Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Takayoshi Yamada

Takahiko Murata

Shigetaka Kasuga

Yoshihisa Kato

Masashi Murakami

Takumi Yamaguchi

Tokuhiko Tamaki

Masayuki Takase

Yasuhiro Shimada

Yasuo Miyake

Kazuko Nishimura

Hidenari Kanehara

Yoshihiro Sato

Yoshiyuki Matsunaga

Sanshiro Shishido

Yutaka Hirose

Yasunori Inoue

Junji Hirase

Ryohei Miyagawa

Mitsuyoshi Mori

Shinzo Koyama

Taiji Noda

An imaging apparatus includes a pixel region including a first substrate section and pixels, and a peripheral region including a second substrate section and no pixels. Each of the pixels includes a first electrode; a second electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer that is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a charge accumulation region disposed in the first substrate section. The pixel region includes first penetrating electrodes that electrically connect the first electrode to the charge accumulation region. The peripheral region includes second penetrating electrodes. An areal density of the first penetrating electrodes that is a ratio of an area of the first penetrating electrodes to an area of the pixel region is different from an areal density of the second penetrating electrodes that is a ratio of an area of the second penetrating electrodes to an area of the peripheral region.

Imaging apparatus

An imaging device includes a pixel. The pixel includes a charge accumulator containing an impurity of a first conductivity type, a first transistor, a second transistor, a first well region containing an impurity of a second conductivity type, and a second well region containing an impurity of the first conductivity type. The charge accumulator accumulates charge generated through photoelectric conversion. The first transistor includes a first gate electrode and a first diffusion region containing an impurity of the first conductivity type. The second transistor includes a second gate electrode and a second diffusion region containing an impurity of the second conductivity type. The first transistor and the charge accumulator are located in the first well region, and the second transistor is located in the second well region. A distance between the charge accumulator and the second transistor is larger than a distance between the charge accumulator and the first transistor.

Imaging device

An imaging apparatus includes: a photoelectric converter that generates charge through photoelectric conversion; a charge accumulator in which the charge is accumulated; and a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor including a first terminal, a second terminal, a gate, an oxide layer, and at least one semiconductor region. During exposure, the first terminal is electrically connected to the charge accumulator. The gate is electrically connected to the first terminal. The at least one semiconductor region is electrically connected to the second terminal. The oxide layer is located between the gate and the at least one semiconductor region.

An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate and pixels, which includes a first pixel and second pixels adjacent thereto. Each of the pixels includes a first photoelectric conversion layer, a first pixel electrode, a first plug that electrically connects the semiconductor substrate and the first pixel electrode, a second photoelectric conversion layer, a second pixel electrode, and a second plug that electrically connects the semiconductor substrate and the second pixel electrode. In the first pixel and the plurality of second pixels, a distance between the closest plugs of the first plugs and the second plugs is larger than or equal to one-half of a pixel pitch, when viewed in a normal direction of the semiconductor substrate.

An imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a counter electrode on the first surface; a first electrode on the second surface; a second electrode on the second surface, the second electrode being spaced from the first electrode; and an auxiliary electrode on the second surface between the first electrode and the second electrode. The auxiliary electrode is spaced from the first electrode and the second electrode, where a shortest distance between the first electrode and the auxiliary electrode is different from a shortest distance between the second electrode and the auxiliary electrode.

Imaging device and image acquisition device

An imaging device including a photoelectric converter that converts incident light into an electric charge; a transfer transistor; a first node coupled to the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor; a first signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the first node; a second signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the photoelectric converter; a signal line coupled to one of a source and a drain of the first signal detection transistor; a first transistor coupled to the first node; and a second transistor coupled to the photoelectric converter, wherein one of the source and the drain of the first signal detection transistor is coupled to the first transistor, one of a source and a drain of the second signal detection transistor is coupled to the second transistor, and no transistor is coupled between the photoelectric converter and the gate of the second signal detection transistor.

An imaging device includes: a first imaging cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, and a first signal processing circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first signal; and a second imaging cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, and a second signal processing circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second signal. Sensitivity of the first imaging cell is higher than sensitivity of the second imaging cell. The first signal processing circuit has a circuit configuration different from the second signal processing circuit. An operation frequency of the first signal processing circuit is different from an operation frequency of the second signal processing circuit.

Imaging device including first and second imaging cells and camera system

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes a photoelectric converter that converts light into an electric charge; a transfer transistor; a charge accumulation node coupled to the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor; a first signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the charge accumulation node; a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is coupled to the charge accumulation node; and a second reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is coupled to the photoelectric converter, wherein one of a source and a drain of the first signal detection transistor is coupled to the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor and the other of the source and drain of the second reset transistor.

An imaging device includes a pixel comprising a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a pixel electrode on the first surface; an auxiliary electrode on the first surface, the auxiliary electrode being spaced from the pixel electrode; an upper electrode on the second surface, the upper electrode facing the pixel electrode and the auxiliary electrode; and an amplification transistor having a gate coupled to the pixel electrode. The imaging device also includes voltage application circuitry that generates a first voltage and a second voltage different from the first voltage, the voltage application circuitry being coupled to the auxiliary electrode. The voltage application circuitry selectively supplies either the first voltage or the second voltage to the auxiliary electrode.

An imaging device which includes a counter electrode, a first pixel electrode facing the counter electrode, a second pixel electrode facing the counter electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer sandwiched between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, and the counter electrode, a first signal detection circuit electrically connected to the second pixel electrode, and a first switching element connected between the first pixel electrode and the first signal detection circuit.

Imaging device with switchable modes

An imaging device, comprising: at least one unit pixel cell; and a voltage application circuit that generates at least two different voltages, each of the at least one unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface being on a side opposite to the first surface, a pixel electrode located on the first surface, an auxiliary electrode located on the first surface, the auxiliary electrode being separated from the pixel electrode and electrically connected to the voltage application circuit, an upper electrode located on the second surface, the upper electrode opposing to the pixel electrode and the auxiliary electrode, a charge storage node electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and a charge detection circuit electrically connected to the charge storage node.

An imaging device including at least one pixel, where each of the at least one pixels includes a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface being on a side opposite to the first surface; a first electrode located on the first surface; a second electrode located on the first surface, the second electrode being separated from the first electrode, a first voltage being applied to the second electrode; a third electrode located on the second surface, the third electrode opposing to the first electrode and the second electrode, a second voltage being applied to the third electrode; and an amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the first electrode, where an absolute value of a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is larger than an absolute value of a difference between the second voltage and a voltage of the first electrode.

An imaging device comprises at least one unit pixel cell. Each of them comprises: a photoelectric conversion layer having a first and second surfaces; a pixel electrode and a shield electrode located on the first surface and separated from each other, a shield voltage being applied to the shield electrode; an upper electrode located on the second surface and opposing to the pixel electrode and the shield electrode, a counter voltage being applied to the upper electrode; a charge accumulation node electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and a charge detection circuit electrically connected to the charge accumulation node. An absolute value of a difference between the shield voltage and the counter voltage is larger than an absolute value of a difference between the counter voltage and a voltage of the pixel electrode.

An imaging device includes a pixel cell including: a first photoelectric converter that generates a first electrical signal; and a first signal detection circuit that detects the first electrical signal. The first signal detection circuit includes: a first transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter; a first capacitor having first and second ends, the first end being electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor, a reference voltage being applied to the second end; and a second transistor having a gate electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter. The pixel cell outputs, in one frame period, a first image signal and a second image signal in sequence, the first image signal being output when the first transistor is off, the second image signal being output when the first transistor is on.

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes: a counter electrode; a first pixel electrode facing the counter electrode; a second pixel electrode facing the counter electrode; a third pixel electrode facing the counter electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer sandwiched between the first pixel electrode, the second pixel electrode, and the third pixel electrode, and the counter electrode; a first signal detection circuit electrically connected to the first pixel electrode; a second signal detection circuit electrically connected to the second pixel electrode; a first switching element connected between the third pixel electrode and the first signal detection circuit; and a second switching element connected between the third pixel electrode and the second signal detection circuit.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takayoshi Yamada