Semiconductor device

• US 10,031,622 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki, Ikeda, Takayuki, Tamura, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Legasse, Jr., Francis M
• Application Number:
  US13/957,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20130313412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1461 characterised by the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14692 Thin film technologies, e.g. amorphous, poly, micro- or nanocrystalline silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/50 Control of the SSIS exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/51 Control of the gain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A semiconductor device obtains highly accurate image data regardless of the intensity of incident light. The semiconductor device includes a first photo sensor provided in a pixel, a second photo sensor provided around the pixel, and a controller for setting the drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with the intensity of outside light obtained by the second photo sensor. An image is taken after the sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive condition set by the controller. Thus, in the semiconductor device, an image can be taken using the first photo sensor whose sensitivity is optimized in accordance with the intensity of incident light.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first sensor in a pixel;

a second sensor out of the pixel;

a controller configured to set a drive condition of the first sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second sensor;

wherein the first sensor comprises;

an element configured to generate an electric signal when receiving light; and

a transistor whose gate terminal is electrically connected to one of terminals of the element.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the element is a photodiode.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, the first sensor and the second sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel includes a pixel electrode.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region overlap with each other.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, the controller is configured to set the drive condition so that a distance between two peaks of histogram of luminance of image data detected by the first sensor is enlarged.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the drive condition comprises one of a driving timing, an accumulation period, a read period, and drive voltage.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first sensor in a pixel;

a second sensor out of the pixel;

a controller configured to set a drive condition of the first sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second sensor;

wherein the first sensor comprises;

an element configured to generate an electric signal when receiving light;

a first transistor whose one of a source terminal and a drain terminal is electrically connected to one of terminals of the element; and

a second transistor whose gate terminal is electrically connected to the other one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the first transistor.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the drive condition comprises one of a driving timing, an accumulation period, a read period, and drive voltage.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the element is a photodiode.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, the first sensor and the second sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the pixel includes a pixel electrode.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,

wherein the first sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region overlap with each other.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, the controller is configured to set the drive condition so that a distance between two peaks of histogram of luminance of image data detected by the first sensor is enlarged.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first sensor in a pixel;

a second sensor out of the pixel;

a controller configured to set a drive condition of the first sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second sensor;

wherein the first sensor comprises;

an element configured to generate an electric signal when receiving light;

a first transistor whose one of a source terminal and a drain terminal is electrically connected to one of terminals of the element;

a second transistor whose gate terminal is electrically connected to the other one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the first transistor; and

a third transistor whose one of a source terminal and a drain terminal is electrically connected to one of a source terminal and a drain terminal of the second transistor.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the element is a photodiode.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, the first sensor and the second sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the pixel includes a pixel electrode.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 15,

wherein the first sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region overlap with each other.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, the controller is configured to set the drive condition so that a distance between two peaks of histogram of luminance of image data detected by the first sensor is enlarged.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the drive condition comprises one of a driving timing, an accumulation period, a read period, and drive voltage.