MOS type image pickup device having pixel interleaved array layout and one analog to digital conversion unit provided per each pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion columns
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
- a number of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a plurality of rows and columns in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element column of an even number being shifted in a column direction by about a half pitch between photoelectric conversion elements in each photoelectric conversion element column, relative to each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element column of an odd number, and each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element row of an even number being shifted in a row direction by about a half pitch between photoelectric conversion elements in each photoelectric conversion element row, relative to each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element row of an odd number, so that each photoelectric conversion element row includes photoelectric conversion elements of only the odd or even columns;
a switching circuit unit provided per each photoelectric conversion element, said switching circuit unit including an output transistor capable of generating an electric images signal representing an amount of a signal charge accumulated in a corresponding photoelectric conversion element;
a row select signal wiring line provided per each photoelectric conversion element row and extending along a corresponding photoelectric conversion element row, said row select signal wiring line connected to and supplying a row select signal to associated switching circuit units of odd or even columns, the row select signal controlling generation of the electric image signal;
an analog/digital conversion unit provided for each pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion element columns, and comprising a common sample/hold circuit and a common A/D converter; and
an output signal line electrically connecting said analog/digital conversion unit and the output transistors in said each pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion element columns.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A number of photoelectric conversion elements are disposed in a plurality of rows and columns in a pixel shift layout, and an analog/digital conversion unit is provided per two photoelectric conversion element columns to form a MOS type solid-state image pickup device. It is possible to suppress an increase in the manufacture cost of MOS type solid state image pickup devices with built-in A/D conversion units and improve the integration degree of photoelectric conversion elements.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
-
a number of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a plurality of rows and columns in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element column of an even number being shifted in a column direction by about a half pitch between photoelectric conversion elements in each photoelectric conversion element column, relative to each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element column of an odd number, and each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element row of an even number being shifted in a row direction by about a half pitch between photoelectric conversion elements in each photoelectric conversion element row, relative to each photoelectric conversion element of a photoelectric conversion element row of an odd number, so that each photoelectric conversion element row includes photoelectric conversion elements of only the odd or even columns;
a switching circuit unit provided per each photoelectric conversion element, said switching circuit unit including an output transistor capable of generating an electric images signal representing an amount of a signal charge accumulated in a corresponding photoelectric conversion element;
a row select signal wiring line provided per each photoelectric conversion element row and extending along a corresponding photoelectric conversion element row, said row select signal wiring line connected to and supplying a row select signal to associated switching circuit units of odd or even columns, the row select signal controlling generation of the electric image signal;
an analog/digital conversion unit provided for each pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion element columns, and comprising a common sample/hold circuit and a common A/D converter; and
an output signal line electrically connecting said analog/digital conversion unit and the output transistors in said each pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion element columns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification