Sony Corporation

Apple Inc.

Nobuhiro Karasawa

Mitsuru Sato

Hideshi Abe

Yoshiaki Kitano

Hiroaki Ohki

Jun Kuroiwa

Ritsuo Takizawa

Kiyoshi Hirata

Mitsuru Yamashita

Katsunori Kokubun

Keiji Mabuchi

Xiaofeng Fan

Gennadiy A Agranov

Shin Iwabuchi

Cristiano L Niclass

Arnaud Laflaquiere

Shingo Mandai

Isao Hirota

Yoshikazu Nitta

Kouichi Harada

Yasushi Maruyama

Hideo Nomura

Hajime Takashima

Hiroyuki Terakago

Shunsuke Kameda

A back-illuminated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor includes a sensor wafer stacked vertically over a circuit wafer. The sensor wafer includes one or more SPAD regions, with each SPAD region including an anode gradient layer, a cathode region positioned adjacent to a front surface of the SPAD region, and an anode avalanche layer positioned over the cathode region. Each SPAD region is connected to a voltage supply and an output circuit in the circuit wafer through inter-wafer connectors. Deep trench isolation elements are used to provide electrical and optical isolation between SPAD regions.

Back-illuminated single-photon avalanche diode

Stacked backside illuminated SPAD array

In a case when a structure of forming a p+ layer on a substrate rear surface side is employed in order to prevent dark current generation from the silicon boundary surface, various problems occur. According to this invention, an insulation filmis provided on a rear surface on a silicon substrateand a transparent electrodeis further provided thereon, and by applying a negative voltage with respect to the potential of the silicon substratefrom a voltage supply sourceto the insulation filmthrough the transparent electrode, positive holes are accumulated on a silicon boundary surface of the substrate rear surface side and a structure equivalent to a state in which a positive hole accumulation layer exists on aforesaid silicon boundary surface is to be created. Thus, various problems in the related art can be avoided.

Solid-state imager device, drive method of solid-state imager device and camera apparatus

A solid-state imaging device includes pixel cells that are formed on a substrate having a first substrate surface side, on which light is irradiated, and a second substrate surface side, on which elements are formed, and separated by an adjacent cell group and an element separation layer for each of the pixel cells or with plural pixel cells as a unit. Each of the pixel cells has a first conductive well formed on the first substrate surface side and a second conductive well formed on the second substrate surface side. The first conductive well receives light from the first substrate surface side and has a photoelectric conversion function and a charge accumulation function for the received light. A transistor that detects accumulated charges in the first conductive well and has a threshold modulation function is formed in the second conductive well.

Solid-state imaging device and camera

A solid-state imaging device with a structure such that an electrode for reading a signal charge is provided on one side of a light-receiving sensor portion constituting a pixel; a predetermined voltage signal V is applied to a light-shielding film formed to cover an image pickup area except the light-receiving sensor portion; a second-conductivity-type semiconductor area is formed in the center on the surface of a first-conductivity-type semiconductor area constituting a photo-electric conversion area of the light-receiving sensor portion; and areas containing a lower impurity concentration than that of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor area is formed on the surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor area at the end on the side of the electrode and at the opposite end on the side of a pixel-separation area.

Solid-state imaging device

A charge detection device includes: a substrate having a first conductive type of predetermined region; a second conductive type of drain region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate; a second conductive type of source region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate; a second conductive type of channel region disposed between the drain region and the source region; a gate formed via an insulating film on the channel region; a second conductive type of charge accumulation region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate and changing a threshold voltage of a transistor having the drain region, the source region, and the gate by accumulating signal charges as a target to be measured; a first conductive type of channel barrier region disposed between the channel region and the charge accumulation region; and a charge sweep region sweeping away the signal charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region.

Charge detection device and charge detection method, solid-state imaging device and driving method thereof, and imaging device

A solid-state imaging apparatus including a plurality of sensors that are formed on a substrate on a pixel basis and photoelectrically convert the light incident from a first surface side of the substrate, and a readout circuit that is formed on a second surface side of the substrate, which is the opposite side to the first surface side, and processes a signal from the plurality of sensors. The readout circuit includes a plurality of transistors and the transistors are disposed in a region between the pixels in an aligned manner.

Solid-state imaging apparatus and camera

Solid-state imaging device and method for manufacturing thereof as well as driving method of solid-state imaging device

A solid-state imaging device having an electrode for reading a signal charge is provided on one side of a light-receiving sensor portion constituting a pixel; a predetermined voltage signal applied to a light-shielding film formed to cover an image pickup area except the light-receiving sensor portion; a second-conductivity-type semiconductor area formed in the center on the surface of a first-conductivity-type semiconductor area constituting a photo-electric conversion area of the light-receiving sensor portion; and areas containing a lower impurity concentration than that of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor area formed on the surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor area at the end on the side of the electrode and at the opposite end on the side of a pixel-separation area.

Solid-state imaging device and driving method of solid-state imaging device

Solid-state imaging device with biased light shielding film

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Nobuhiro Karasawa