Solid-state image capturing device including a photochromic film having a variable light transmittance, and electronic device including the solid-state image capturing device

• US 8,605,175 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Izuha, Kyoko, Harada, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): GILES, NICHOLAS G
• Application Number:
  US13/049,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/241, 348/248, 348/266, 348/272, 348/273, 348/276, 348/335, 348/340, 348/342
• US Class Current: 348/272
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements

Abstract

A solid-state image capturing device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a photosensitive surface including a matrix of pixels as respective photoelectric converters; and a photochromic film disposed in a light path through which light is applied to each of the photoelectric converters, the photochromic film being made of a photochromic material having a light transmittance variable depending on the intensity of applied light in a predetermined wavelength range; wherein the light transmittance has a half-value period shorter than one frame during which pixel signals generated by the pixels are read from all the pixels.

Claims

1. A solid-state image capturing device comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a photosensitive surface including a matrix of pixels including respective photoelectric converters; and

a photochromic film disposed in a light path through which light is applied to each of the photoelectric converters, each pixel generating a corresponding pixel signal based on the light applied to the photoelectric converter,

wherein,

the photochromic film is made of a photochromic material having a light transmittance that varies depending on an intensity of applied light in a predetermined wavelength range,

the light transmittance has a half-value period shorter than a duration of one frame corresponding to a period of time during which the pixel signals generated by the pixels are read from all of the pixels, and

the photochromic film has a photoelectric effect and the solid-state image capturing device further comprises a light amount measuring unit that measures an amount of light absorbed by the photochromic film.

2. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processor that combines a light signal representative of the amount of light measured by the light amount measuring unit and a light signal generated by the photoelectric converter in the pixel into the pixel signal from the pixel.

3. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a resetting unit that resets a light signal generated by the photochromic film when the photochromic film absorbs the applied light.

4. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the pixels are divided into red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels, and

the solid-state image capturing device includes color filters that pass light in wavelength ranges of red, green, and blue, the color filters being disposed on the semiconductor substrate in respective light paths leading to photoelectric converters of the red pixels, the green pixels, and the blue pixels.

5. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the photochromic film includes different materials respectively disposed in alignment with the color filters depending on the wavelength ranges.

6. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the photochromic film is made of one material irrespective of the wavelength ranges.

7. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the photochromic film is configured to function as the color filters.

8. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmittance of the photochromic film varies depending on the intensity of applied light in the predetermined wavelength range, the predetermined wavelength range being a visible range.

9. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmittance of the photochromic film (i) increases as the intensity of applied light in the predetermined wavelength range decreases and (ii) decreases as the intensity of applied light in the predetermined wavelength range increases, the predetermined wavelength range being a visible range.

10. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmittance of the photochromic film varies continuously depending on the intensity of applied light in the predetermined wavelength range, the predetermined wavelength range being a visible range.

11. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic material includes hexarylbisimidazole derivative.

12. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic film is shared by all the pixels.

13. The solid-state image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic film is disposed over a region in which the pixels are disposed.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a solid-state image capturing device including an image capturing unit;

an optical system for guiding incident light to the image capturing unit of the solid-state image capturing device; and

a signal processing circuit for processing an output signal from the solid-state image capturing device, the solid-state image capturing device including;

a semiconductor substrate having a photosensitive surface including a matrix of pixels including respective photoelectric converters; and

a photochromic film disposed in a light path through which light is applied to each of the photoelectric converters, each pixel generating a corresponding pixel signal based on the light applied to the photoelectric converter,

wherein,

the photochromic film is made of a photochromic material having a light transmittance that varies depending on an intensity of applied light in a predetermined wavelength range,

the light transmittance has a half-value period shorter than a duration of one frame corresponding to a period of time during which the pixel signals generated by the pixels are read from all of the pixels, and

the photochromic film has a photoelectric effect and the solid-state image capturing device further comprises a light amount measuring unit that measures an amount of light absorbed by the photochromic film.