Photosensors including photodiode control electrodes and methods of operating same
First Claim
1. A sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
a floating diffusion region in the substrate;
a photodiode in the substrate;
a transfer transistor having a channel extending between the floating diffusion region and a portion of the photodiode laterally spaced apart from the floating diffusion region; and
an electrode disposed on the portion of the photodiode, wherein the photodiode is configured to receive incident light from a side of the substrate opposite the electrode.
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Abstract
A sensor includes a substrate, a floating diffusion node in the substrate, a photodiode in the substrate laterally spaced apart from the floating diffusion region and a transfer transistor coupling the photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The sensor further includes a photodiode control electrode disposed on the photodiode and configured to control a carrier distribution of the photodiode responsive to a control signal applied thereto. The floating diffusion region may have a first conductivity type, the photodiode may include a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type disposed on a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, and the photodiode control electrode may be disposed on the first semiconductor region. The photodiode may be configured to receive incident light from a side of the substrate opposite the photodiode control electrode. The transfer transistor may include a gate electrode on a channel region in the substrate and the photodiode control electrode and the transfer transistor gate electrode may be separately controllable. In further embodiments, the photodiode control electrode comprises an extension of the transfer transistor gate electrode.
16 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A sensor comprising:
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a substrate; a floating diffusion region in the substrate; a photodiode in the substrate; a transfer transistor having a channel extending between the floating diffusion region and a portion of the photodiode laterally spaced apart from the floating diffusion region; and an electrode disposed on the portion of the photodiode, wherein the photodiode is configured to receive incident light from a side of the substrate opposite the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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8. A sensor comprising:
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a substrate; a floating diffusion region in the substrate; a photodiode in the substrate laterally spaced apart from the floating diffusion region; a transfer transistor coupling the photodiode and the floating diffusion region; and an electrode disposed on the photodiode, wherein the photodiode is configured to receive incident light from a side of the substrate opposite the electrode, wherein the electrode is a control electrode configured to apply a control signal and the transfer transistor comprises a gate electrode on a channel region in the substrate and wherein the control electrode comprises an extension of the gate electrode of the transfer transistor that extends laterally off the channel region.
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14. A sensor comprising:
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a substrate; a floating diffusion region in the substrate; a photodiode in the substrate; an electrode disposed on a portion of the photodiode laterally spaced apart from the floating diffusion region, wherein the photodiode is configured to receive incident light from a side of the substrate opposite the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification