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:
May. 26, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2012
Pierre Fereyre, Voreppe, FR;
Frédéric Mayer, Voiron, FR;
Pierre Fereyre, Voreppe, FR;
Frédéric Mayer, Voiron, FR;
E2V Semiconductors, Saint-Égrève, FR;
Abstract
This description relates to active-pixel image sensors. Each pixel includes, at the surface of a semiconductor active layer, a photodiode region, a charge storage node and a transfer structure for transferring charges from the photodiode to the storage node after a charge integration time for charges generated by the light in the photodiode. The transfer structure includes a first transfer gate adjacent to the photodiode, a second transfer gate adjacent to the storage node, and an electron-multiplication amplifying structure located between the first and second transfer gates. The amplifying structure includes two separate accelerating gates and an intermediate diode region at a fixed surface potential, located between the two accelerating gates. A succession of alternating high and low potentials is applied to the accelerating gates while the charges are in transit in the transfer structure, before they are transferred to the storage node.