IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20180146151A1
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• 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: MIYAKE, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• 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: H10K 39/32 Organic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

An imaging device having unit pixel cells including a first unit pixel cell, the first unit pixel cell including a first electrode, a second electrode, a first photoelectric conversion layer for generating a first signal charge, and a first signal detection circuit connected to the first electrode for detecting the first signal charge. The imaging device further includes a voltage supply circuit which supplies a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period when the first unit pixel cell accumulates the first signal charge, a voltage of the second electrode on the basis of a voltage of the first electrode being positive in the first period, and the voltage supply circuit supplies a second voltage to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode in a second period, the second period including a third period when a voltage of the second electrode is negative.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

one or more unit pixel cells including a first unit pixel cell, the first unit pixel cell including;

a first electrode,

a second electrode facing the first electrode,

a first photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first photoelectric conversion layer generating first signal charge, and

a first signal detection circuit connected to the first electrode, the first signal detection circuit detecting the first signal charge; and

a voltage supply circuit, wherein

the voltage supply circuit supplies a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period when the first unit pixel cell accumulates the first signal charge, a voltage of the second electrode on the basis of a voltage of the first electrode being positive in the first period, and

the voltage supply circuit supplies a second voltage to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode in a second period other than the first period, the second period including a third period when a voltage of the second electrode on the basis of a voltage of the first electrode is negative.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, comprising a first controller that causes the voltage supply circuit to supply the first voltage and the second voltage.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first photoelectric conversion layer includes an organic semiconductor material.

4. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the second voltage changes in the second period.

5. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more unit pixel cells includes a second unit pixel cell, the second unit pixel cell including:

a third electrode,

a fourth electrode facing the third electrode,

a second photoelectric conversion layer between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the second photoelectric conversion layer generating second signal charge, and

a second signal detection circuit connected to the third electrode, the second signal detection circuit detecting the second signal charge,

the voltage supply circuit supplies the first voltage to the fourth electrode in a fourth period when the second unit pixel cell accumulates the second signal charge, a voltage of the fourth electrode on the basis of a voltage of the third electrode being positive in the fourth period,

the voltage supply circuit supplies the second voltage to at least one of the third electrode and the fourth electrode in a fifth period, the fifth period including a sixth period when a voltage of the fourth electrode on the basis of a voltage of the third electrode is negative, and

the third period in a frame period is at least partially different from the sixth period in the frame period.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the second photoelectric conversion layer includes an organic semiconductor material.

7. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein

the first period and the second period are included in a frame period, and

the second period divides the first period into two separate periods.

8. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein

the one or more unit pixel cells are arranged in a two-dimensional array having rows and columns,

the one or more unit pixel cells include a second unit pixel cell, the second unit pixel cell including:

a third electrode,

a fourth electrode facing the third electrode,

a second photoelectric conversion layer between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the second photoelectric conversion layer generating second signal charge, and

a second signal detection circuit connected to the third electrode, the second signal detection circuit detecting the second signal charge,

a row in which the first unit pixel cell is located is different from a row in which the second unit pixel cell is located, and

the first signal detection circuit outputs a signal of the first unit pixel cell at first timing in a frame period, the second signal detection circuit outputting a signal of the second unit pixel cell at second timing different from the first timing in the frame period.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, comprising a second controller that causes the first signal detection circuit to output the signal of the first unit pixel cell, and causes the second signal detection circuit to output the signal of the second unit pixel cell.

10. An imaging device comprising:

one or more unit pixel cells including a first unit pixel cell, the first unit pixel cell including;

a first electrode,

a second electrode facing the first electrode,

a first photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first photoelectric conversion layer generating first signal charge, and

a first signal detection circuit connected to the first electrode, the first signal detection circuit detecting the first signal charge; and

a voltage supply circuit, wherein

the voltage supply circuit supplies a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period when the first unit pixel cell accumulates the first signal charge, a voltage of the second electrode on the basis of a voltage of the first electrode being negative in the first period, and

the voltage supply circuit supplies a second voltage to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode in a second period other than the first period, the second period including a third period when a voltage of the second electrode on the basis of a voltage of the first electrode is positive.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10, comprising a first controller that causes the voltage supply circuit to supply the first voltage and the second voltage.

12. The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the first photoelectric conversion layer includes an organic semiconductor material.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the second voltage changes in the second period.

14. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein

the one or more unit pixel cells includes a second unit pixel cell, the second unit pixel cell including:

a third electrode,

a fourth electrode facing the third electrode,

a second photoelectric conversion layer between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the second photoelectric conversion layer generating second signal charge, and

a second signal detection circuit connected to the third electrode, the second signal detection circuit detecting the second signal charge,

the voltage supply circuit supplies the first voltage to the fourth electrode in a fourth period when the second unit pixel cell accumulates the second signal charge, a voltage of the fourth electrode with respect to a voltage of the third electrode being negative in the fourth period,

the voltage supply circuit supplies the second voltage to at least one of the third electrode and the fourth electrode in a fifth period, the fifth period including a sixth period when a voltage of the fourth electrode on the basis of a voltage of the third electrode is positive, and

the third period in a frame period is at least partially different from the sixth period in the frame period.

15. The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the second photoelectric conversion layer includes an organic semiconductor material.

16. The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein

the first period and the second period are included in a frame period, and

the second period divides the first period into two separate periods.

17. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein

the one or more unit pixel cells are arranged in a two-dimensional array having rows and columns,

the one or more unit pixel cells include a second unit pixel cell, the second unit pixel cell including:

a third electrode,

a fourth electrode facing the third electrode,

a second photoelectric conversion layer between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the second photoelectric conversion layer generating second signal charge, and

a second signal detection circuit connected to the third electrode, the second signal detection circuit detecting the second signal charge,

a row in which the first unit pixel cell is located is different from a row in which the second unit pixel cell is located, and

the first signal detection circuit outputs a signal of the first unit pixel cell at first timing in a frame period, the second signal detection circuit outputting a signal of the second unit pixel cell at second timing different from the first timing in the frame period.

18. The imaging device according to claim 17, comprising a second controller that causes the first signal detection circuit to output the signal of the first unit pixel cell, and causes the second signal detection circuit to output the signal of the second unit pixel cell.

19. An imaging device comprising:

one or more unit pixel cells including a first unit pixel cell, the first unit pixel cell including;

a first electrode,

a second electrode facing the first electrode,

a first photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first photoelectric conversion layer generating first signal charge, and

a first signal detection circuit connected to the first electrode, the first signal detection circuit detecting the first signal charge; and

a voltage supply circuit, wherein

the voltage supply circuit supplies a positive voltage to the second electrode in a first period when the first unit pixel cell accumulates the first signal charge, and

the voltage supply circuit supplies a zero or negative voltage to the second electrode in a third period included in a second period other than the first period.

20. The imaging device according to claim 19, comprising a first controller that causes the voltage supply circuit to supply the first voltage and the second voltage.