Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Intellectual Ventures Ii LLC

Magnachip Semiconductor, Inc.

Crosstek Capital, LLC

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd.

Won-Ho Lee

Dong-Heon Cho

Hee Jeong Hong

A CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode, a plurality of transistors for transferring charges accumulated at the photodiode to one column line, and a voltage dropping element connected to a gate electrode of at least one transistor among the plurality of transistors for expanding a saturation region of the transistor by dropping down a gate voltage inputted to the gate electrode of the at least one transistor.

CMOS image sensor

The present invention relates a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor capable of improving dynamic range by using an additional driver transistor. The CMOS image sensor according to the present invention has a pixel array which has a plurality of unit pixels each of which includes a photodiode and a fist transistor to act as a source follower buffer amplifier to amplify photogenerated charges accumulated in the photodiode. Also, the CMOS image sensor includes a second transistor for a buffer amplifier to amplify and output a gate input voltage in the unit pixel, wherein an output signal of the first transistor is applied to a gate of the second.

CMOS image sensor with wide dynamic range

An image sensor includes a color filter, an over-coating layer formed on the color filter, and a medium layer formed on the over-coating layer, wherein the medium layer is configured with at least two medium layers of which refractive indices are different from each other.

Image sensor and method for manufacturing the same

An image sensor with decreased optical interference between adjacent pixels is provided. An image sensor, which is divided into a pixel region and a peripheral region, the image sensor including a photodiode formed in a substrate in the pixel region, first to Mth metal lines formed over the substrate in the pixel region, where M is a natural number greater than approximately 1, first to Nth metal lines formed over a substrate in the peripheral region, where N is a natural number greater than M, at least one layer of dummy metal lines formed over the Mth metal lines but formed not to overlap with the photodiode, and a microlens formed over the one layer of the dummy metal lines to overlap with the photodiode.

Image sensor with decreased optical interference between adjacent pixels

The present invention relates to a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. Particularly, a unit pixel of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, wherein the unit pixel has a rectangular shape and is defined with the top region and the bottom region of which area is larger than that of the top region, the unit pixel including: a photodiode region disposed in entire areas of a bottom region of the unit pixel; a reset gate, a drive gate and a selection gate disposed in an upper part of a top region of the unit pixel; a multi-floating diffusion region disposed with a uniform size at least at two corners of the photodiode region; and a transfer gate disposed in an upper part of the photodiode region to thereby define the multi-floating diffusion region.

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor with multi-floating diffusion region

A test pixel for use in a CMOS image sensor is employed to evaluate a pixel quality by modulating a contact chain. The test pixel for use the CMOS image sensor including: a test pixel active area corresponding to each unit pixel active area, wherein the unit pixel active area has a floating diffusion contact, a VDD contact and an output contact therein; an active area contact having a first, a second and a third contacts disposed at predetermined locations of each test pixel active area, wherein the first, the second and the third contacts are correspondent to the floating diffusion contact, the VDD contact and the output contact in the unit pixel, respectively; a contact chain in order for a test current to flow vertically or a horizontally through the active area contact; a test pad having a first test pad and a second test pad; and a test gate of which a predetermined portion is overlapped over the test pixel active area, for applying a predetermined signal thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Ichon-shi, South Korea

Won-Ho Lee