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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2012
Filed:
Nov. 25, 2009
Bong Ki Mheen, Daejeon, KR;
Albert J. P. Theuwissen, Delft, NL;
Jae Sik Sim, Daejeon, KR;
MI Ran Park, Daejeon, KR;
Yong Hwan Kwon, Daejeon, KR;
Eun Soo Nam, Daejeon, KR;
Bong Ki Mheen, Daejeon, KR;
Albert J. P. Theuwissen, Delft, NL;
Jae Sik Sim, Daejeon, KR;
Mi Ran Park, Daejeon, KR;
Yong Hwan Kwon, Daejeon, KR;
Eun Soo Nam, Daejeon, KR;
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, KR;
Abstract
An image sensor with a shared photodiode is provided. The image sensor includes at least two unit pixels, each of which includes a photodiode, a diffusion region which gathers electrons from the photodiode, a transfer transistor which connects the photodiode with the diffusion region, and a readout circuit which reads out a signal from the diffusion region. Photodiodes of neighboring unit pixels are disposed symmetrically to be adjacent to one another to form a shared photodiode. The image sensor does not have a STI region which causes a dark current restricting its performance and does not require a basic minimum design factor (a distance or an area) related to a STI region. A region corresponding to a STI region may be used as a region of a photodiode or for additional pixel scaling. Therefore, a limitation in scaling of a photodiode is overcome, and pixel performance is improved in spite of pixel scaling.