Solid-state image pickup device, driving method of solid-state image pickup device, and electronic device

• US 8,810,703 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Machida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US13/070,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 348/308, 348/249, 348/302
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding

Abstract

A solid-state image pickup device includes: a plurality of unit pixels including at least a photoelectric converting section, a charge-to-voltage converting section, and one or more transfer means for transferring a charge in a predetermined path; a light shielding film for shielding a surface of the plurality of unit pixels excluding at least a light receiving section of the photoelectric converting section from light; and voltage controlling means for controlling a voltage applied to the light shielding film; wherein transfer of the charge by one of the transfer means is controlled by controlling the voltage applied to the light shielding film.

Claims

1. A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

a plurality of unit pixels each including at least a photoelectric converting section, a charge-to-voltage converting section, a charge discharging section, and one or more transfer means for transferring a charge in either a first predetermined path to the charge-to-voltage converting section or a second predetermined path to the charge discharging section;

a light shielding film for shielding a surface of said plurality of unit pixels excluding at least a light receiving section of said photoelectric converting sections from light; and

voltage controlling means for controlling a voltage applied to said light shielding film;

wherein,

transfer of the charge by one of said transfer means is controlled by (i) applying a control pulse to said light shielding film, and (ii) controlling a potential barrier having a variable height based on the control pulse applied to said light shielding film, and

the voltage controlling means causes the charge to be transferred to the charge discharging section along the second predetermined path if a photodiode saturates during a readout period after an end of light exposure.

2. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein:

each unit pixel includes transfer means for transferring the charge from the photoelectric converting section to the charge-to-voltage converting section, and

for each unit pixel, transfer of a charge by the transfer means for transferring the charge from the photoelectric converting section to the charge-to-voltage converting section is controlling by controlling the voltage applied to said light shielding film.

3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said unit pixels further includes a charge retaining section and transfer means for transferring the charge from said photoelectric converting section to the charge retaining section, and

for each unit pixel, transfer of a charge by the transfer means for transferring the charge from said photoelectric converting section to the charge retaining section is controlled by controlling the voltage applied to said light shielding film.

4. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, comprising an insulating film formed of an oxide film and a nitride film disposed between said light shielding film and a semiconductor substrate in which said unit pixels are formed,

wherein,

only a portion of said insulating film between a part of said light shielding film forming one of the transfer means and said semiconductor substrate is formed of an oxide film alone.

5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising wiring for connecting said light shielding film and said voltage controlling means to each other on an outside of a pixel array section in which said plurality of unit pixels are arranged, and applying the voltage to said light shielding film.

6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising wiring for connecting said light shielding film and said voltage controlling means to each other within a pixel array section in which said plurality of unit pixels are arranged, and applying the voltage to said light shielding film.

7. A method for driving a solid-state image pickup device, the solid-state image pickup device including (a) a plurality of unit pixels each including at least a photoelectric converting section, a charge-to-voltage converting section, a charge discharging section, and one or more transfer means for transferring charge in either a first predetermined path to the charge-to-voltage converting section or a second predetermined path to the charge discharging section, (b) a light shielding film for shielding a surface of said plurality of unit pixels excluding at least a light receiving section of said photoelectric converting section from light, and (c) voltage controlling means for controlling a voltage applied to said light shielding film, the method comprising:

controlling transfer of charge by one of said transfer means by (i) applying a control pulse to said light shielding film, and (ii) controlling a potential barrier having a variable height based on the control pulse applied to said light shielding film,

wherein the voltage controlling means causes the charge to be transferred to the charge discharging section along the second predetermined path if a photodiode saturates during a readout period after an end of light exposure.

8. The method for driving the solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7, comprising controlling transfer of a charge by transfer means for transferring the charge from said photoelectric converting section to said charge discharging section by controlling the voltage applied to said light shielding film.

9. The method for driving the solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7, comprising controlling transfer of a charge by transfer means for transferring the charge from said photoelectric converting section to a charge retaining section by controlling the voltage applied to said light shielding film.

10. An electronic device comprising a solid-state image pickup device, the solid-state image pickup device including:

a plurality of unit pixels each including at least a photoelectric converting section, a charge-to-voltage converting section, a charge discharging section, and one or more transfer means for transferring a charge in either a first predetermined path to the charge-to-voltage converting section or a second predetermined path to the charge discharging section;

a light shielding film for shielding a surface of said plurality of unit pixels excluding at least a light receiving section of said photoelectric converting section from light; and

voltage controlling means for controlling a voltage applied to said light shielding film,

wherein,

the solid-state image pickup device controls transfer of the charge by one of said transfer means by (i) applying a control pulse to said light shielding film, and (ii) controlling a potential barrier having a variable height based on the control pulse applied to said light shielding film, and

the voltage controlling means causes the charge to be transferred to the charge discharging section along the second predetermined path if a photodiode saturates during a readout period after an end of light exposure.