Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuhiro Morimoto

Junji Iwata

Hiroshi Sekine

Hajime Ikeda

Mahito Shinohara

Yu Maehashi

Yasuharu Ota

Masahiro Kobayashi

Fumihiro Inui

Yukihiro Kuroda

Taro Kato

Yoshiyuki Hayashi

Kazunari Kawabata

Wataru Endo

Ayman Tarek Abdelghafar

Hiroyuki Tsuchiya

Aymantarek Abdelghafar

Ayman Abdelghafar Tarek

Daiki Shirahige

An avalanche photodiode has a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, the first semiconductor region being a region where charges having the same polarity as that of signal charges are treated as majority carriers. A separator provided between a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element has a trench structure. A top surface of the trench structure is positioned between a top surface of the second semiconductor region and a bottom surface of the second semiconductor region.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photoelectric conversion system, and moving object

A system includes a light source configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a photodetection unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units arranged in a two-dimensional plane, wherein an emission timing of the light source and a detection timing of the photodetection unit are controlled by a timing control unit, wherein the photodetection unit detects scattered light on the two-dimensional plane, of the pulsed laser light emitted from the light source and entering an object, and wherein change of a refractive index of the object is estimated from change of light speed of the scattered light.

Photodetection system

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor layer having an avalanche photodiode, and a wiring structure electrically connected to the semiconductor layer. In a plan view, the photoelectric conversion apparatus comprises a pixel region including the avalanche photodiode, and a peripheral region located between the pixel region and an outer edge of the photoelectric conversion apparatus. A third wiring layer is located between a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer. The first wiring layer includes, in the peripheral region, a first conductive part for transmitting an anode potential of the avalanche photodiode. The second wiring layer includes, in the peripheral region, a second conductive part for transmitting a second potential different from the anode potential. The first conductive part and the second conductive part overlap in the plan view.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and photoelectric conversion system

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first semiconductor layer having a photoelectric conversion element, a second semiconductor layer including circuitry for processing a signal based on a charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion element, a first wiring structure electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer, a second wiring structure electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer, and a coupling part that couples the first wiring structure to the second wiring structure. In a plan view, the apparatus includes a pixel region having the photoelectric conversion element, and a peripheral region located between the pixel region and an outer edge of the photoelectric conversion apparatus. The first wiring structure includes, in the peripheral region, a first conductive part having a mesh-shaped part. The first conductive part is connected to a pad facing outside the photoelectric conversion apparatus.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion unit, a light value holding unit that holds light values based on signal charges generated during a first exposure period and a second exposure period having at least one of start timing and end timing different from that of the first exposure period, a comparison unit that compares the light value based on the signal charge generated during the first exposure period with the light value based on the signal charge generated during the second exposure period, and a control unit that sets a third exposure period and a fourth exposure period having at least one of the start timing and end timing different from that of the third exposure period on the basis of a comparison result of the comparison unit. The third and fourth exposure periods are less than at least one of the first and second exposure periods.

Photoelectric conversion device and photoelectric conversion system

A photoelectric conversion device includes a connecting portion that electrically connects a contact plug of anode wiring and the second semiconductor region of the isolation portion. The connecting portion includes a third semiconductor region of the second conducting type that is connected to the contact plug of the anode wiring, and a fourth semiconductor region of the second conducting type that is disposed between the third semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. The impurity concentration of the third semiconductor region is higher than the impurity concentration of the second semiconductor region and the impurity concentration of the fourth semiconductor region is lower than the impurity concentration of the third semiconductor region. With respect to a direction in which the APDs are arrayed, the width of the isolation portion is smaller than the width of the connecting portion.

Photoelectric conversion device, photoelectric conversion system, and equipment

An apparatus includes a plurality, of avalanche diodes disposed in a layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the plurality of avalanche diodes each includes a first region of first conductivity type located at a first depth, a second region of second conductivity type located at a second depth greater than the first depth with respect to the second surface, and a third region of the second conductivity type located at a third depth greater than the second depth with respect to the second surface, wherein the layer includes a plurality of structures disposed in the first surface, and wherein the plurality of structures has an effective period less than hc/E(h: Planck's constant [J·s], c: speed of light [m/s], and E: a band gap of a substrate [J].

Photoelectric conversion apparatus

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of avalanche photodiodes. Each of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes includes an avalanche multiplication unit formed by a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type that is arranged at a first depth, and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type and which is arranged at a second depth deeper than the first depth. A fourth semiconductor region at least one of a conductivity type and an impurity concentration of which is different from those of a third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type is arranged at a position shallower than the third semiconductor region, and a depth of a boundary portion between the third semiconductor region and the fourth semiconductor region is deeper than that of the avalanche multiplication unit.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of avalanche diodes and a light shielding portion. The plurality of avalanche diodes is disposed in a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface. The light shielding portion has an opening. The light shielding portion covers at least part of the first surface. Each of the plurality of avalanche diodes includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type disposed at a first depth, and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type disposed at a second depth deeper than the first depth with respect to the second surface. The semiconductor layer includes a plurality of uneven structures provided on the first surface. In a planar view from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the second semiconductor region overlaps the light shielding portion, and the first semiconductor region is included in the opening.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus having avalanche diodes, system and movable body

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photodiode, a generation circuit, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The photodiode is configured to perform avalanche multiplication. The generation circuit is configured to generate a control signal. The first control circuit is configured to be controlled by the control signal to be in a standby state where the avalanche multiplication by the photodiode is possible and in a recharging state for returning the photodiode having performed the avalanche multiplication to the standby state. The second control circuit is configured to count a number of periods in which the avalanche multiplication has occurred among a plurality of periods of the standby state by using the control signal and a signal corresponding to an output of the photodiode.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, imaging system, movable object, and semiconductor substrate

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first substrate including a plurality of avalanche photodiodes, a second substrate including a plurality of pixel circuits, and a third substrate including a signal processing circuit, wherein the second substrate and the third substrate are stacked in such a manner that a third wiring structure is disposed between two semiconductor layers included in the second substrate and the third substrate, with a first through wire penetrating through the semiconductor layer included in the third substrate is disposed.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photoelectric conversion system, and movable body

A processing apparatus includes a first storage unit for storing first array data that is based on output values of a plurality of pixels arranged in an array, a second storage unit having second array data stored therein to be used for correction of the output values from the plurality of pixels, and a correction unit including a calculation unit that corrects an output value of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels based on the first array data and the second array data.

Processing apparatus and photoelectric conversion system

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: a first substrate including an avalanche photodiode; and a second substrate, in which the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on each other, and further includes: a temperature detection unit arranged in at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and having an output characteristic depending on a temperature; and a temperature value generating circuit arranged outside the first substrate and configured to convert output from the temperature detection unit into a temperature value signal that is a signal indicating temperature information.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photo-detection system, and movable body

A photoelectric conversion device includes a circuit provided between an avalanche photodiode and a power source, a counter configured to count an output signal output from the avalanche photodiode, and a memory into which time information indicating that a count value of the counter has reached a threshold value within a predetermined exposure period shorter than an exposure time is written, wherein a clock signal is configured to be input to the circuit in the exposure period.

Photoelectric conversion device and photoelectric conversion system with expanded dynamic range

Photoelectric conversion device and photoelectric conversion system comprising a control unit to set a third exposure period and a.fourth exposure period on a basis of light value comparison based on signal charge during first and second exposure periods

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Tokyo, Japan

Kazuhiro Morimoto