Image sensor with transfer transistors whose on periods are controlled by timing signals based on transistor transfer efficiencies

• US 9,007,505 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): HOGUE, DENNIS A
• Application Number:
  US13/556,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14641 Electronic components shared by two or more pixel-elements, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixel elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/67 applied to fixed-pattern noise, e.g. non-uniformity of response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself

Abstract

An image sensor in which one unit structure includes a plurality of photo-electric conversion units, a floating diffusion, a plurality of transfer transistors which are arranged in correspondence with the plurality of photo-electric conversion units so as to transfer charges respectively converted by the plurality of photo-electric conversion units to the floating diffusion, a source-follower amplifier which outputs a voltage signal according to a charge amount of the floating diffusion, and a reset transistor which resets the plurality of photo-electric conversion units and the floating diffusion, and a plurality of unit structures are two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction and a column direction, the image sensor comprising a control unit which divides the plurality of unit structures into a plurality of groups, and controls the transfer transistors for each divided group.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor which includes a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group including a plurality of pixel units and a floating diffusion unit which temporarily accumulates charges from the plurality of pixels, each pixel unit including a photo-electric conversion unit which converts light into charges and a transfer transistor which transfers the charges from the photo-electric conversion unit to the floating diffusion unit of the corresponding pixel group, and

a timing signal generator which generates timing signals and outputs the generated timing signals to said image sensor,

wherein at least two of the transfer transistors of a predetermined pixel group are turned on for different periods by the timing signals based on transfer efficiencies of the at least two transfer transistors.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixel groups further includes a source-follower amplifier.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of pixel groups are divided into a plurality of groups, and the periods during which each of the transfer transistors is turned on is controlled for each divided group.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein controlling of the periods during which each of the transfer transistors are turned on is repeated by setting a number of the photo-electric conversion units connected to one of the floating diffusion units as one cycle.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixel groups are two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction and a column direction, and periods during which each of the transfer transistors are turned on are controlled for each row.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer efficiencies of the respective transfer transistors are determined by at least one of distances between the photo-electric conversion units and the floating diffusion units, wiring resistances, capacitance components, inductor components, offset components caused by dark currents, characteristics of the transfer transistors, and an electric potential of a pixel unit.

7. A control method of an image sensor which includes a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group including a plurality of pixel units and a floating diffusion unit which temporarily accumulates charges from the plurality of pixels, each pixel unit including a photo-electric conversion unit which converts light into charges and a transfer transistor which transfers the charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the floating diffusion unit of a pixel group, said control method comprising:

a control step of controlling at least two of the transfer transistors of a predetermined pixel group to turn on for different periods by timing signals based on transfer efficiencies of the at least two transfer transistors.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein each of the pixel groups further includes a source-follower amplifier.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of pixel groups are divided into a plurality of groups, and in the control step, the periods during which each of the transfer transistors are turned on is controlled for each divided group.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein in the control step, controlling of the periods during which each of the transfer transistors are turned on is repeated by setting a number of the photo-electric conversion units connected to one of the floating diffusion units as one cycle.

11. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of pixel groups are two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction and a column direction, and in the control step, the periods during which each of the transfer transistors are turned on is controlled for each row.

12. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the transfer efficiencies of the respective transfer transistors are determined by at least one of distances between the photo-electric conversion units and the floating diffusion units, wiring resistances, capacitance components, inductor components, offset components caused by dark currents, characteristics of the transfer transistors, and an electric potential of a pixel unit.