CMOS image sensor having common outputting transistors and method for driving the same

• US 6,731,335 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1999
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV), Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung), Tarsium B.V.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun Eun, Kang, Hoai Sig
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISLEH, JUSTIN P
• Application Number:
  US09/305,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 348/294, 348/302, 348/303, 348/304, 348/308, 348/309, 348/241, 257/291, 257/292, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/308
• 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

The present invention provides a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor including a unit pixel, wherein the unit pixel includes photodiodes for receiving incident light and for generating photo charges, single sensing node for selectively receiving the photo charges outputted from the photodiodes; a reset transistor for resetting the single sensing node; and a drive transistor for outputting electrical signals corresponding to voltage levels of the single sensing node, and wherein the CMOS image sensor samples the electrical signals through the correlated double sampling and then outputs a final image value to an external device.

Claims

1. A method for driving a unit pixel which comprises a first photodiode for receiving light from an object and for generating and integrating photoelectric charges;

a first transfer transistor coupled between the first photodiode and a single sensing node, for transferring the photoelectric charges generated in the first photodiode to the single sensing node, in response to a first control signal;

a second photodiode for receiving light from the object and for generating and integrating photoelectric charges;

a second transfer transistor coupled between the second photodiode and the single sensing node, for transferring the photoelectric charges generating in the second photodiode to the single sensing node, in response to a second control signal;

a reset transistor coupled between a power supply and the single sensing node, for outputting the photoelectric charges stored in the single sensing node, in the response to a third control signal;

a drive transistor coupled to the power supply, for acting as a source follower in response to an output of the single sensing node; and

a select transistor coupled to the drive transistor, for outputting an image data driven by the drive transistor in response to address signals, the method comprising the steps of;

(a) fully depleting the first and second photodiodes;

(b) receiving light in the first and second photodiodes and generating photoelectric charges;

(c) turning on the reset transistor, turning off the first and second transfer transistors and turning on a selector transistor, and outputting a reset voltage level through the single sensing node, the drive transistor and the select transistor;

(d) turning off the reset transistor and then turning on the first transfer transistor with said reset transistor remaining off, and outputting a data voltage level of the photoelectric charges generated in the first photodiode through the single sensing node, the drive transistor and the select transistor;

(e) turning on the reset transistor, turning off the first transfer transistor and outputting the reset voltage level through the single sensing node, the drive transistor and the select transistor; and

(f) turning off the reset transistor and then turning on the second transfer transistor with said reset transistor remaining off, and outputting a data voltage level of the photoelectric charges generated in the second photodiode through the single sensing node, the drive transistor and the select transistor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises the step of generating and integrating the photoelectric charges of the first photodiode, regardless of the states of the reset transistor, the second transfer transistor and the select transistor, while the first transfer transistor is turned off.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the method controls a depletion time and a photo charge generating and integrating time by adjusting a turn-on time and a turn-off time for the first and second transfer transistors.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises the step of generating and integrating the photoelectric charges of the second photodiode, regardless the states of the reset transistor, the first transfer and the select transistor, while the second transfer transistor is turned off.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises the steps of:

turning off the reset transistor and settling the reset voltage level; and

sampling the settled reset voltage level.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the sampled reset voltage level is outputted to an analogue-to-digital converter so that the sampled reset voltage level is converted into a digital signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (d) further comprises the steps of:

turning off the first transfer transistor and settling the data voltage level; and

sampling the settled data voltage level.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sampled data voltage level is outputted to an analogue-to-digital converter so that the sampled data voltage level is converted into a digital signal.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (e) further comprises the steps of:

turning off the reset transistor and settling the reset voltage level; and

sampling the settled reset voltage level.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the sampled reset voltage level is outputted to an analogue-to-digital converter so that the sampled reset voltage level is converted into a digital signal.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step (f) further comprises the steps of:

turning off the second transfer transistor and settling the data voltage level; and

sampling the settled data voltage level.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the sampled data voltage level is outputted to an analogue-to-digital converter so that the sampled data voltage level is converted into a digital signal.