IMAGING DEVICE INCLUDING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERTER AND CHARGE TRANSFER CHANNEL

• US 20170006241A1
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• 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: SAKAIDA, RYOTA, SHISHIDO, SANSHIRO, MATSUNAGA, YOSHIYUKI
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An imaging device includes a photoelectric converter that generates charge; a first charge transfer channel having a first end electrically connected to the photoelectric converter and a second end, and transferring the charge in a direction from the first end to the second end; a second charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a first position and transferring a first part of the charge; a third charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a second position different from the first position in the direction and transferring a part of the second part of the charge; and first and second charge accumulators that accumulate at least a part of the first and second part of the charge respectively. The imaging device does not include a gate that switches between cutoff and transfer of charge, in the first charge transfer channel.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a photoelectric converter that generates charge;

a first charge transfer channel having a first end electrically connected to the photoelectric converter and a second end, the first charge transfer channel transferring the charge in a direction from the first end to the second end;

a second charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a first position of the first charge transfer channel, the second charge transfer channel transferring a first part of the charge;

a third charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a second position of the first charge transfer channel, the second position being different from the first position in the direction, the third charge transfer channel transferring a second part of the charge;

a first charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the first part of the charge; and

a second charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the second part of the charge, wherein

the imaging device does not comprise a gate that switches between cutoff and transfer of charge, in the first charge transfer channel.

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

a first gate, in the second charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the first part of the charge; and

a second gate, in the third charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the second part of the charge.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the first gate and the second gate are a single gate.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a drain electrically connected to the second end, releasing charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a third charge accumulator electrically connected to the second end, accumulating charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first charge transfer channel has an electric potential gradient in at least a part of a distance between the first end and the second end, for transferring the charge.

7. An imaging device comprising:

a photoelectric converter that generates charge;

a first charge transfer channel having a first end electrically connected to the photoelectric converter and a second end, the first charge transfer channel transferring the charge in a direction from the first end to the second end;

a second charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a first position of the first charge transfer channel, the second charge transfer channel transferring a first part of the charge;

a third charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a second position of the first charge transfer channel, the second position being different from the first position in the direction, the third charge transfer channel transferring a second part of the charge;

a first charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the first part of the charge; and

a second charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the second part of the charge, wherein

the first charge transfer channel is a single channel.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first gate, in the second charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the first part of the charge; and

a second gate, in the third charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the second part of the charge.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the first gate and the second gate are a single gate.

10. The imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising a drain electrically connected to the second end, releasing charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

11. The imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising a third charge accumulator electrically connected to the second end, accumulating charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

12. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the first charge transfer channel has an electric potential gradient in at least a part of a distance between the first end and the second end, for transferring the charge.

13. An imaging device comprising:

a photoelectric converter that generates charge;

a first charge transfer channel having a first end electrically connected to the photoelectric converter and a second end, first charge transfer channel transferring the charge in a direction from the first end to the second end without cutoff;

a second charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a first position of the first charge transfer channel, the second charge transfer channel transferring a first part of the charge;

a third charge transfer channel diverging from the first charge transfer channel at a second position of the first charge transfer channel, the second position being different from the first position in the direction, the third charge transfer channel transferring a second part of the charge;

a first charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the first part of the charge; and

a second charge accumulator that accumulates at least a part of the second part of the charge.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first gate, in the second charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the first part of the charge; and

a second gate, in the third charge transfer channel, switching between cutoff and transfer of the second part of the charge.

15. The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the first gate and the second gate are a single gate.

16. The imaging device according to claim 13, further comprising a drain electrically connected to the second end, releasing charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

17. The imaging device according to claim 13, further comprising a third charge accumulator electrically connected to the second end, accumulating charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel.

18. The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the first charge transfer channel has an electric potential gradient in at least a part of a distance between the first end and the second end, for transferring the charge.