Ricoh Company, Ltd.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Takaaki Negoro

Hirofumi Watanabe

Kazuhiro Yoneda

Katsuhiko Aisu

Katsuyuki Sakurano

Yasukazu Nakatani

Yasushi Nagamune

Toshitaka Ota

Yoshinori Ueda

Yutaka Hayashi

Koichi Morino

Keiji Fujimoto

Akira Shimizu

Kazunari Kimino

Takeshi Kimura

Shinichi Kubota

Yoshihiko Miki

Kohichi Morino

Keiji Tsuda

Hirobumi Watanabe

A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion unit which includes a phototransistor having a collector region, an emitter region, and a base region to generate an output current according to an intensity of incident light to the phototransistor, and a base potential setting unit which is configured to set up a base potential of the phototransistor so that the output current from the photoelectric conversion unit is equal to a predetermined current value.

Photoelectric conversion device and image generation device

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel cell including a phototransistor, a reference cell including a reference transistor having a temperature characteristic identical to that of the phototransistor and having a fixed electrical state, an analog-to-digital converter that converts an analog output of the pixel cell into a digital output, a correction amount computation unit that computes a correction amount for the digital output of the analog-to-digital converter based on an output of the reference cell and a reference value, and a correction unit that corrects the digital output of the analog-to-digital converter based on the correction amount.

Photoelectric conversion device, image generation device, and method of correcting output of photoelectric conversion device

A semiconductor device for converting incident light into an electric current includes a semiconductor substrate; an electrode embedded in the semiconductor substrate; an insulation film contacting the electrode in the semiconductor substrate; a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type and a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, formed sequentially in a depth direction from a side of a front face of the semiconductor substrate; and a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type contacting the insulation film and the second semiconductor region. An impurity concentration of the fourth semiconductor region is greater than an impurity concentration of the second semiconductor region.

Semiconductor device, manufacturing method thereof and imaging apparatus

An imaging device having phototransistors in photodetectors of pixels is disclosed. The imaging device includes an implanted electrode configured to separate the pixels, a first emitter disposed at a position adjacent to the implanted electrode, and a second emitter disposed such that a distance from the implanted electrode to the second emitter is longer than a distance from the implanted electrode to the first emitter.

Imaging device, control method of imaging device, and pixel structure

An imaging device includes at least one pixel having a phototransistor which converts light energy into signal charge and varies an amplification factor relative to the intensity of the received light energy, wherein the signal charge of the phototransistor is read out while receiving the light energy with the phototransistor for each pixel.

Imaging device including a phototransistor, method of driving the imaging device, and camera including the imaging device

An imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion element which photoelectrically converts incident light and generates a charge, accumulates and amplifies the charge, and outputs a photocurrent, wherein a level of an output signal when a charge which is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element is outputted over a saturated amount of accumulable charge includes a level of an output signal of a charge of a photocurrent of DC component which is generated in the photoelectric conversion element and outputted during a readout time when the charge which is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element is outputted.

Imaging device and electronic device

A sense circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit including an inverting input section, a non-inverting input section and an output section, an electrical capacitor connected between the inverting input section and the output section, and a field effect transistor including a source, a drain, and a gate. One of the source and the drain is connected to the inverting input section, and the other of the source and the drain is connected to the output section. A reference potential is supplied to the non-inverting input section, and an output section of a photoelectric conversion cell having an added switching function is connected to the inverting input section.

Sense circuit and method of operation thereof and photoelectric conversion array connected to inverting input of sense circuit

A solid-state image sensing device is provided including a first semi-conducting layer of first conductivity, a second semi-conducting layer of first conductivity disposed on the first semi-conducting layer, a semiconductor region of second conductivity different from the first conductivity disposed in the second semi-conducting layer, a deep trench configured to isolate a plurality of neighboring pixels from each other, and an electrode implanted into the deep trench, where the semiconductor region of second conductivity, the second semi-conducting layer, and the first semi-conducting layer are disposed in that order from a proximal side to a distal side, the second semi-conducting layer is split by the deep trench into sections that correspond to the pixels, an impurity concentration of first conductivity of the first semi-conducting layer is higher than an impurity concentration of first conductivity of the second semi-conducting layer, and the deep trench contacts the first semi-conducting layer.

Solid-state image sensing device with electrode implanted into deep trench

A photoelectric conversion device includes a first output line, a second output line; and a photoelectric conversion cell. The photoelectric conversion cell further includes, a photoelectric conversion element configured to generate an output current corresponding to an intensity of incident light, a first switch element configured to transmit the first output current to the first output line according to a first control signal, and a second switch element configured to transmit the second output current to second output line according to a second control signal. As a result, the photoelectric conversion device can be provided to generate rapidly the image data with wide dynamic range without the need for complex control outside of the photoelectric conversion device.

Photoelectric conversion device having two switch elements

A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method includes forming a trench, in a vertical direction of a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of photoelectric converting elements arranged on the semiconductor device, at positions between the photoelectric converting elements that are next to each other, forming a first conductive-material layer in and above the trench by implanting a first conductive material into the trench after an oxide film is formed on an inner wall of the trench, forming a first conductor by removing the first conductive-material layer excluding a first conductive portion of the first conductive-material layer implanted into the trench, and forming an upper gate electrode above the first conductor, the upper gate electrode configured to be conductive with the first conductor. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an image sensor, a trench, a first conductor, and an upper gate electrode.

Image sensor having a plurality of phototransistors separated by trench-gate structures and method of manufacturing the same

A phototransistor includes a first emitter region, a first base region having at least a portion exposed to a light-receiving side, and a first collector region in this order from the light-receiving side in a depth direction. The first collector region includes a second collector region and a third collector region that is in contact with a downstream side of the second collector region in the depth direction and has a resistance lower than that of the second collector region. The phototransistor further includes a first region that is spaced away from the first base region at an outer side of the first base region on a light-receiving side surface thereof, the first region having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first collector region.

Phototransistor and semiconductor device

The invention relates to a semiconductor device having a vertical transistor bipolar structure of emitter, base, and collector formed in this order from a semiconductor substrate surface in a depth direction. The semiconductor device includes an electrode embedded from the semiconductor substrate surface into the inside and insulated by an oxide film. In the surface of the substrate, a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor region, and a first-conductivity-type third semiconductor region are arranged, from the surface side, inside a semiconductor device region surrounded by the electrode and along the electrode with the oxide film interposed therebetween, the second semiconductor region located below the first semiconductor region, the third semiconductor region located below the second semiconductor region. The electrode is insulated from the first to third semiconductor regions, and current gain is variable through application of voltage to the electrode.

Semiconductor device and imaging apparatus

A photoelectric converter includes a first pn junction comprised of at least two semiconductor regions of different conductivity types, and a first field-effect transistor including a first source connected with one of the semiconductor regions, a first drain, a first insulated gate and a same conductivity type channel as that of the one of the semiconductor regions. The first drain is supplied with a second potential at which the first pn junction becomes zero-biased or reverse-biased relative to a potential of the other of the semiconductor regions. When the first source turns to a first potential and the one of the semiconductor regions becomes zero-biased or reverse-biased relative to the other semiconductor regions, the first pn junction is controlled not to be biased by a deep forward voltage by supplying a first gate potential to the first insulated gate, even when either of the semiconductor regions is exposed to light.

Photoelectric converter, photoelectric converter array and imaging device

A reset method of an photoelectric conversion device at least including a phototransistor having a first collector, a first base, and a first emitter, and a first field-effect transistor having a first source, a first drain, and a first gate, includes: connecting the first base, and one of the first source and the first drain of the first field-effect transistor by having a common region, or a continuous region, without a base electrode; supplying a base reset potential to the other of the first source and the first drain; and overlapping a time in which a first emitter potential is supplied to the first emitter and a time in which a first ON-potential that turns on the first field-effect transistor is supplied to the first gate.

Method for resetting photoelectric conversion device, and photoelectric conversion device

Provided is a method of varying the gain of an amplifying photoelectric conversion device and a variable gain photoelectric conversion device which are capable of achieving both signal processing under low illuminance and high-current processing under high light intensity, and thereby capable of securing a wide dynamic range. An amplifying photoelectric conversion part includes a photoelectric conversion element and amplification transistors forming a Darlington circuit. The sources and the drains of field-effect transistors are connected to the bases and the emitters of the amplification transistors, respectively. The gates of the field-effect transistors each function as a gain control part.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takaaki Negoro