Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Takeyoshi Komoto

Masahiko Nakamizo

Tomonori Yamashita

Toshiaki Ono

Takashi Tanaka

Soichi Ochiai

Variation in electrostatic capacitances of control signal lines in a pixel is reduced. An imaging element includes: photoelectric conversion units arranged in a first semiconductor substrate; a charge holding unit that is disposed in the first semiconductor substrate and holds generated charges; a plurality of charge transfer units that is each disposed for one of the photoelectric conversion units and transfers the generated charges to the charge holding unit; an image signal generating circuit that is disposed in a second semiconductor substrate and generates an image signal on the basis of the held charge; a plurality of charge transfer unit signal lines that is each disposed for one of the plurality of charge transfer units and each transmits a control signal; a charge holding unit signal line that transmits a voltage corresponding to a charge held in the charge holding unit to the image signal generating circuit; and a capacitance adjustment unit that is disposed in the vicinity of at least one of the plurality of charge transfer unit signal lines and the charge holding unit signal line and adjusts an electrostatic capacitance between the charge transfer unit signal line and the charge holding unit signal line.

Imaging element and imaging device

An imaging device of an embodiment has a first substrate, a second substrate, a wire, and a trench. The first substrate has a pixel having a photodiode and a floating diffusion that holds a charge converted by the photodiode. The second substrate has a pixel circuit that reads a pixel signal based on the charge held in the floating diffusion in the pixel, and is stacked on the first substrate. The wire penetrates the first substrate and the second substrate in a stacking direction, and electrically connects the floating diffusion in the first substrate to an amplification transistor in the pixel circuit of the second substrate. The trench is formed at least in the second substrate, runs in parallel with the wire, and has a depth equal to or greater than the thickness of a semiconductor layer in the second substrate.

Imaging device

An imaging device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a third substrate, and a switching unit. The first substrate has a pixel including a photodiode and floating diffusion that holds the charge converted by the photodiode. The second substrate has a pixel circuit that reads out a pixel signal based on the charge held in the floating diffusion in the pixel, and is stacked on the first substrate. The third substrate has a processing circuit that detects a pixel signal read out by the pixel circuit, and is stacked on the second substrate. The switching unit is provided to enable electrical connection between the floating diffusion and a floating diffusion of another pixel in the first substrate, and is provided on the second substrate. As a result, by switching the capacitance of the floating diffusion of the pixel using floating diffusion of another pixel, it is possible to switch the charge-voltage conversion efficiency levels.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takeyoshi Komoto