltage supply circuit includes a first amplifier circuit configured to amplify a predetermined voltage supplied to an input part thereof from a voltage generator and to output an amplified voltage to a voltage supply wire, and a sample-and-hold circuit including a sampling switch provided on a path between the voltage generator and the input part and a hold capacitor configured to hold the voltage sampled by the sampling switch. | 04-19-2012 |
20120194724 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - There is provided an image pickup device, including a photoelectric conversion element converting light into charges, a transfer gate for transferring the converted charges to a floating node, a source follower transistor for outputting a signal based on a voltage of the floating node to a signal line, and a clip circuit clipping the signal line at a first voltage and a second voltage. | 08-02-2012 |