Solid-state image pickup device, driving method thereof, and electronic apparatus

• US 9,769,406 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakano, Yorito
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, TRUNG T
• Application Number:
  US14/781,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 348308, 2502081
• 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: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/771 comprising storage means other than floating diffusion

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion element that generates charges according to a light quantity of incident light and accumulates the charges in the inside thereof, a transfer transistor (TRG) that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, a first charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the transfer transistor (TRG) into a voltage, and a substrate electrode of a MOS capacitor (a region of a second charge voltage conversion section facing a gate electrode) that connects the first charge voltage conversion section via a connection transistor (FDG). The gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is applied with a voltage that is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the first charge voltage conversion section and in a period other than the read period. The present disclosure can also be applied to a CMOS image sensor or the like.

Claims

1. A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion element generates charges according to a quantity of incident light, and wherein the charges are accumulated inside the photoelectric conversion element;

a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the charge transfer section includes a portion of the substrate having a first charge type;

a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage, wherein the charge voltage conversion section includes a portion of the substrate having a second charge type; and

a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode formed in the substrate via a transistor,

wherein a gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is applied with a voltage that is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section than in a period other than the read period.

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

a read transistor that makes a control of reading the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section,

wherein a gate electrode of the read transistor is connected to the gate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 2, wherein the gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is formed to completely cover the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

4. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a reset transistor that resets charges of the charge voltage conversion section,

wherein the gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is turned on at the time of resetting the charges of the charge voltage conversion section.

5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 2, wherein the gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is formed to cover a part of the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 5, further comprising

a reset transistor that resets charges of the charge voltage conversion section,

wherein the gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is turned off at the time of resetting the charges of the charge voltage conversion section.

14. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the first charge type is a p-type, and wherein the second charge type is an n-type.

7. A driving method of a solid-state image pickup device including a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate that generates charges according to a quantity of incident light and accumulates the charges in the inside thereof, a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the charge transfer section includes a portion of the substrate having a first charge type, a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage, wherein the charge voltage conversion section includes a portion of the substrate having a second charge type, and a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode formed in the substrate via a transistor, the method comprising:

applying a voltage, which is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section than in a period other than the read period, to a gate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion element generates charges according to a quantity of incident light, and wherein the charges are accumulated inside the photoelectric conversion element;

a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the charge transfer section includes a portion of the substrate having a first charge type;

a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage, wherein the charge voltage conversion section includes a portion of the substrate having a second charge type; and

a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode formed in the substrate via a transistor,

wherein a gate electrode of the MOS capacitor is applied with a voltage that is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section than in a period other than the read period.

9. A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element that generates charges according to a light quantity of incident light and accumulates the charges in the inside thereof;

a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element;

a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage; and

a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode via a transistor,

wherein the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor is applied with a voltage that is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section and in a period other than the read period.

10. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 9, further comprising

a reset transistor that resets charges of the charge voltage conversion section,

wherein a source electrode of the reset transistor is connected to the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

11. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 10, wherein, when a pulse is applied to a gate electrode of the reset transistor in the period other than the read period, a first voltage is applied to a drain electrode of the reset transistor, and in the read period, a second voltage is applied to the drain electrode of the reset transistor.

12. A driving method of a solid-state image pickup device including a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate that generates charges according to a quantity of incident light and accumulates the charges in the inside thereof, a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the charge transfer section includes a portion of the substrate having a first charge type, a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage, wherein the charge voltage conversion section includes a portion of the substrate having a second charge type, and a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode formed in the substrate via a transistor, the method comprising:

applying a voltage, which is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section than in a period other than the read period, to the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element formed in a substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion element generates charges according to a quantity of incident light, and wherein the charges are accumulated inside the photoelectric conversion element;

a charge transfer section that transfers the charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the charge transfer section includes a portion of the substrate having a first charge type;

a charge voltage conversion section that converts the charges transferred by the charge transfer section into a voltage, wherein the charge voltage conversion section includes a portion of the substrate having a second charge type; and

a MOS capacitor that connects the charge voltage conversion section and a substrate electrode formed in the substrate via a transistor,

wherein the substrate electrode of the MOS capacitor is applied with a voltage that is different in a read period of the voltage signal converted by the charge voltage conversion section than in a period other than the read period.