Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Taesub Jung

Kyungho Lee

Bumsuk Kim

Jung-Saeng Kim

Masato Fujita

Doosik Seol

Kyungduck Lee

Min Hee Jang

Youngchan Kim

Younggu Jin

Jonghoon Park

Changrok Moon

Hyukjin Jung

Dongmin Keum

Yun Ki Lee

Moosup Lim

Yonghun Kwon

Hyuncheol Kim

Jihun Kim

Junghyung Pyo

Bomi Kim

Jeongjin Cho

Jungwook Lim

Hwanwoong Kim

Jueun Park

Seungki Jung

Kazunori Kakehi

Youjin Jeong

Seungki Baek

An image sensor includes: (1) a substrate having first and second surfaces opposing each other in a first direction and a plurality of unit pixels, (2) first and second photodiodes disposed in the substrate in each of the plurality of unit pixels and isolated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, (3) a first device isolation film disposed between the plurality of unit pixels, and (4) a pixel internal isolation film disposed in at least one of the plurality of unit pixels. A second device isolation film overlaps at least one of the first and second photodiodes in the first direction. A pair of third device isolation films: (a) extend from the first device isolation film into the unit pixel in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and (b) oppose each other.

Image sensor

Provided is an image sensor including a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces disposed opposite to the first surface, a pixel separation structure disposed in the semiconductor substrate and defining and surrounding a pixel region, first and second photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate on the pixel region, a first transfer gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and between the first photoelectric conversion region and a first floating diffusion region, a second transfer gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and between the second photoelectric conversion region and a second floating diffusion region, a pixel gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and overlapping one of the first and second photoelectric conversion regions, and impurity regions disposed on opposite sides of the pixel gate electrode.

Image sensor with pixel separation structure

An image sensor includes a pixel array and a logic circuit. The pixel array includes a pixel isolation layer between a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of pixels include a pixel circuit below at least one photodiode. The logic circuit acquires a pixel signal from the plurality of pixels. The pixel array includes at least one autofocusing pixel, which includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode, a pixel internal isolation layer between the first and second photodiodes, and a microlens on the first and second photodiodes. The pixel internal isolation layer includes a first pixel internal isolation layer and a second pixel internal isolation layer, separated from each other in a first direction, perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, and the first pixel internal isolation layer and the second pixel internal isolation layer include different materials.

A method of operating an image sensor includes accumulating first charges through a photo diode, applying a first transfer gate signal having a first voltage level to a transfer transistor, performing, through a reset transistor, a first reset operation on a floating diffusion node connected with the reset transistor and the transfer transistor, changing the first voltage level of the first transfer gate signal to a second voltage level higher than the first voltage level, during the first reset operation, changing the second voltage level of the first transfer gate signal to a third voltage level higher than the second voltage level, and changing the third voltage level of the first transfer gate signal to the second voltage level.

Image sensor using transfer gate signal having three voltage levels, and method of operating the same

Image sensors are provided. The image sensors may include a plurality of unit pixels and a color filter array on the plurality of unit pixels. The color filter array may include a color filter unit including four color filters that are arranged in a two-by-two array, and the color filter unit may include two yellow color filters, a cyan color filter, and one of a red color filter or a green color filter.

Image sensors

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a first pixel region and a second pixel region located within a semiconductor substrate, a first isolation layer surrounding the first pixel region and the second pixel region, a second isolation layer located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region, and a microlens arranged on the first pixel region and the second pixel region. Each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region include a photoelectric conversion device. The second isolation layer includes at least one first open region that exposes a portion of an area located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region.

An image sensor includes a substrate having first and second surfaces, pixel regions arranged in a direction parallel to the first surface, first and second photodiodes isolated from each other in each of the pixel regions, a first device isolation film between the pixel regions, a pair of second device isolation films between the first and second photodiodes and extending from the first device isolation film, a doped layer adjacent to the pair of second device isolation films and extending from the second surface to a predetermined depth and spaced apart from the first surface, the doped layer being isolated from the first device isolation film, and a barrier area between the pair of second device isolation films and having a potential greater than a potential of a portion of the substrate adjacent to the barrier area.

Image sensor and method of manufacturing the same

An image sensor including: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels and a row driver configured to drive the pixel array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes at least one photodiode, a transmission transistor, a selection transistor, a device isolation structure, and a bulk area, and the row driver is configured to adjust, for each of preset periods, sizes and application timings of a negative voltage applied to the device isolation structure and a bulk control voltage applied to the bulk area while a first pixel is driven.

Image sensor, a pixel and an operating method of the image sensor

An image sensor includes; a pixel array including pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the pixels includes a first normal pixel and a first auto focus (AF) pixel adjacent in the first direction, and a second AF pixel and a second normal pixel adjacent in the first direction. Each of the first AF pixel and the second AF pixel includes at least two photodiodes, each of the first normal pixel and the second normal pixel has a quadrangular shape, a first length of the first AF pixel in the first direction is greater than a first length of the first normal pixel in the first direction, and a first length of the second AF pixel in the first direction is greater than a first length of the second normal pixel in the first direction.

Image sensor including auto-focus pixels

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 includes: a pixel array including pixels and reference pixels; an analog sensing circuit configured to sense signals from the pixels and the reference pixels; and a digital logic circuit configured to receive the sensed signals from the analog sensing circuit and configured to compensate signals corresponding to the pixels from among the sensed signals by using signals corresponding to the reference pixels from among the sensed signals, wherein each of the reference pixels is at least partially surround by the pixels.

Image sensor including pixels and reference pixels, operating method of the image sensor, and electronic device including the image sensor

An image sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, a photoelectric conversion region provided in the substrate, and a polarizer provided at the first surface of the substrate. The polarizer includes a lower structure comprising at least one trench recessed from the first surface of the substrate toward the photoelectric conversion region, and a plurality of upper patterns provided on the lower structure and spaced apart from each other in a first direction parallel to the first surface.

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Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Taesub Jung