Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Arizona State University

Oray Orkun Cellek

Duli Mao

Dajiang Yang

Gang Chen

Dyson Hsinchih Tai

Keiji Mabuchi

Xiangli Li

Chen-Wei Lu

Bill Phan

Zhiqiang Lin

Yin Qian

Sohei Manabe

Gennadiy A Agranov

Ming Zhang

Dyson Hsin-Chih Tai

Libo Weng

Xin Ru Wang

Hsin-Chih Tai

Xiaofeng Fan

Johannes Solhusvik

Sing-Chung Hu

Trygve Willassen

Regis Fan

Christopher Morgan Walker

QingFei Chen

Xia Li

Giovanni Gozzini

Vincent Venezia

Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost

Sunggu Kang

Boyd Fowler

Emanuele Mandelli

Steven E Molesa

Chih-Wei Hsiung

Dominic Massetti

Cunyu Yang

Lequn Liu

Yong-Hang Zhang

Jaein Choi

Gershon Rosenblum

Xiaofan Niu

Zachary Michael Beiley

Sandeep Chalasani

Zhenhong Fu

Siguang Ma

Ritu Raj Singh

Philip John Cizdziel

Bernhard Buettgen

John L Orlowski

Andras G Pattantyus-abraham

Hong Wei Lee

Kai Shen

Xianfu Cheng

Yuchuan Shao

Disclosed herein are global shutter image sensors and methods of operating such image sensors. An image sensor includes a semiconductor wafer having a light receiving surface opposite an electrical connection surface; an oxide extending from the light receiving surface toward the electrical connection surface and at least partially surrounding a pixel region; a photodiode disposed within the pixel region; and a set of storage nodes disposed under the photodiode, between the photodiode and the electrical connection surface. The set of storage nodes comprises a first storage node and a second storage node. The storage nodes may be disposed vertically beneath the photodiode, or side by side.

Dual embedded storage nodes and vertical transfer gates for pixels of global shutter image sensors

A sensor stack is described. The sensor stack includes first and second electromagnetic radiation sensors. The first electromagnetic radiation sensor has a high quantum efficiency for converting a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a first set of electrical signals. The second electromagnetic radiation sensor is positioned in a field of view of the first electromagnetic radiation sensor and has a high quantum efficiency for converting a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a second set of electrical signals and a low quantum efficiency for converting the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into the second set of electrical signals. The first range of wavelengths does not overlap the second range of wavelengths, and the second electromagnetic radiation sensor is at least partially transmissive to the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths.

Stacked electromagnetic radiation sensors for visible image sensing and infrared depth sensing, or for visible image sensing and infrared image sensing

A micro-light-emitting diode (LED) display includes a number of micro-LED pixel elements and multiple optical sensors integrated with the micro-LED pixel elements. A transparent conductor layer is disposed over the micro-LED pixel elements and optical sensors.

Embedded optical sensors in a micro-led display

Disclosed herein are cameras and image sensors, and electronic devices containing them, having pixel arrays operable both for obtaining images and detecting flicker in ambient light. For flicker detection, such as prior to image capture, light-generated current from a set of pixels of the pixel array is received at a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) that is formed in a common semiconductor substrate with the pixel array. An output signal of the TIA is digitized and signal processed to detect the flicker in the ambient light. Also disclosed are image sensors having pixel arrays with an embedded modulated light source. The modulated light source may be used for proximity detection, either by time-of-flight or intensity variation of reflected light.

Flicker and proximity detection in image sensors with embedded low power readout circuitry

Imaging apparatus () includes a photosensitive medium () and a bias electrode (), which is at least partially transparent, overlying the photosensitive medium. An array of pixel circuits () is formed on a semiconductor substrate (). Each pixel circuit includes a pixel electrode () coupled to collect the charge carriers from the photosensitive medium; a readout circuit () configured to output a signal indicative of a quantity of the charge carriers collected by the pixel electrode; a skimming gate () coupled between the pixel electrode and the readout circuit; and a shutter gate () coupled in parallel with the skimming gate between a node () in the pixel circuit and a sink site. The shutter gate and the skimming gate are opened sequentially in each of a sequence of image frames so as to apply a global shutter to the array and then to read out the collected charge carriers via the skimming gate to the readout circuit.

Hybrid image sensors with improved charge injection efficiency

A pixel array for use in a high dynamic range image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in the pixel array. Each one of the pixels includes a linear subpixel and a log subpixel disposed in a semiconductor material. The linear subpixel is coupled to generate a linear output signal having a linear response, and the log subpixel is coupled to generate a log output signal having a logarithmic response in response to the incident light. A bitline is coupled to the linear subpixel and to the log subpixel to receive the linear output signal and the log output signal. The bitline is one of a plurality of bitlines coupled to the plurality of pixels. Each one of the plurality of bitlines is coupled to a corresponding grouping of the plurality of pixels.

Linear-logarithmic image sensor

A method for manufacturing a high-dynamic-range color image sensor includes (a) depositing a color filter layer on a silicon substrate having a photosensitive pixel array with a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels, to form (i) a plurality of first color filters above a first subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels and (ii) a plurality of second color filters above a second subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels, wherein thickness of the second color filters exceeds thickness of the first color filters, and (b) depositing, on the color filter layer, a dynamic-range extending layer including grey filters above the second pixels to attenuate light propagating toward the second pixels, combined thickness of the color filter layer and the dynamic-range extending layer being uniform across the photosensitive pixel array.

Methods for high-dynamic-range color imaging

A liquid crystal display includes a display area and a border area at least partially surrounding the display area, where the display area displays images for viewing and the border area displays display-protection images, which are used to control ion migration in the liquid crystal layer. In a more particular embodiment, the border area displays a series of checkerboard pattern(s), where the checkerboard patterns can alternate between initial and inverted values. The display-protection images protect the liquid crystal display from migrating ions accumulating in particular regions of the pixel array and causing permanent defects in the display area. A liquid crystal display that includes a liquid crystal alignment layer having a plurality of liquid crystal alignment directions is also disclosed. The customized liquid crystal alignment director(s) over the border area promote ion migration away from the display area.

System and method for protecting a liquid crystal display by controlling ion migration

A single-exposure high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode, with a smaller full-well capacity than the first photodiode, disposed in a semiconductor material. The image sensor also includes a first floating diffusion disposed in the semiconductor material and a first transfer gate coupled to the first photodiode to transfer first image charge accumulated in the first photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor material and a second transfer gate is coupled to the second photodiode to transfer second image charge accumulated in the second photodiode into the second floating diffusion. An attenuation layer is disposed between the second photodiode and image light directed towards the single-exposure HDR image sensor to block a portion of the image light from reaching the second photodiode.

Single-exposure high dynamic range sensor

An alignment layer for a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display includes a nano-particle layer. In a particular embodiment the nano-particle layer includes a lower nano-layer and an upper nano-layer, each formed onto oxide layers of the LCOS display. In a more particular embodiment, the lower nano-layer and the upper nano-layer are offset printed onto the oxide layers.

Method to make LCOS oxide alignment layer by offset print

A method of manufacturing a fractal-edge thin film includes determining an area shape to be covered by the fractal-edge thin film. The method also includes generating a thin-film perimeter based upon the area shape, the thin-film perimeter having a fractal dimension exceeding one. The method also includes determining a photomask perimeter such that a photomask with the photomask perimeter, when used in a photolithography process, yields a fractal-edge thin film with the thin-film perimeter. The method may also include photolithographically etching a thin-film, the thin film having a photoresist layer disposed thereon, the photoresist layer having been exposed through the photomask, wherein the etching results in the fractal-edge thin film.

Fractal-edge thin film and method of manufacture

Imaging apparatus includes a photosensitive medium and a bias electrode, which is at least partially transparent, overlying the photosensitive medium. An array of pixel circuits is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel circuit includes a pixel electrode coupled to collect the charge carriers from the photosensitive medium; a readout circuit configured to output a signal indicative of a quantity of the charge carriers collected by the pixel electrode; a skimming gate coupled between the pixel electrode and the readout circuit; and a shutter gate coupled in parallel with the skimming gate between a node in the pixel circuit and a sink site. The shutter gate and the skimming gate are opened sequentially in each of a sequence of image frames so as to apply a global shutter to the array and then to read out the collected charge carriers via the skimming gate to the readout circuit.

An image sensor for detecting light-emitting diode (LED) without flickering includes a pixel array with pixels. Each pixel including subpixels including a first and a second subpixel, dual floating diffusion (DFD) transistor, and a capacitor coupled to the DFD transistor. First subpixel includes a first photosensitive element to acquire a first image charge, and a first transfer gate transistor to selectively transfer the first image charge from the first photosensitive element to a first floating diffusion (FD) node. Second subpixel includes a second photosensitive element to acquire a second image charge, and a second transfer gate transistor to selectively transfer the second image charge from the second photosensitive element to a second FD node. DFD transistor coupled to the first and the second FD nodes. Other embodiments are also described.

Systems and methods for detecting light-emitting diode without flickering

An image sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors that are identically sized and fabricated in semiconductor material with identical semiconductor processing conditions. The photodetectors are organized into virtual high-low sensitivity groupings, each including a first photodetector and a second photodetector. A plurality of attenuators is disposed over the semiconductor material. Each one of the plurality of attenuators is disposed along an optical path between a microlens and the first photodetector of each virtual high-low sensitivity grouping such that all incident light directed into the first photodetector is directed through a respective one of the plurality of attenuators. There is no attenuator along a second optical path between a microlens and the second photodetector of each virtual high-low sensitivity grouping such that all the incident light directed into the second photodetector is not directed through one of the plurality of attenuators.

High dynamic range image sensor with virtual high-low sensitivity pixels

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Oray Orkun Cellek