Solid-state image sensing device and camera system

• US 20120113290A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakata, Masashi, Funatsu, Eiichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14607 Geometry of the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1461 characterised by the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14812 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/583 with different integration times
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/585 with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/772 comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself

Abstract

A solid-state image sensing device includes: a pixel part in which pixels are arranged in a matrix; and a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal read out from the pixel part. Each of the adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge, photosensitivity or exposure time conditions are set for the divided pixels and the photosensitivity or exposure time conditions of the divided pixels provided to be opposed in diagonal directions are set to the same conditions, the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective read out divided pixel signals and adding the signals.

Claims

1. A solid-state image sensing device comprising:

a pixel part in which plural pixels are arranged in a matrix; and

a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal readout from the pixel part,

wherein each of the plural adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as plural divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge,

plural photosensitivity or exposure time conditions are set for the plural divided pixels and the photosensitivity or exposure time conditions of the divided pixels provided to be opposed in diagonal directions are set to the same conditions,

the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and

the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective readout divided pixel signals and adding the signals.

2. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising a processing part that obtains a final output by obtaining an optimal multiplying factor from an output value of the pixel signal readout part and multiplying the output value by the obtained multiplying factor.

5. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel signal readout part time-sequentially reads out the divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels to a signal line, and

the AD conversion part sequentially performs processing of AD-converting the divided pixel signal input through the signal line and, at AD-conversion of the next divided pixel signal, adding the previous AD-converted value and AD-converting the next divided pixel signal.

6. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels includes:

plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel;

a shared floating diffusion part formed in common among the respective divided pixels; and

an amplification part formed in common among the respective divided pixels, and

the pixel signal readout part transfers the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to the amplification part through the shared floating diffusion part and amplifies the signals, and time-sequentially sends out the amplified divided pixel signals to the signal line.

7. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels includes:

plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel;

plural floating diffusion parts provided with respect to each divided pixel; and

an amplification part formed in common among the respective divided pixels, and

the pixel signal readout part transfers the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to the amplification part through the floating diffusion parts and amplifies the signals, and time-sequentially sends out the amplified divided pixel signals to the signal line.

8. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels is segmented into plural groups and includes:

plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel;

plural shared floating diffusion parts formed in common among the groups of the respective divided pixels; and

an amplification part formed in common among the respective groups, and

the pixel signal readout part transfers the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to the amplification part through the shared floating diffusion parts corresponding to the groups and amplifies the signals, and time-sequentially sends out the amplified divided pixel signals to the signal line.

9. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels includes:

plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel;

plural floating diffusion parts provided with respect to each divided pixel; and

amplification parts provided with respect to each divided pixel, and

the pixel signal readout part transfers the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to the amplification parts through the floating diffusion parts and amplifies the signals, and time-sequentially sends out the amplified divided pixel signals to the signal line.

10. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels includes:

plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel; and

plural floating diffusion parts provided with respect to each divided pixel,

the pixel signal readout part includes an amplification part, and respectively sends out the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to different signal lines through the respective floating diffusion parts in parallel, and

the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal as a whole by AD-converting the plural divided pixel signals amplified in the amplification part in parallel and sequentially adding the AD-converted values at plural times.

11. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 10, wherein the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal as a whole by stopping AD conversion processing at times when the plural amplified divided pixel signals are respectively saturated and sequentially adding the AD-converted values at plural times.

12. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the pixel containing the plural divided pixels includes plural photoelectric conversion elements provided with respect to each divided pixel,

the pixel signal readout part includes:

a first transfer register that transfers the divided pixel signals in a column direction;

a second transfer register that transfers the divided pixel signals in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the first transfer register; and

a floating diffusion part to which the divided pixel signals transferred through the second transfer register are supplied, and

the pixel signal readout part time-sequentially sends out the divided pixel signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements of the respective divided pixels to the first transfer register and the second transfer register, amplifies the signals through the floating diffusion part, performs correlated double sampling processing thereon, and performs the AD conversion thereon in the AD conversion part.

3. A solid-state image sensing device comprising:

a pixel part in which plural pixels are arranged in a matrix;

a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal readout from the pixel part; and

a processing part that obtains a final output by obtaining an optimal multiplying factor from an output value of the pixel signal readout part and multiplying the output value by the obtained multiplying factor,

wherein each of the plural adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as plural divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge,

the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and

the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective read out divided pixel signals and adding the signals.

4. The solid-state image sensing device according to claim 3, wherein plural photosensitivity or exposure time conditions are set for the plural divided pixels and the photosensitivity or exposure time conditions of the divided pixels provided to be opposed in diagonal directions are set to the same conditions.

13. A camera system comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device; and

an optical system that forms an object image on the solid-state image sensing device,

the solid-state image sensing device including

a pixel part in which plural pixels are arranged in a matrix, and

a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal read out from the pixel part,

wherein each of the plural adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as plural divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge,

plural photosensitivity or exposure time conditions are set for the plural divided pixels and the photosensitivity or exposure time conditions of the divided pixels provided to be opposed in diagonal directions are set to the same conditions,

the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and

the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective read out divided pixel signals and adding the signals.

14. A camera system comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device; and

an optical system that forms an object image on the solid-state image sensing device,

the solid-state image sensing device including

a pixel part in which plural pixels are arranged in a matrix,

a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal read out from the pixel part, and

a processing part that obtains a final output by obtaining an optimal multiplying factor from an output value of the pixel signal readout part and multiplying the output value by the obtained multiplying factor,

wherein each of the plural adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as plural divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge,

the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and

the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective readout divided pixel signals and adding the signals.