Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Sony Corporation

Hirotaka Murakami

Sozo Yokogawa

Yoshiaki Inada

Yasuaki Hisamatsu

Hiroyuki Iwaki

Mikinori Ito

Yoshikazu Nitta

Eric Scott Bohannon

Katsuhiko Hanzawa

Kazumasa Nishimura

Christopher Urban

Pude Mark

Christopher Moule Eric

An imaging device includes a photodetector and an optical filter disposed on a light-receiving surface of the photodetector. The optical filter may include a diffraction grating, a core layer, and a reflector disposed on first and second opposing sides of the core layer. In some cases, the optical filter (e.g., a GMR filter) uses interference of electromagnetic waves on an incidence plane of light or a plane parallel to the incidence plane. The reflector may reflect electromagnetic waves between adjacent optical filters. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an image sensor provided with a GMR filter, such as a back-side-illuminated or front-side-illuminated CMOS image sensor.

Optical filters and associated imaging devices

A solid-state image capturing element includes a pair of first floating diffusion layers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined direction and a pair of second floating diffusion layers arranged in the perpendicular direction and adjacent to the pair of first floating diffusion layers in the predetermined direction. The element includes a first connection circuit configured to select at least one of the pair of first floating diffusion layers and to connect the selected first floating diffusion layer to a predetermined first wire; a second connection circuit configured to select at least one of the pair of second floating diffusion layers and to connect the selected second floating diffusion layer to the first wire; and an output circuit configured to output a signal according to an amount of charge of at least one of the pair of first floating diffusion layers or the pair of second floating diffusion layers.

Solid-state image capturing element with floating diffusion layers processing a signal undergoing pixel addition

An image sensor and pixel circuit therefor includes a photoelectric conversion device; an amplifier including a first input terminal connected to the photoelectric conversion device, and an output terminal; a capacitor disposed between the first input terminal and the output terminal; and a reset switch network disposed between the first input terminal and the output terminal in parallel with the capacitor, the reset switch network including at least a first reset transistor, a second reset transistor, and a third reset transistor.

CTIA image sensor pixel

An imaging device includes a photodetector and an optical filter disposed on a light-receiving surface of the photodetector. The optical filter may include a diffraction grating, a core layer, and a reflector disposed on first and second opposing sides of the core layer. In some cases, the optical filter (e.g., a guided mode resonance ('GMR') filter) uses interference of electromagnetic waves on an incidence plane of light or a plane parallel to the incidence plane. The reflector may reflect electromagnetic waves between adjacent optical filters. In some cases, the imaging device is a back-side-illuminated or front-side-illuminated CMOS or CCD image sensor.

A solid-state imaging device having an analog-digital converter, and an analog-digital conversion method are described herein. An example of a solid-state imaging device comprises a bit inconsistency prevention section configured to prevent bit inconsistency between output of a low-level bit latch section and a high-level bit counting section.

A/D converter, A/D conversion method, solid-state imaging element and camera system

A solid-state imaging device having an analog-digital converter, and an analog-digital conversion method are described herein. An example of a solid-state imaging device includes a bit inconsistency prevention section configured to prevent bit inconsistency between output of a low-level bit latch section and a high-level bit counting section.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hirotaka Murakami