Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Eunsub Shim

Kyungho Lee

Masato Fujita

Jungbin Yun

Hongsuk Lee

Sungsoo Choi

Hwanwoong Kim

Sanghyuck Moon

Taehan Kim

JungChak Ahn

Bumsuk Kim

Yunki Lee

Seyoung Kim

Wonseok Lee

Younggu Jin

Changhyun Park

Seungki Jung

Jungchak Ahn

An image sensor including: a first layer including a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a plurality of pixel regions in a first substrate, an optical region disposed on an upper surface of the first substrate, and an element region, wherein, in at least one of the plurality of pixel regions, the element region includes a first impurity region, a first transfer gate disposed between the first impurity region and the photodiode, a second impurity region isolated from the first impurity region, and a second transfer gate disposed between the second impurity region and the photodiode: and a second layer including a second substrate stacked with the first layer, wherein the second layer includes a first transistor connected to the first impurity region by a first contact, and a second transistor connected to the second impurity region by a second contact.

Image sensor

An image sensor and an operating method of the image sensor may include a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; a controller configured to generate a pre-shutter driving signal associated with a pre-shutter operation, the pre-shutter driving signal generated before a first shutter operation and a first read operation corresponding to photographing a first frame is performed; a row driver configured to drive first control signals to the pixel array based on the pre-shutter driving signal, the first control signals associated with the pre-shutter operation; and the pixel array is configured to perform the pre-shutter operation in response to the first control signals, wherein levels of the first control signals correspond to levels of second control signals, the second control signals associated with the first read operation.

Image sensor and operating method thereof

An image sensor may include a first shared pixel region and a first isolation layer on a substrate, the first isolation layer defining the first shared pixel region. The first shared pixel region may include photo-sensing devices in sub-pixel regions and a first floating diffusion region connected to the photo-sensing devices. The sub-pixel regions may include a first sub-pixel region and a second sub-pixel region that constitute a first pixel group region. The sub-pixel regions may include a third sub-pixel region and a fourth sub-pixel region that constitute a second pixel group region. The first shared pixel region may include first and second well regions doped with first conductivity type impurities. The second well region may be spaced apart from the first well region. The first pixel group region may share a first well region. The second pixel group region may share the second well region.

Image sensor including shared pixels

An image sensor includes a pixel array, an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, and an image signal processor. A pixel of the pixel array generates a first analog signal based on a quantity of charge accumulated during a first exposure time and generate a second analog signal based on a quantity of charge accumulated during a shorter second exposure time. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit may generate a first digital signal based on the first analog signal and a first ramp signal and may generate a second digital signal based on the second analog signal and a second ramp signal. The image signal processor may generate image data based on the first and second digital signals. The first ramp signal may be different from the second ramp signal in terms of at least one of a ramping time or a ramping start voltage level.

Image sensor, method of operating the image sensor, and image processing device

An image sensor includes: photodiodes arranged in a substrate; active pillars connected to the photodiodes and extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the substrate; at least two transistors stacked in the vertical direction, wherein portions of the active pillars are channel areas of the at least two transistors; a floating diffusion (FD) area disposed under a transfer transistor, which is one of the at least two transistors, wherein the FD area is configured to receive charge from the photodiode through the transfer transistor and the portions of the active pillars; and a light transmitting layer disposed on a top surface of the substrate.

Image sensor including a transistor with a vertical channel and a method of manufacturing the same

An image sensor includes a first photodiode group, a second photodiode group, a first transfer transistor group, a second transfer transistor group, a floating diffusion region of a substrate in which electric charges generated in the first photodiode group are stored, and a power supply node for applying a power supply voltage to the second photodiode group. A barrier voltage is applied to at least one transfer transistor of the second transfer transistor group. The power supply voltage allows electric charges, generated in the second photodiode group, to migrate to the power supply node, and the barrier voltage forms a potential barrier between the second photodiode group and the floating diffusion region.

An image sensor includes a pixel array including pixels, wherein each pixel includes at least one photodiode generating electrical charge and a pixel circuit providing a pixel signal based on the electrical charge. The images sensor also includes a logic circuit configured to generate an image based on the pixel signal, wherein the pixel circuit includes a parallel-connected first reset transistor and second reset transistor, and the logic circuit determines whether the second reset transistor is turned ON/OFF based on a level of incident light received by the at least one photodiode during an exposure time period.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. A semiconductor pattern is disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and it extends in a first direction perpendicular to the first surface. A buried transmission gate electrode is disposed in a transmission gate trench extending from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate to an interior of the semiconductor substrate. A first gate electrode at least partially surrounds a side wall of the semiconductor pattern and has a ring-shaped horizontal cross-section. A color filter is disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Image sensor having a gate electrode on a semiconductor pattern side wall

An image sensor operating in multiple resolution modes including a low resolution mode and a high resolution mode includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels comprises a micro-lens, a first subpixel including a first photodiode, a second subpixel including a second photodiode, and the first subpixel and the second subpixel are adjacently disposed and share a floating diffusion region. The image sensor also includes a row driver providing control signals to the pixel array to control performing of an auto focus (AF) function, such that performing the AF function includes performing the AF function according to pixel units in the high resolution mode and performing the AF function according to pixel group units in the low resolution mode. A resolution corresponding to the low resolution mode is equal to or less than ¼ times a resolution corresponding to the high resolution mode.

Image sensor with pixels including photodiodes sharing floating diffusion region

An image sensor includes a pixel array including first pixels and second pixels, each of the first and second pixels including photodiodes, a sampling circuit detecting a reset voltage and a pixel voltage from the first and second pixels and generating an analog signal, an analog-to-digital converter image data from the analog signal, and a signal processing circuit generating an image using the image data. Each of the first pixels includes a first conductivity-type well separating the photodiodes and having impurities of a first conductivity-type. The photodiodes have impurities of a second conductivity-type different from the first conductivity-type. Each of the second pixels includes a second conductivity-type well separating the photodiodes and having impurities of the second conductivity-type different from the first conductivity-type. A potential level of the second conductivity-type well is higher than a potential level of the first conductivity-type well.

An image sensor includes: a first pixel connected to a column line; and a second pixel connected to the column line. Each of the first pixel and the second pixel includes: one photodiode; a first floating diffusion region; a second floating diffusion region; one first transistor connected between the one photodiode and the first floating diffusion region; a second transistor connected between the first floating diffusion region and the second floating diffusion region; a third transistor connected to the second floating diffusion region; a fourth transistor including a gate connected to the first floating diffusion region; and a fifth transistor including a drain connected to a source of the fourth transistor and a source connected to the column line. The second floating diffusion region of the first pixel and the second floating diffusion region of the second pixel are electrically connected without an intermediate transistor.

Image sensor controlling a conversion gain, imaging device having the same, and method of operating the same

An image sensor according to an example embodiment include a plurality of image pixel groups, a plurality of auto focusing (AF) pixel groups, a first transmission control signal line connected to a first pixel of each of the plurality of image pixel groups, a second transmission control signal line connected to a second pixel of each of the plurality of image pixel groups, a third transmission control signal line connected to a first pixel of each of the plurality of AF pixel groups, and a fourth transmission control signal line connected to a second pixel of each of the plurality of AF pixel groups, wherein the fourth transmission control signal line is electrically separated from the first to the third transmission control signal line, and the each of the plurality of image pixel group and the plurality of AF pixel groups are disposed below a single microlens.

Image sensor including plurality of auto focusing pixel groups

Provided is an image sensor including a first pixel including a first floating diffusion region and a second floating diffusion region, a second pixel including a first floating diffusion region, a second floating diffusion region, and a third floating diffusion region, a third pixel including a first floating diffusion region and a second floating diffusion region, and a fourth pixel including a first floating diffusion region, a second floating diffusion region, and a third floating diffusion region, wherein the second floating diffusion region of the first pixel and the second floating diffusion region of the second pixel are connected through a first metal line, and wherein the third floating diffusion region of the second pixel and the third floating diffusion region of the third pixel are connected through a second metal.

An image sensor including: a pixel array including pixels each pixel including a photoelectric conversion element, a transmission transistor to transmit photocharges generated by the photoelectric conversion element to a floating diffusion node, and a reset transistor to reset the floating diffusion node based on a pixel power voltage; and a row driver to control the pixels, wherein the row driver includes a transmission control signal generator to provide a transmission control signal to the transmission transistor, wherein the transmission control signal generator includes: a first transistor to which a first voltage is applied; a second transistor connected to the first transistor; a third transistor to which a second voltage is applied, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage; and a fourth transistor connected to the third transistor, wherein an ON resistance of the second transistor is different from an ON resistance of the first transistor.

Growing community of inventors

Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Eunsub Shim