Active pixel sensor with intra-pixel charge transfer
First Claim
1. An imaging device, comprising:
- a plurality of pixel cells, each of said cells comprising;
a substrate;
a photoreceptor, coupled to said substrate, to control accumulating photo-generated charge; and
a readout circuit comprising at least a buffering transistor configured as a follower to receive charge from said photoreceptor, and a selecting transistor, operating to select said each cell for readout; and
wherein said transistors in said readout circuit are formed of an integrated circuit technology which is compatible with complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, said substrate being of a first conductivity type, said readout circuit comprising transistors of a first conductivity type, a well region of a second conductivity type in said substrate and plural semiconductor transistors of a second conductivity type formed in said well region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An imaging device formed as a monolithic complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit in an industry standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process, the integrated circuit including a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photogate overlying the substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate, a readout circuit including at least an output field effect transistor formed in the substrate, and a charge coupled device section formed on the substrate adjacent the photogate having a sensing node connected to the output transistor and at least one charge coupled device stage for transferring charge from the underlying portion of the substrate to the sensing node.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of pixel cells, each of said cells comprising;
a substrate;
a photoreceptor, coupled to said substrate, to control accumulating photo-generated charge; and
a readout circuit comprising at least a buffering transistor configured as a follower to receive charge from said photoreceptor, and a selecting transistor, operating to select said each cell for readout; and
wherein said transistors in said readout circuit are formed of an integrated circuit technology which is compatible with complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, said substrate being of a first conductivity type, said readout circuit comprising transistors of a first conductivity type, a well region of a second conductivity type in said substrate and plural semiconductor transistors of a second conductivity type formed in said well region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An imaging device, comprising
a plurality of pixel cells, each pixel cell comprising a photoreceptor, configured to receive light from a single pixel of a scene being imaged, a follower transistor, receiving information from said photoreceptor indicative of said light, a select transistor, selecting said each pixel cell for readout, said select transistor being energized to allow said information from said photoreceptor indicative of said light to be output, wherein said photoreceptor, said follower transistor, and said select transistor are each formed of formation processes which are compatible with CMOS technology; - and
an associated device, associate with processing said light from said photoreceptors, formed in said substrate adjacent said plurality of pixels cells, and connected to receive said information from said pixels cells, wherein said associated device is formed of a plurality of CMOS transistors. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method of acquiring an image, comprising:
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definining a plurality of pixel areas, each said pixel area covering a specific optical area of a charge accumulating substrate;
configuring each of said plurality of pixel areas as a portion fo said substrate, providing a photogate controlling a characteristic of said charge accumulating substrate;
providing a sensing node which senses charge in said sensing charge accumulating substrate; and
associating a readout circuit with each of said sensing nodes of each of said pixel areas, in a way that each said pixel area includes a dedicated readout circuit. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification