Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kyb Corporation

Nec Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Masanori Ogura

Toru Koizumi

Tetsuya Itano

Hiroki Hiyama

Seiichiro Sakai

Akira Okita

Shin Kikuchi

Fumihiro Inui

Jun Iba

Masaru Fujimura

Hideo Kobayashi

Hideaki Takada

Tetsunobu Kochi

Katsuhito Sakurai

Tatsuya Ryoki

Takanori Watanabe

Daisuke Akagi

Atsushi Furubayashi

Tomoko Eguchi

Hidekazu Takahashi

Tatsuya Suzuki

Takanori Suzuki

Seiichirou Sakai

Takuya Hara

Shunsuke Inoue

Yukihiro Kuroda

Tomoya Yoneda

Shinichi Sekine

Keita Abe

Teruhiko Inoue

Kenji Isshin

Yuichiro Yamashita

Hiroaki Kameyama

Masashi Kitani

Satoshi Kato

Tomohisa Kinugasa

Makiko Saito

Satoshi Koizumi

Yoshiaki Miyamoto

Yasuo Tsuyuki

Masakazu Nakazato

Eiro Fujita

Yasushi Saito

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first pixel, a second pixel, and an offset adding circuit. The first pixel includes a first avalanche photodiode and a first count circuit. The first count circuit is configured to count a first signal that is based on the number of photons that have entered the first avalanche photodiode. The second pixel includes a second avalanche photodiode and a second count circuit. The second count circuit is configured to count a second signal that is based on the number of photons that have entered the second avalanche photodiode. The offset adding circuit is configured to set an offset value for each of the first count circuit and the second count circuit. The first count circuit starts a first counter operation from a first offset value. The second count circuit starts a second counter operation from a second offset value.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photoelectric conversion system, and moving body

A plurality of comparison circuits each including a first terminal for inputting a first analog signal and a second analog signal and a second terminal connected to a wiring for transmission of a ramp signal A first operation changes an electric potential of the wiring from a predetermined electric potential to a first electric potential to cause at least one of the plurality of comparison circuits to retain a first offset. A second operation, after the first operation, converts the first analog signal into a digital signal. A third operation, after the second operation, changes the electric potential of the wiring to an electric potential included in a range of from the predetermined electric potential to the first electric potential. A fourth operation, after the third operation, converts the second analog signal into a digital signal.

Driving method for AD conversion circuit, AD conversion circuit, photoelectric conversion device, and apparatus

A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a pixel array; a signal line; a processing circuit; a switch for controlling conduction between the signal line and an input node of the processing circuit; and a control unit. The control unit performs a first transition in which, after resetting of the processing circuit, the switch is transitioned to an OFF state and then, during a period after the floating diffusion is reset during which the pixel signals are read out of the pixels into the signal line, the switch is transitioned at least from the OFF state to an ON state; keeps the switch in the OFF state during a period during which the transfer transistor is performing the transfer; and performs a second transition in which, after the transfer, the switch is transitioned from the OFF state to the ON state.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus

An object of the present invention is to prevent a sensitivity difference between pixels. There are disposed plural unit cells each including plural photodiodes, plural transfer MOSFETs arranged corresponding to the plural photodiodes, respectively, and a common MOSFET which amplifies and outputs signals read from the plural photodiodes. Each pair within the unit cell, composed of the photodiode and the transfer MOSFET provided corresponding to the photodiode, has translational symmetry with respect to one another. Within the unit cell, there are included a reset MOSFET and selecting MOSFET.

Imaging device and imaging system

A photoelectric conversion device includes: a pixel region in which pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged, and micro-lenses corresponding to the pixels. The pixel region includes adjacent first and second regions, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region adjacent in a direction in which the first and second regions are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch, two pixels in the first region adjacent in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch, two pixels in the second region adjacent in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch, the second and third arrangement pitches are smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first regions and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent is smaller than the first arrangement pitch.

Photoelectric conversion device, method of manufacturing photoelectric conversion device, imaging system, and image reading apparatus

In a line sensor including color filters that are periodically disposed in a light-receiving-element row, a problem called a 'mixture of colors' occurs. A 'mixture of colors' occurs when light that has been transmitted through a color filter differing from a color filter corresponding to a light receiving element is incident upon the light receiving element. In a CMOS sensorincluding a light-receiving-element row in which a plurality of photodiodesare disposed side by side in a main scanning direction and a plurality of color filtersthat are disposed in correspondence with the plurality of photodiodes, the center of each color filteris displaced in a direction of the center of the light-receiving-element row from the center of the photodiodecorresponding to the color filter.

Line sensor, image reading device, and image forming apparatus

A photoelectric conversion element includes pixels that receive light and each generate charge in response to light incidence. The pixels include a first pixel that performs a first readout operation to read a reset signal and an optical signal and a second pixel on which a readout operation is performed at the same time as that of the first pixel and that performs selectively either the first readout operation or a second readout operation to read the reset signal. The photoelectric conversion element further includes, in association with each pixel, a first holding unit that holds the reset signal and the optical signal, and a first switch that controls writing to the first holding unit. A control line that controls the first switch associated with the first pixel and a control line that controls the first switch associated with the second pixel are formed of separate wirings.

Photoelectric conversion element and imaging device

An object of the present invention is to prevent a sensitivity difference between pixels. There are disposed plural unit cells each including plural photodiodes with plural transfer MOSFETs arranged respectively corresponding to the plural photodiodes, and a common MOSFET that amplifies and outputs signals read from the plural photodiodes. The unit cell includes reset and selecting MOSFETs. Within the unit cell, each pair of photodiode and corresponding transfer MOSFET has translational symmetry with respect to one another.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate including recessed portions and insulators disposed on the respective recessed portions. The semiconductor substrate includes a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor region that is of a conductivity type different from the first-conductivity-type and that is formed in the first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type third semiconductor region in contact with the second semiconductor region on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a first-conductivity-type fourth semiconductor region that includes the recessed portions. The second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region are surrounded by the fourth semiconductor region on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The insulators on the recessed portions extend through the fourth semiconductor region and are in contact with the first semiconductor region.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image-reading apparatus

An aspect of the disclosure relates to a semiconductor device including a semiconductor element, a connection terminal configured to output a signal based on an output of the semiconductor element, a protection circuit connected to the connection terminal, and a voltage limiting element connected to the connection terminal, wherein the protection circuit is connected to a first power supply line having a first potential and a second power supply line having a second potential lower than the first potential, and wherein a potential supplied to the voltage limiting element is higher than the second potential and lower than the first potential.

Semiconductor device, semiconductor system, and electronic apparatus

In a line sensor including color filters periodically disposed in a light-receiving-element row, a 'mixture of colors' problem occurs when light that has been transmitted through a color filter differing from a color filter corresponding to a light receiving element is incident upon the light receiving element. To prevent the 'mixture of colors' from occurring, in a CMOS sensorincluding a light-receiving-element row in which a plurality of photodiodesare disposed side by side in a main scanning direction and a plurality of color filtersthat are disposed in correspondence with the plurality of photodiodes, the center of each color filter, other than the center color filter that corresponds to the center photodiode of the light-receiving-element row, is displaced in a direction toward the center of the light-receiving-element row from the center of the photodiodecorresponding to the color filter.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array including pixels arranged in rows and columns, each of the pixels being configured to output a pixel signal, and including an optical filter and a photoelectric conversion unit, wherein the optical filters of different colors are arranged for each rows and each columns, a holding circuit including first holding units for each of the columns, the first holding units being configured to respectively hold the pixel signals read out from the pixels including the optical filters of different colors in one column of the pixel array in parallel, an output signal line, and a readout circuit configured to successively read out the pixel signals of pixels including the optical filters of the same color from the first holding units for each of the columns to the output signal line.

Photoelectric conversion device having a holding circuit with a plurality of holding units provided for each of a plurality of columns of pixels and method of driving photoelectric conversion device

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having one principle surface including recessed portions, and insulation bodies in the recessed portions. The semiconductor substrate includes photoelectric conversion elements each of which includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type which has at least a portion disposed nearer to the principle surface relative to the second semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region has a polarity of signal charge. The second semiconductor region is in contact with the first and third semiconductor regions. Signal charge paths are disposed between the recessed portions in a cross section perpendicular to the principle surface. At least one of the second and third semiconductor regions is positioned in directions of at least two of the signal charge paths.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image reading apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Masanori Ogura