Eastman-kodak Company

Truesense Imaging, Inc.

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Antonio S Ciccarelli

Eric J Meisenzahl

Robert Michael Guidash

Herbert J Erhardt

Martin Potucek

Robert H Philbrick

A charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor includes multiple vertical charge-coupled device (VCCD) shift registers and independently-controllable gate electrodes disposed over the VCCD shift registers and arranged into physically separate and distinct sections that are non-continuous across the plurality of VCCD shift registers. The CCD image sensor can be configured to operate in two or more operating modes, including a full resolution charge multiplication mode.

Methods for producing image sensors having multi-purpose architectures

Methods for producing image sensors having multi-purpose architecture

Multi-purpose architecture for CCD image sensors

An Active Pixel Sensor with increased sensitivity by employing an improved buss structure reducing the number of signal lines used within the sensor and approaching the sensitivity of a CCD device while still retaining the advantages of an APS device. Fill factor and sensitivity of an APS device is increased by sharing signal busses between rows that are currently being read out and those that are to be read out next. This eliminates the need for a separate signal line contact area in each pixel, and uses the timing signal and buss for one row as another timing signal and buss for the next row.

Active pixel sensor with shared row timing signals

An image sensor package cover with an opaque epoxy silk-screened into it. This epoxy is patterned to the appropriate size, for a particular sensor, to form an integral light shield on the cover, while simultaneously covering to the package. This masks the internal light reflections as well as the prior art methods of using a separate light shield, but eliminates a separate component and the costly labor required to assemble such a product. Such a configuration can be applied to a linear or area type image sensor.

Image sensor cover with integral light shield

Packaging of high resolution linear solid state image sensors can result in a significant cost savings over conventional packaging processes, while adding several features. Cost reduction is accomplished by drastically reducing the cover glass size, eliminating the need for rounded corners as well as need for an epoxy ring on the cover glass, and integrating a wire bond light shield into the IC package. Additional cost savings are realized by eliminating the thermal cure cycle presently required to attach the cover glass, a process which can take several hours to completed. The invention replaces the conventional IC package with a two piece assembly. The bottom piece is a low profile plastic or ceramic IC package and the top piece is an inexpensive molded piece which serves as a cap with an integrated light shield aperture and cover glass holder.

Linear image sensor package assembly

A solid state image sensor architecture that utilizes drain structures at one or more locations on a shift register, as set by the design, allowing the user to select which charge packets are needed to represent the image and draining the remaining packets. Since the used packets are drained, there is no need to provide clock cycles to output charge packets that are not used while in the low resolution mode. Clocking can be stopped after the needed number of cycles without leaving charge packets in the shift register without the possibility of corrupting subsequent image information by charge packets that have not been removed. Additionally, the reduction in clock cycles decreases the time required to process the current information, and allows the system to operate at higher speeds.

Solid state image sensor with selectable resolution

A method for producing a low capacitance floating diffusion structure used for charge to voltage conversion in a solid state image sensor having an output amplifier provided with a gate electrode, comprising the steps of: (a) growing a gate oxide on a substrate of a given conductivity type; (b) forming the gate electrode for the output amplifier on the gate oxide and patterning the gate electrode so as to create an opening through it; (c) introducing through the opening a dopant of a conductivity type opposite to the given conductivity type so as to create a floating diffusion region in the substrate; and (d) creating an ohmic contact between the floating diffusion region and the gate electrode.

Low capacitance floating diffusion structure for a solid state image

Method of making a low capacitance floating diffusion structure for a

An image sensor having on a substrate of a first conductivity type an implanted region of a conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and an implanted region of the same conductivity type as the substrate, the image sensor comprising a plurality of depleted photosensitive regions in which electric charges are generated, an isolation region being formed between adjacent photosensitive regions to isolate the photosensitive regions from each other. Charge accumulation regions and transfer regions are also provided to transport the electric charges from the photosensitive regions to CCD shift registers. The isolation regions between two depleted photosensitive regions are formed of undepleted regions. The implanted region of the opposite conductivity type is of a smaller width throughout the photosensitive regions than throughout the charge accumulation regions and the transfer regions.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Antonio S Ciccarelli