IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE

• US 20160211299A1
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Arita, Mai
• Granted Patent: US 10,319,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/79 Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors

Abstract

An image capturing device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate arranged so that the second substrate overlaps the first substrate; a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate; a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels; and a plurality of first buffers arranged on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to respective signal lines through which the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is transmitted.

Claims

1. An image capturing device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged so that the second substrate overlaps the first substrate;

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate;

a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels; and

a plurality of first buffers arranged on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to respective signal lines through which the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is transmitted.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of second buffers arranged on the second substrate, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to the signal lines to which the first buffers are connected.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of second buffers are arranged so that the plurality of second buffers overlap the pixel unit.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output the control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels in synchronization with the first vertical scanning circuit, wherein

the plurality of pixels includes a first pixel and a second pixel arranged in the same row,

the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is supplied to the first pixel, and

the control signal output from the second vertical scanning circuit is supplied to the second pixel.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the first vertical scanning circuit is arranged so that the first vertical scanning circuit at least partially overlaps the pixel unit.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein two first buffers arranged in two rows adjacent to each other among the plurality of first buffers are arranged so that the two first buffers are displaced from each other in a row direction.

7. An image capturing device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a third substrate;

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate;

a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on the third substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels; and

a plurality of first buffers arranged on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to respective signal lines through which the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is transmitted, wherein

the first substrate and the second substrate overlap each other and the third substrate overlaps a surface opposite to a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate, or

the first substrate and the third substrate overlap each other and the second substrate overlaps a surface opposite to a surface of the third substrate facing the first substrate.