Micron Technology Incorporated

Forza Silicon Corporation

California Institute of Technology

Aptina Imaging Corporation

Photobit Corporation

Schick Technologies, Inc.

Sirona Dental, Inc.

Barmak Mansoorian

Alexander I Krymski

Roger Panicacci

Eric R Fossum

Nikolai E Bock

Daniel A Van Blerkom

Sandor L Barna

Bedabrata Pain

Orly Yadid-Pecht

Steven Huang

Anders Andersson

Ramy Tantawy

Robert H Nixon

David B Schick

Stan Mandelkern

Loc Truong

David Estrada

Timothy J Shaw

Brita H Olson

Daniel vanBlerkom

Rami Tantawy

Abraham Kotlyar

Abe Kotlyar

Scott Yee

Daniel Van Blerkom

A system that has plural different photodetector circuits, each photodetector circuit including its own transfer gate, and each of the plural different photodetector circuits and transfer gates commonly connected to a first node. In amplifier is used which maintains a fixed voltage edits input. The amplifier Has a first capacitance to ground in a second capacitance as a feedback between its output and input. In one embodiment, there are 16 photodetector circuits connected to the single amplifier. In embodiments, the photodetector circuits can be located in one substrate while the amplifier is located in another substrate, and the amplifier also minimizes parasitics between the substrates.

Pinned charge transimpedance amplifier

The invention provides the art with novel image sensor pixel designs comprising stacked, pinned photodiodes. The stacked pinned photodiodes provide pixels with greatly increased dynamic range. The stacked pinned photodiodes also allow improved color discrimination for low light imaging, for example utilizing pixels with no overlaying color filter array.

Stacked photodiodes for extended dynamic range and low light color discrimination

An image sensor system has a first stitched image sensor part that has multiple image sensing pixels and pixel gates. The multiple pixel gates are connected together by a first line on the first stitched image sensor part, and said multiple pixel gates are controlled by a first control signal. A second stitched image sensor part also has multiple sensing pixels and pixel gates, and the multiple pixel gates are connected together by a second line on said second stitched image sensor part, and said multiple pixel gates on said second stitched image sensor part are controlled by the first control signal. A driver for the first control signal, wherein said driver includes a first part for controlling said multiple pixel gates of said first stitched image sensor part and said driver has a second part, also driven by the same first control signal, for controlling said multiple pixel gates of said second stitched image sensor part.

Stitched image sensor with multiple part drivers

An A/D converter system that has a ranging detector that receives and characterizes an input signal. The characterizing sets a coarse range selection based on a level of the input signal. A higher level input signal has a higher level ranging. An A/D converter includes a compression system that compresses based on the ranging output signal by converting different numbers of bits for different level ranging output signal. A higher level input signal is more higher compressed and produces a digital output indicative of the input signal, which is compressed by different amounts based on the ranging output signal. By scaling in this way, the resolution of the A/D converter is scaled on the basis of shot noise level of the image sensor.

Analog to digital converter with built-in data compression based on shot noise of image sensor

A successive approximation A/D converter which includes a sub ranging classifier that receives an input signal and classifies said input signal according to plural different highest resolution bits, to determine a range of the input signal, and creating a set of most significant bits based on said range, said subranging classifier also setting and determining an offset based on said range, and a successive approximation A/D converted that converting lowest resolution parts of the input signal as adjusted by the offset.

Segmented column-parallel analog-to-digital converter

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the speed at which pixel levels are read out and sampled for processing. A method of processing pixel levels includes clamping a pixel readout line to a voltage level less than a voltage corresponding to a signal sensed by an n-MOS pixel. Subsequently, the pixel readout line is coupled to an output of an n-MOS source-follower and the pixel signal is read out onto the pixel readout line through the n-MOS source-follower. The pixel signal that was read out is passed through a p-MOS source-follower to a processing circuit. Before passing the pixel signal through the p-MOS source-follower to the processing circuit, a capacitive storage node in the processing circuit is clamped to a voltage greater than a signal at an input to the p-MOS source-follower. Subsequently, an output of the p-MOS source-follower is coupled to the processing circuit, and a signal corresponding to the pixel signal is stored by the processing circuit. Similar techniques are provided for reading out and sampling p-MOS pixels.

High speed sampling of signals in active pixel sensors using buffer circuitry

Imaging sensors having dual-port for digital readout to pipeline readout processes of two different groups of pixels.

Semiconductor imaging sensor array devices with dual-port digital readout

An image sensor with an electronic neutral density filter. Each pixel of the image sensor is capable of being electronically adjusted such that the total charge integration is effectively changed by an amount of the adjustment. The adjustment uses a variable capacitor, here are paper wrapped are formed by an MOS transistor. The capacitor may be within each pixel, or may be shared between multiple pixels.

Electronic neutral density filter

High-speed sampling of signals in active pixel sensors

An electronic imaging sensor, which has an improved immunity to noise caused by unwanted x-rays, images an object by collecting charge carriers produced in the sensor when the object is exposed to x-rays. One or more shielding areas are formed proximate the sensor to capture or sweep away any undesirable charge carriers generated by the unwanted x-rays. The shielding areas extend deeper beneath the surface of the sensor than the depth at which the desired charge carriers corresponding to the object being imaged is collected. The shielding areas capture charge carriers formed by the unwanted x-rays, which penetrate into the sensor to a greater depth than the depth at which the. desired charge carriers are collected. In this way, the undesirable charge carriers are captured near the region where they are generated and before they migrate towards the surface where they can be collected and manifest as noise in the resulting image of the object.

Shielding an imaging array from X-ray noise

A CMOS imager includes an array of active pixel sensors, wherein each pixel is associated with a respective column in the array. The imager also includes multiple circuits for reading out values of pixels from the active sensor array. Each readout circuit can be associated with a respective pair of columns in the array and can include first and second sample-and-hold circuits. The first and second sample-and-hold circuits are associated, respectively, with first and second columns of pixels in the array. Each readout circuit also includes an operational amplifier-based charge sensing circuit that selectively provides an amplified differential output signal based on signals sampled either by the first sample-and-hold circuit or the second sample-and-hold circuit. The readout circuit also has an analog-to-digital converter for converting the differential output to a corresponding digital signal using a successive approximation technique. Use of the readout circuit can increase the parallel structure of the overall chip, thereby reducing the bandwidth which each readout circuit must be capable of handling.

Readout circuit with gain and analog-to-digital conversion for image sensor

Image sensor with CMOS output, an another circuit receiving input. The circuit operates like a transmission line, in current mode, with substantially zero voltage. The impedances are matched by setting bias currents.

High resolution CMOS circuit using a matched impedance output transmission line

Hardware circuit for median calculation in an active pixel sensor.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Barmak Mansoorian