Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jung Wook Lim

Eun Sub Shim

Kyung Ho Lee

Jung Bin Yun

Sung Ho Choi

Jung Hoon Park

Min Ji Jung

Sung Soo Choi

Sung-Ho Choi

Young Gu Jin

Doo Sik Seol

Dong Joo Yang

Seung Ki Jung

Joong Seok Park

Dong Suk Yoo

An image sensing device includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels, and a driving unit configured to drive each unit pixel of the plurality of unit pixels. Each unit pixel comprises: a first region including a first photodiode, a first floating diffusion region, and a second floating diffusion region, a second region including a second photodiode and a third floating diffusion region, and a floating diffusion (FD) connecting transistor connected to any one of the first floating diffusion region, the second floating diffusion region or the third floating diffusion region. The driving unit is configured to alternately perform a normal operation of individually operating the plurality of unit pixels, and a binning operation of grouping at least two unit pixels of the plurality of unit pixels and operating the at least two unit pixels simultaneously.

Image sensing device and automotive device

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor comprises a photodiode, a transmission transistor having a first end connected to the photodiode and a second end connected to a first node, a first switching transistor having a first end connected to the first node, a first capacitor having a first electrode connected to a second end of the first switching transistor, a second capacitor having a first electrode connected to the first node. A second electrode of the first capacitor is configured to receive a power voltage, and a second electrode of the second capacitor is configured to receive a boosting signal.

Image sensor

A unit pixel includes a first photoelectric conversion unit configured to generate first charges in response to a first incident light, a first transfer transistor connected between the first photoelectric conversion unit and a first node, a connecting transistor connected between a second node and the first node, a second photoelectric conversion unit configured to generate second charges in response to a second incident light, a second transfer transistor connected between a second photoelectric conversion unit and a third node, a switch transistor connected between the third node and the second node, a source follower connected to the first node, a selection transistor connected to the source follower, an overflow transistor connecting the first photoelectric conversion unit and a power supply voltage, and a comparator configured to turn on the overflow transistor.

Unit pixel and image sensor including the same

A unit pixel includes a first photoelectric converter, a first transfer transistor disposed between to the first photoelectric converter and a first node, a connection transistor disposed between and connected to a second node and the first node, a second transfer transistor disposed between and connected to a third node and the second node, a second photoelectric converter connected to the third node, and a storage metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor connected to the third node. The storage MOS capacitor stores charges from the second photoelectric converter. For a first time period, first charges accumulated in the first photoelectric converter are transferred to the first node, for a second time period, second charges accumulated in the first photoelectric converter are transferred to the first node and the second node, and for a third time period, third charges accumulated in the second photoelectric converter are transferred to the first to third nodes.

Unit pixel with photoelectric converters and storage MOS capacitor connected to photoelectric converter, image sensor, and vehicle

An image sensor with improved image quality is provided. An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels. Each of the unit pixels includes a first photoelectric converter configured to convert received light into charges, a first transfer transistor electrically connected between the first photoelectric converter and a first node, a connection transistor disposed connected to a second node and the first node, a dual conversion transistor electrically connected between a third node and the second node, a second transfer transistor electrically connected between a fourth node and the third node, a second photoelectric converter electrically connected to the fourth node and configured to convert the received light into charges, a first switch electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and the fourth node, a first capacitor electrically connected to the fourth node, and a electrically second capacitor connected to the third node.

Unit pixel, image sensor and vehicle

Image sensors are provided. The image sensors may include a substrate including first, second, third and fourth regions, a first photoelectric conversion element in the first region, a second photoelectric conversion element in the second region, a third photoelectric conversion element in the third region, a fourth photoelectric conversion element in the fourth region, a first microlens at least partially overlapping both the first and second photoelectric conversion elements, and a second microlens at least partially overlapping both the third and fourth photoelectric conversion elements. The image sensors may also include a floating diffusion region and first, second and third pixel transistors configured to perform different functions from each other. Each of the first, second and third pixel transistors may be disposed in at least one of first, second, third and fourth pixel regions. The first pixel transistor may include multiple first pixel transistors.

Image sensors

A semiconductor device including: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, wherein light is incident on the second surface; a pixel region formed in the substrate; a semiconductor photoelectric converter disposed in the pixel region and the substrate; one or more transistors disposed in the pixel region and at the first surface of the substrate, wherein the one or more transistors do not overlap the semiconductor photoelectric converter; and a separation pattern disposed in the pixel region and surrounding the one or more transistors.

Semiconductor image sensor including separate low-voltage and high-voltage regions

An image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion unit configured to receive light to generate an electric charge and provide the electric charge to a first node, a transfer transistor configured to provide a voltage level of the first node to a floating diffusion node in response to a first signal, a booster configured to increase a voltage level of the floating diffusion node in response to a second signal, a source follower transistor configured to provide the voltage level of the floating diffusion node to a second node, and a selection transistor configured to provide a voltage level of the second node to a pixel output terminal in response to a third signal. After the selection transistor is turned on, the booster is enabled, and before the transfer transistor is turned on, the booster is disabled.

Image sensor with reduced noise

An image sensor includes a photoelectric converter to generate charges in response to incident light and to provide the generated charges to a first node, a transfer transistor to provide a voltage of the first node to a floating diffusion node based on a first control signal, a source follower transistor to provide a voltage of the floating diffusion node as a unit pixel output, a correlated double sampler (CDS) to receive the unit pixel output and to convert the unit pixel output into a digital code. The first control signal having first, second, and third voltages is maintained at the second voltage in a period between when the voltage of the first node is provided to the floating diffusion node and when the CDS is provided with the voltage of the first node as the unit pixel output.

Growing community of inventors

Gunpo-si, South Korea

Jung Wook Lim