Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Mediatek Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Kazuya Sasaki

Yasu Noguchi

A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a photoelectric converter having a predetermined dimension in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate; a first charge accumulator that is provided in the semiconductor substrate and accumulates a signal charge generated by the photoelectric converter; and a transfer gate including a first electrode section and a second electrode section, the first electrode section being embedded in the semiconductor substrate, having a first dimension in the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate, and being provided on a side of the photoelectric converter, and the second electrode section being selectively provided at a position closer to the first charge accumulator than the first electrode section and having a second dimension in the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate smaller than the first dimension.

Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus

A programmable digital black level calibration circuit comprises a combining circuit, a digital programmable gain amplifier (PGA), and a black level feedback circuit. The combining circuit combines a digital image signal for optical black (OB) pixels and a feedback signal and outputs a digital PGA input signal. The PGA amplifies the digital PGA input signal by a PGA gain value and outputs a digital PGA output signal. The black level feedback circuit receives the digital PGA output signal and a target black level and in response outputs the feedback signal such that a black level of the OB pixels is calibrated with respect to the target black level. The programmable digital black level calibration circuit calibrates the black level in pure digital domain using signed data buses. The target black level is adjustable to a desired positive or negative value independent from the PGA gain value.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Kazuya Sasaki