Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jungbin Yun

Kyungho Lee

Eunsub Shim

Hongsuk Lee

Hwanwoong Kim

Seungjoon Lee

Junghyung Pyo

Younghwan Park

Jihun Kim

Masato Fujita

Sungsoo Choi

Wooseok Choi

Sanghyuck Moon

Jeongjin Cho

Jueun Park

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including first and second pixel groups, each of which includes unit pixels arranged in 4×4 array, each of the unit pixels including a photodiode provided, and the first and second pixel groups being alternately disposed in multiple directions; a logic circuit configured to acquire pixel signals from the unit pixels; first microlenses provided on corresponding unit pixels in the first pixel groups; and second microlenses provided on four corresponding unit pixels of the unit pixels included in the second pixel groups. Each of the first and second pixel groups includes a device isolation layer provided between the unit pixels, and a color filter provided on the first surface, and each of the second pixel groups includes an overflow region configured to move electrical charges between adjacent photodiodes.

Image sensor comprising a pixel array including first pixel groups and second pixel groups with corresponding microlenses of different sizes for autofocusing

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

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.

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

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixel groups, each of the plurality of pixel groups including a plurality of unit pixels and sharing a single microlens, the plurality of unit pixels in each of the plurality of pixel groups including color filters of the same color, and a control logic configured to group the plurality of unit pixels of each of the plurality of pixel groups into a plurality of subgroups and to drive the pixel array for each subgroup. The plurality of subgroups include a first subgroup and a second subgroup. The control logic may be configured to obtain first image data corresponding to the first subgroup and second image data corresponding to the second subgroup, and the first subgroup and the second subgroup are provided with at least one unit pixel therebetween in the first direction or the second direction.

Image sensors

An image sensor includes a photodiode generating a charge in response to light, a transfer transistor connecting the photodiode and a floating diffusion, a reset transistor connected between the floating diffusion and a power node, a boosting capacitor connected to the floating diffusion, and adjusting a capacity of the floating diffusion in response to a boosting control signal, and a bias circuit having first and second current circuits for supplying different bias currents to an output node to which a voltage signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in the floating diffusion is output. The boosting control signal decreases from a high level to a low level after the transfer transistor is turned off, and the reset transistor is switched from a turned on state to a turned off state when the bias currents of the first and second current circuits are simultaneously provided to the output node.

Image sensor using a boosting capacitor and a negative bias voltage

A pixel group of an image sensor includes first through fourth unit pixels in a matrix form of two pixels rows and two pixel columns, and a common floating diffusion region in a semiconductor substrate at a center of the pixel group and shared by the first through fourth unit pixels. Each of the first through fourth unit pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element in the semiconductor substrate, and a pair of vertical transfer gates in the semiconductor substrate and extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The pair of vertical transfer gates transfer photo charges collected by the photoelectric conversion element to the common floating diffusion region. Image quality is enhanced by increasing sensing sensitivity of the unit pixel through the shared structure of the floating diffusion region and the symmetric structure of the vertical transfer gates.

Pixel group and pixel array of image sensor

An image sensor includes first conductive patterns on a first surface of a substrate, and second conductive patterns between the first conductive patterns and the first surface, in which at least one of the first conductive patterns or the second conductive patterns includes a time constant adjustment pattern and neighboring conductive patterns, in which the time constant adjustment pattern extends in a first direction that is parallel to the first surface and the neighboring conductive patterns extend in the first direction and are most adjacent to the time constant adjustment pattern. The time constant adjustment pattern includes one or more time constant adjustment portions that protrude in a second direction that is parallel to the first surface and is perpendicular to the first direction, and the one or more time constant adjustment portions do not overlap the neighboring conductive patterns in the second direction.

A light sensing circuit and an image sensor are provided. The image sensor includes a first pixel unit including a plurality of first photodiodes and a first driving circuit to generate a first pixel signal based on an amount of charges stored in the plurality of first photodiodes, a second pixel unit including a plurality of second photodiodes and a second driving circuit to generate a second pixel signal based on an amount of charges stored in the plurality of second photodiodes, and a switching circuit connected to the first driving circuit through a first diffusion node and connected to the second driving circuit through a second diffusion node. The switching circuit connects or disconnects the first diffusion node and the second diffusion node based on a mode selection signal.

Growing community of inventors

Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Jungbin Yun