Solid-state imaging element, method for driving the same, and camera system

• US 20050041127A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kazuya Yonemoto, Koichi Shiono, Ryoji Suzuki, Takahisa Ueno
• Original Assignee: Kazuya Yonemoto, Koichi Shiono, Ryoji Suzuki, Takahisa Ueno
• Inventors: Yonemoto, Kazuya, Suzuki, Ryoji, Ueno, Takahisa, Shiono, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/301
• 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 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14638 Structures specially adapted for transferring the charges across the imager perpendicular to the imaging plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/40 Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/441 by reading contiguous pixels from selected rows or columns of the array, e.g. interlaced scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/65 applied to reset noise, e.g. KTC noise related to CMOS structures by techniques other than CDS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1512 for MOS image-sensors, e.g. MOS-CCD H04N3/1581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

Since the great number of elements constituting a unit pixel having an amplification function would hinder reduction of pixel size, unit pixel n,m arranged in a matrix form is comprised of a photodiode, a transfer switch for transferring charges stored in the photodiode, a loating diffusion for storing charges transferred by the transfer switch, a reset switch for resetting the floating diffusion, and an amplifying transistor for outputting a signal in accordance with the potential of the floating diffusion to a vertical signal line, and by affording vertical selection pulse φVn to the drain of the reset switch to control a reset potential thereof, pixels are selected in units of rows.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging element, comprising:

unit pixels each of which has a photoelectric conversion element, a transfer switch for transferring charge stored in said photoelectric conversion element a charge store part for storing charge transferred by said transfer switch and a reset switch for resetting said charge store part;

wherein said reset switch is driven by a reset pulse and said reset pulse for one of said unit pixels is also employed to drive said transfer switch of at least one of the other of said unit pixels.

2. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vertical scanning circuit affords vertical selection pulses sequentially output during vertical scanning to a reset switch as a reset potential thereof.

3. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said charge store part is floating diffusion.

4. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a depression type transistor as a reset transistor.

5. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein an output circuit outputs signals read into said vertical signal lines in voltage mode.

6. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein an output circuit outputs signals read into said vertical signal lines in current mode.

7. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said unit pixels each include an overflow path between said photoelectric transfer element and an area to which a pixel source voltage is applied, said overflow path being used to discharge excess charges of said photoelectric transfer element.

8. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a negative potential is applied to the control electrode of said transfer switch.

9. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said unit pixels include a transfer selection switch for selecting a transfer operation of said transfer switches.

10. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 9, wherein said transfer switch makes a controlled input of said vertical selection pulses.

11. A solid-state imaging element as claimed in claim 9, wherein an output circuit outputs signals read into vertical signal lines in current mode.

12-15. -15 (Canceled)