IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20160105622A1
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TAMAKI, TOKUHIKO
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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 25/65 applied to reset noise, e.g. KTC noise related to CMOS structures by techniques other than CDS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

An imaging device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first image pickup cell comprising a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a first charge, a first charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first charge, and a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter, the first capacitive element storing at least a part of the first charge; and a second image pickup cell comprising a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a second charge, and a second charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second charge.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

a first image pickup cell comprising

a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a first charge,

a first charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first charge, and

a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter, the first capacitive element storing at least a part of the first charge; and

a second image pickup cell comprising

a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a second charge, and

a second charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second charge.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first photoelectric converter comprises a first pixel electrode electrically connected to the first charge detection circuit, and a first photoelectric conversion region being in contact with the first pixel electrode, and

the second photoelectric converter comprises a second pixel electrode electrically connected to the second charge detection circuit, and a second photoelectric conversion region being in contact with the second pixel electrode.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein

the first pixel electrode has a first planar shape, the second pixel electrode having a second planer shape different from the first planar shape.

4. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein

the first pixel electrode has a first area, the second pixel electrode having a second area different from the first area.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first image pickup cell further comprises a first microlens located on an incident light side of the first photoelectric converter,

the second image pickup cell further comprises a second microlens located on the incident light side of the second photoelectric converter, and

the first microlens has a first condensing area, the second microlens having a second condensing area larger than the first condensing area.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first image pickup cell and the second image pickup cell adjoin each other,

the first image pickup cell and the second image pickup cell further comprise a microlens located on an incident light side of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter, and

the second photoelectric converter is located in a region where light is condensed by the microlens.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first capacitive element comprises a lower electrode, an upper electrode facing the lower electrode, and an insulator located between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, either one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode being electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first image pickup cell and the second image pickup cell adjoin each other,

the first capacitive element is located, in a plan view, between the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein

the first capacitive element at least partially overlaps, in the plan view, with one or both of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the second image pickup cell further comprises a second capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter, and

the first capacitive element have a first capacitance, the second capacitive element having a second capacitance smaller than the first capacitance.

12. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

in a plan view, the first charge detection circuit has a third area, the second charge detection circuit having a forth area larger than the third area.

13. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the first image pickup cell stores the first charge during a first storage time,

the second image pickup cell stores the second charge during a second storage time, and

the second storage time is longer than the first storage time.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein

the first charge detection circuits detects the first charge at least twice without resetting the first charge, during one frame period.

8. The imaging device, comprising:

first image pickup cells each of which comprises

a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a first charge,

a first charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first charge, and

a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter, the first capacitive element storing at least a part of the first charge; and

second image pickup cells each of which comprises

a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a second charge, and

a second charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second charge, wherein

the first image pickup cells and the second image pickup cells are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally in a plan view.

15. An imaging device comprising:

a first image pickup cell comprising

a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a first charge,

a first storage capacitance that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter, the first storage capacitance storing the first charge, and

a first charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the first storage capacitance and detects the first charge stored in the first storage capacitance; and

a second image pickup cell comprising

a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into a second charge,

a second storage capacitance that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter, the second storage capacitance storing the second charge, and

a second charge detection circuit that is electrically connected to the second storage capacitance and detects the second charge stored in the second storage capacitance, wherein

the second photoelectric converter is configured to receive more light than the first photoelectric converter does, and

the second storage capacitance have a second capacitance, the first storage capacitance having a first capacitance larger than the second capacitance.

16. The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein

the first storage capacitance includes a first capacitive element.

17. The imaging device according to claim 16, wherein

the second storage capacitance includes a second capacitive element.

18. The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein

the first photoelectric converter includes a first pixel electrode electrically connected to the first storage capacitance,

the second photoelectric converter includes a second pixel electrode electrically connected to the second storage capacitance, and

the first pixel electrode has a first area, the second pixel electrode having a second area larger than the second area.

19. The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein

the first image pickup cell and the second image pickup cell adjoin each other,

the first image pickup cell and the second image pickup cell further comprise a microlens located on an incident light side of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter, and

the second photoelectric converter is located on an optical axis of the microlens.