Semiconductor device

• US 8,502,902 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki, Ikeda, Takayuki, Tamura, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US13/039,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 34833301-33309, 345/207, 345/175, 250/208.1, 257290-292
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1461 characterised by the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14692 Thin film technologies, e.g. amorphous, poly, micro- or nanocrystalline silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/50 Control of the SSIS exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/51 Control of the gain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A semiconductor device obtains highly accurate image data regardless of the intensity of incident light. The semiconductor device includes a first photo sensor provided in a pixel, a second photo sensor provided around the pixel, and a controller for setting the drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with the intensity of outside light obtained by the second photo sensor. An image is taken after the sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive condition set by the controller. Thus, in the semiconductor device, an image can be taken using the first photo sensor whose sensitivity is optimized in accordance with the intensity of incident light.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first photo sensor in a pixel;

a transistor in the pixel, wherein the transistor is electrically connected to a pixel electrode;

a second photo sensor out of the pixel;

a controller for setting a drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second photo sensor; and

a light-blocking film overlapping with the first photo sensor and the transistor,

wherein sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive condition,

wherein the first photo sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region are over and in contact with a same surface.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the drive condition includes one of a drive timing signal and drive voltage.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first photo sensor comprises:

a photodiode;

a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the photodiode;

a second transistor, wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor;

a first wiring electrically connected to the other one of the source and the drain of the first transistor; and

a second wiring electrically connected to a second terminal of the photodiode, wherein the second wiring is isolated from the first wiring.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, the first photo sensor and the second photo sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel includes a display element including the transistor and the pixel electrode and is capable of taking an image.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first photo sensor in a pixel;

a second photo sensor out of the pixel; and

a controller for setting a drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second photo sensor;

wherein the controller includes a first register, a translation table, a CPU, a first memory, a timing controller including a second register, and a power supply circuit including a third register,

wherein the first register is configured to store first data of the intensity of the light obtained by the second photo sensor;

wherein the translation table is configured to store data for specifying the drive condition depending on intensity of light,

wherein the CPU is configured to generate a second data to be stored in the second register and a third data to be stored in the third register by using the first data and the data stored in the translation table, in accordance with a command of a program stored in the first memory,

wherein the timing controller is configured to generate a drive timing signal of the first photo sensor by using the second data,

wherein the power supply circuit is configured to generate drive voltage of the first photo sensor by using the third data, and

wherein sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive timing signal and the drive voltage.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6,

wherein the first photo sensor comprises:

a photodiode;

a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the photodiode;

a second transistor, wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor;

a first wiring electrically connected to the other one of the source and the drain of the first transistor; and

a second wiring electrically connected to a second terminal of the photodiode, wherein the second wiring is isolated from the first wiring.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6,

wherein the first photo sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region are over and in contact with a same surface.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, the first photo sensor and the second photo sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transistor in the pixel, wherein the transistor is electrically connected to a pixel electrode; and

a light-blocking film overlapping with the first photo sensor and the transistor.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 6,

wherein the power supply circuit includes a D/A converter and an amplifier, and

wherein the power supply circuit is configured to generate the drive voltage by converting the third data into output voltage by the D/A converter and amplifying the output voltage by the amplifier.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the pixel includes a display element and is capable of taking an image.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first photo sensor in a pixel;

a second photo sensor out of the pixel; and

a controller for setting a drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with intensity of light obtained by the second photo sensor;

wherein the controller includes a first register, a translation table, a CPU, a first memory, a second memory, a timing controller including a second register, and a power supply circuit including a third register,

wherein the first register is configured to store first data of the intensity of the light obtained by the second photo sensor;

wherein the translation table is configured to store data for specifying the drive condition depending on intensity of light,

wherein in accordance with a command of a program stored in the first memory, the CPU is configured to execute the program by using the second memory to generate a second data to be stored in the second register and a third data to be stored in the third register by using the first data and the data stored in the translation table,

wherein the timing controller is configured to generate a drive timing signal of the first photo sensor by using the second data,

wherein the power supply circuit is configured to generate drive voltage of the first photo sensor by using the third data, and

wherein sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive timing signal and the drive voltage.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13,

wherein the first photo sensor comprises:

a photodiode;

a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the photodiode;

a second transistor, wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor;

a first wiring electrically connected to the other one of the source and the drain of the first transistor; and

a second wiring electrically connected to a second terminal of the photodiode, wherein the second wiring is isolated from the first wiring.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13,

wherein the first photo sensor includes a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a first region including an impurity element which imparts n-type conductivity and a second region including an impurity element which imparts p-type conductivity, and

wherein the first region and the second region are over and in contact with a same surface.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, the first photo sensor and the second photo sensor are provided so as to be visible through a same surface.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a transistor in the pixel, wherein the transistor is electrically connected to a pixel electrode; and

a light-blocking film overlapping with the first photo sensor and the transistor.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 13,

wherein the power supply circuit includes a D/A converter and an amplifier, and

wherein the power supply circuit is configured to generate the drive voltage by converting the third data into output voltage by the D/A converter and amplifying the output voltage by the amplifier.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the pixel includes a display element and is capable of taking an image.