The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
May. 06, 2008

Filed:

Jul. 29, 2003
Applicants:

Jeffery Steven Beck, Corvallis, OR (US);

Matthew Michael Borg, Albany, OR (US);

Inventors:

Jeffery Steven Beck, Corvallis, OR (US);

Matthew Michael Borg, Albany, OR (US);

Assignee:

Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 5/335 (2006.01); H04N 1/04 (2006.01); H01L 31/113 (2006.01); H01L 27/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

A pixel circuit includes a silicon substrate having a photodiode that converts light intensity into a voltage signal and two metal layers disposed on the substrate having a pixel control circuit. The first metal layer includes a row trace and a reset trace and the second metal layer includes a column trace and a voltage supply trace. The row trace carries a signal that activates a switch for coupling the photodiode to the column trace during a readout phase and clears the voltage at the photodiode during a reset phase. The column trace interfaces with a signal capture circuit in a CMOS array of pixels for capturing a digital image that corresponds to each voltage level at each photodiode.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…