Apple Inc.

Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

QingFei Chen

Gennadiy A Agranov

Xiangli Li

Oray Orkun Cellek

Qingwei Shan

Han Lei Lock

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

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.

A reduced random telegraph signal (RTS)-noise CMOS image sensor includes a pixel and a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit electrically connected to the pixel. The CDS circuit is characterized by a CDS period that includes a reference sample period and an image data sample period. The image sensor also includes a bitline, a bitline connection switch between the pixel and a readout circuit connected to the pixel, and a bitline switch controller. The bitline transmits a transfer gate signal as a bitline signal having a non-zero value during a first time period entirely between the reference sample period and the image data sample period. The bitline switch controller is electrically connected to and configured to control the bitline connection switch such that the bitline connection switch is closed during the entire CDS period except for a single continuous open period that includes the first time period.

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QingFei Chen