Pixel sensing module and image capturing device

• US 10,644,045 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chao, Wei-Min, Tseng, Chien-Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US16/158,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20190123076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14605 Structural or functional details relating to the position of the pixel elements, e.g. smaller pixel elements in the center of the imager compared to pixel elements at the periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14641 Electronic components shared by two or more pixel-elements, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixel elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

The present application provides a pixel sensing module comprising a pixel light-sensing unit, receiving light at a light receiving side and outputting a pixel value, the pixel light-sensing unit comprising a plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components configured to output a plurality of sub-pixel values; and an integrating unit, coupled to the pixel light-sensing unit configured to output the pixel value according to the plurality of sub-pixel values; and a collimating unit having a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings are aligned with an area of the pixel light-sensing unit, and projections of the plurality of openings onto the light receiving side lie within the area of the pixel light-sensing unit at the light receiving side.

Claims

1. A pixel sensing module, characterized by, comprising:

a pixel light-sensing unit, for receiving light at a light receiving side and outputting a pixel value, the pixel light-sensing unit comprising;

a plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components, configured to output a plurality of sub-pixel values, wherein each sub-pixel light-sensing component comprises a light-sensing area, a transmission gate and a floating node, and the transmission gate and the floating node are arranged in a non-light-sensing area; and

an integrating unit, coupled to the pixel light-sensing unit, configured to output the pixel value according to the plurality of sub-pixel values; and

a collimating unit, having a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings are aligned with an area of the pixel light-sensing unit, and projections of the plurality of openings onto the light receiving side lie within the area of the pixel light-sensing unit at the light receiving side;

wherein a projection of an opening overlaps with a plurality of first light-sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components among the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components, and the projection of the opening does not overlap with a plurality of first non-light-sensing areas corresponding to the plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components.

2. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, a first opening among the plurality of openings is aligned with at least a sub-pixel light-sensing component among the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components.

3. The pixel sensing module of claim 2, characterized in that, the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components comprises a plurality of light-sensing areas and a plurality of non-light-sensing areas, and a projection of the first opening onto the light receiving side coincides with at least a light-sensing area of the at least a sub-pixel light-sensing component.

4. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components comprises photo diodes.

5. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the integrating unit performs an average operation on the plurality of sub-pixel values, to output the pixel value as an average of the plurality of sub-pixel values.

6. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the integrating unit performs a summation operation on the plurality of sub-pixel values, to output the pixel value as a summation of the plurality of sub-pixel values.

7. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the integrating unit outputs the pixel value as a sub-pixel value among the plurality of sub-pixel values.

8. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components of the pixel light-sensing unit arranged in a sub-array, each of the openings of the collimating unit is aligned with at least one sub-pixel light-sensing components in the sub-array, and the projections of the plurality of openings onto the light receiving side are not overlapped with each other.

9. The pixel sensing module of claim 8, characterized in that, the pixel light-sensing unit comprises N*N sub-pixel light-sensing components, the N*N sub-pixel light-sensing components are formed as multiple sub-pixel groups, each of the sub-pixel groups comprises M*M sub-pixel light-sensing components;

each of the openings of the collimating unit is aligned with a sub-pixel group;

wherein N, M are both integer greater than one, and M<

N.

10. The pixel sensing module of claim 9, characterized in that, wherein the pixel light-sensing unit comprises 16 sub-pixel light-sensing components, and N=4, M=2.

11. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the non-light-sensing area is located at a corner region of the sub-pixel light-sensing components;

wherein the opening of the collimating unit is arranged in such a manner that light transmitted through the opening is irradiated onto the plurality of first light-sensing areas of the plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components of a corresponding sub-pixel group, without being irradiated onto the plurality of first non-light-sensing areas.

12. The pixel sensing module of claim 11, characterized in that, the transmission gate is arranged between the light-sensing area and the floating node.

13. The pixel sensing module of claim 12, characterized in that, the light-sensing area is configured to receive light and produces photo electronic charges, the transmission gate is configured to apply a signal to drain out the photo electronic charges stored in the light-sensing area to the floating node, wherein a sub-pixel value of the sub-pixel light-sensing component is related to an amount of the photo electronic charges in the floating node.

14. The pixel sensing module of claim 1, characterized in that, the collimating unit further comprises a plurality of lenses, each of the lenses is arranged at a respective opening of the collimating unit.

15. An image capturing device, characterized by, comprising:

a plurality of pixel sensing modules, arranged as an array, wherein each pixel sensing module comprises;

a pixel light-sensing unit, for receiving light at a light receiving side and outputting a pixel value, the pixel light-sensing unit comprising;

a plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components, configured to output a plurality of sub-pixel values, wherein each sub-pixel light-sensing component comprises a light-sensing area, a transmission gate and a floating node, and the transmission gate and the floating node are arranged in a non-light-sensing area; and

an integrating unit, coupled to the pixel light-sensing unit, configured to output the pixel value according to the plurality of sub-pixel values; and

a collimating unit, comprising at least one opening, wherein the at least one opening is aligned with an area of the pixel light-sensing unit, and a projection of the at least one opening onto the light receiving side lie within the area of the pixel light-sensing unit at the light receiving side;

wherein a projection of an opening overlaps with a plurality of first light-sensing areas corresponding to a plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components among the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components, and the projection of the opening does not overlap with a plurality of first non-light-sensing areas corresponding to the plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components.

16. The image capturing device of claim 15, characterized in that, the plurality of sub-pixel light-sensing components of the pixel light-sensing unit arranged in a sub-array, each of the openings of the collimating unit is aligned with at least one sub-pixel light-sensing components in the sub-array, and the projections of the plurality of openings onto the light receiving side are not overlapped with each other.

17. The image capturing device of claim 16, characterized in that, the pixel light-sensing unit comprises N*N sub-pixel light-sensing components, the N*N sub-pixel light-sensing components are formed as multiple sub-pixel groups, each of the sub-pixel groups comprises M*M sub-pixel light-sensing components;

each of the openings of the collimating unit is aligned with a sub-pixel group;

wherein N, M are both integer greater than one, and M<

N.

18. The image capturing device of claim 17, characterized in that, the non-light-sensing area is located at a corner region of the sub-pixel light-sensing components;

wherein the opening of the collimating unit is arranged in such a manner that light transmitted through the opening is irradiated onto the plurality of first light-sensing areas of the plurality of first sub-pixel light-sensing components of a corresponding sub-pixel group, without being irradiated onto the plurality of first non-light-sensing areas.

19. The image capturing device of claim 15, characterized in that, the transmission gate is arranged between the light-sensing area and the floating node;

wherein the light-sensing area is configured to receive light and produces photo electronic charges, the transmission gate is configured to apply a signal to drain out the photo electronic charges stored in the light-sensing area to the floating node, wherein a sub-pixel value of the sub-pixel light-sensing component is related to an amount of the photo electronic charges in the floating node.

20. The image capturing device of claim 15, characterized in that, the collimating unit further comprises a plurality of lenses, each of the lenses is arranged at a respective opening of the collimating unit.