Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Moosup Lim

Youngchan Kim

Younggu Jin

Taesub Jung

Yonghun Kwon

HyungJin Bae

Youngsun Oh

Seungho Shin

Junghoon Park

Jiwon Lee

Younghwan Park

JungChak Ahn

Eunji Park

Han Soo Lee

Taechan Kim

Haewon Lee

Minseok Oh

Kang-sun Lee

Haekyung Kong

Kangsun Lee

Sangjoo Lee

Dongjoo Yang

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, a first photodiode located in a first region of the substrate and generating photocharges from light incident on the first region, a second photodiode located in a second region of the substrate and generating photocharges from light incident on the second region, and an isolation structure defining the first region in which the first photodiode is located and the second region in which the second photodiode is located, and extending between the first photodiode and the second photodiode. An area of the second region is smaller than an area of the first region, a first end of the isolation structure is coplanar with the second surface, and the isolation structure extends in a vertical direction from the second surface of the substrate toward the first surface of the substrate.

Image sensor

An image sensor includes a plurality of first photodiodes included in a first area of a unit pixel, and configured to generate electric charges, a second photodiode included in a second area of the unit pixel, and configured to generate electric charges, a first microlens disposed above the first area, a second microlens disposed above the second area, a first floating diffusion region included in the first area, a second floating diffusion region included in the second area, a plurality of first transfer transistors configured to provide the electric charges generated by the plurality of first photodiodes to the first floating diffusion region, and a second transfer transistor configured to provide the electric charges generated by the second photodiode to the second floating diffusion region. A sum of light-receiving areas of the plurality of first photodiodes is greater than a light-receiving area of the second photodiode.

A depth sensor includes a first pixel including a plurality of first photo transistors each receiving a first photo gate signal, a second pixel including a plurality of second photo transistors each receiving a second photo gate signal, a third pixel including a plurality of third photo transistors each receiving a third photo gate signal, a fourth pixel including a plurality of fourth photo transistors each receiving a fourth photo gate signal, and a photoelectric conversion element shared by first to fourth photo transistors of the plurality of first to fourth photo transistors.

Image sensor comprising entangled pixel

An image sensor including a pixel that includes: a first photodiode; a second photodiode having a larger light-receiving area than the first photodiode; a first floating diffusion node accumulating charges of the first photodiode; a second floating diffusion node accumulating charges of the second photodiode; a capacitor accumulating charges overflowing from the first photodiode; a first switch transistor having a first end connected to the first floating diffusion node and a second end connected to the capacitor; and a driving transistor configured to convert the accumulated charges into a pixel signal, the first switch transistor is turned on in a low conversion gain (LCG) mode of a readout section of the first photodiode, and is turned off in a high conversion gain (HCG) mode of the readout section of the first photodiode, and the readout circuit generates image data based on pixel signals from the first and second sections.

According to at least some example embodiments of the inventive concepts, a sensor includes a pixel array including a pixel configured to generate a first pixel signal and a second pixel signal, based on a light sensed during a window time of a sensing time; processing circuitry configured to select a measuring range from among a plurality of measuring ranges and set a width of the window time based on the selected measuring range; a converting circuit configured to convert the first and second pixel signals into digital signals; and a driving circuit configured to generate an overflow control signal, a first photo gate signal, and a second photo gate signal so as to sense the light during the window time, wherein the pixel includes, a photoelectric conversion element, first and second readout circuits configured to receive charges, and an overflow transistor configured to remove charges.

Sensor operating based on measuring range of depth and sensing system including the same

An image sensor includes a polarizer array and a depth pixel array. The polarizer array may include first to fourth unit pixels, which are arranged in a first direction and a second direction crossing each other, and may include polarization gratings respectively provided in the first to fourth unit pixels. The polarization gratings of the first to fourth unit pixels may have polarization directions different from each other. The depth pixel array may include depth pixels corresponding to the first to fourth unit pixels, respectively. Each of the depth pixels may include a photoelectric conversion device and first and second readout circuits, which are connected in common to the photoelectric conversion device.

Image sensor including particular readout circuit arrangement

An image sensor includes a separation impurity layer in a semiconductor layer and defining a photoelectric conversion region and a readout circuit region, a photoelectric conversion layer in the semiconductor layer of the photoelectric conversion region and surrounded by the separation impurity layer, a floating diffusion region spaced apart from the photoelectric conversion layer and in the semiconductor layer of the photoelectric conversion region, a transfer gate electrode between the photoelectric conversion layer and the floating diffusion region, and impurity regions in the semiconductor layer of the readout circuit region. When the photoelectric conversion layer is integrated with photo-charges, the separation impurity layer has a first potential level around the photoelectric conversion layer and a second potential level on a portion between the photoelectric conversion layer and the impurity regions of the readout circuit region. The second potential level is greater than the first potential level.

Image sensors having a separation impurity layer

An image sensor is provided which includes a plurality of unit pixels, ones of which are configured to convert an input light signal into at least four frame signals. The image sensor also includes a signal processor that is configured to measure a distance from an object based on the at least four frame signals from one of the plurality of unit pixels.

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Yongin-si, South Korea

Moosup Lim