Integrated circuit color chip with cells with integral color filters including triplets of photodiodes with each having integrated therewith transistors for reading from and writing to the photodiode and methods of manufacture and operation thereof

• US 6,133,954 A
• Filed: 03/14/1996
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cirrus Logic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tritech Microelectronics Ltd.
• Inventors: Jie, Liang, Wee, Siang-Tze
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M.
• Application Number:
  US08/616,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 348/275, 348/281, 348/272, 348/273, 348/302, 348/308, 348/47, 348/241, 257/440, 257/239, 257/461, 257/462
• US Class Current: 348/308
• 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 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/534 depending on the spectral component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

A single integrated-circuit color camera chip is color sensitive by grouping closely-adjoining light-detecting cells in a photodiode array into triplets. Each pixel of the sensor includes both a read transistor and a write transistor. Each cells in the triplet is similar, but each cell is associated with a color filter of a different color, with red, green or blue cells in an R-G-B system. The proximity and small size of the cells in a triplet allows accurate color differentiation each pixel. Color information is adjusted on-chip for color, brightness and contrast before being sent to an external read device or display device. The color filter is a series of passive layers formed on the integrated circuit surface permitting the selective transmission of light or electromagnetic radiation of certain frequency ranges. The filter may be coated onto a semiconductor wafer after the latter has undergone conventional MOS process steps.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit color camera chip which functions as an image detector system, said single semiconductor, integrated circuit chip including an image detector system being formed in a region of a single semiconductor chip comprising:

said single semiconductor, integrated circuit chip including an entire color camera formed of integrated circuits,

said integrated circuits in said semiconductor chip including a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells each having a surface, with said color detector cells formed in said semiconductor chip, a plurality of passband filter means for selectively detecting electromagnetic radiation within a plurality of bands of electromagnetic information, with each of said passband filter means being formed on a said surface of a corresponding one of said detector cells on said semiconductor chip,

each of said detector cells in said single semiconductor, integrated circuit chip having a photodiode formed in said chip, a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor formed in said chip for writing signals to and reading signals from said photodiode,

each of said cells comprising a photodiode with a common drain region in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and said diode between a set of said gate electrodes of said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in said substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from said common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

each of said cells in said chip including means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation of a plurality of predetermined ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths by virtue of associated passband filter means for said wavelength formed on said single semiconductor, integrated circuit chip over said photodiodes on said integrated circuit, with said filter means on said single semiconductor, integrated circuit chip having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a group, wherein said circuit is implemented in a technology selected from the group consisting of CMOS, PMOS, NMOS, BiCMOS and BiMOS technologies.

2. An integrated circuit color camera chip as claimed in claim 1 with an array of charge sense-amplifiers formed on said chip closely associated with said detector cells.

3. An integrated circuit color camera chip as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

separate signal paths are located on said chip for said plurality of detector cells,

whereby individual radiation information is not lost.

4. An integrated circuit color camera chip as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

located on said integrated circuit chip is means for radiation band-differentiation provided by means for providing filtration of radiation band filters, said means for radiation band-differentiation is located on said integrated circuit chip,

whereby a single matrix detector array provides accurate radiation band image reproduction in a radiation band image sensing system.

5. An integrated circuit color camera chip, as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

said radiation bands are bands of color passed through a color filter and said system provides color signals from said cells, wherein located on said integrated circuit chip is a color band-balancing system is provided for scaling a color signal anywhere in its on-chip signal path,

whereby the magnitude of the scaling transformation is adapted to be adjusted externally to provide hue control and enhanced color reproduction.

6. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein each color sensing cell has its own charge sense-amplifier located on said integrated circuit chip.

7. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said color sensing cells share charge sense-amplifiers located on said integrated circuit chip between a plurality of detector cells of a particular color in a column.

8. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 5, with color sensing cells sharing charge sense-amplifiers located on said integrated circuit between several detector cells located on said integrated circuit of a predetermined color passband in a column of cells.

9. A chip in accordance with claim 2 wherein:

at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from;

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

10. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein located on said integrated circuit chip are said detector cells arranged in groups of a plurality of cells having different passbands of sensitivity to staggered arrangement of color detector cells within each pixel group comprising a group of detector cells which detect a single picture element, said staggered arrangement allowing said circuit to detect changes in luminance at boundaries between groups of detector cells.

11. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 10 which uses an irregular layout arrangement of detector cells located on said integrated circuit chip in a said pixel group of the photodiode array located on said integrated circuit chip.

12. An integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, with embedded color-encoding circuitry located on said integrated circuit and power-amplification circuitry located on said integrated circuit for driving a device selected from the group consisting of a read device and a television receiver.

13. A integrated circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said device is able to output a composite video signal encompassing all the color image information, or to output several individual color or luminance signals is provided to a read or display device.

14. A integrated circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit detects both still image and moving image signals.

15. A integrated circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit is incorporated in a lightweight, portable, miniature camera system.

16. A integrated circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit is incorporated in a low power camera for use in portable applications.

17. A color camera chip with system formed therein in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from;

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object, and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

18. An image detector on a single integrated circuit semiconductor chip comprising:

said single semiconductor chip comprising an entire image detector formed of integrated circuits,

said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip including a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells with said detector cells being associated with associated passband filter means formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip for selectively detecting electromagnetic radiation within a plurality of bands of electromagnetic information, said associated passband filter means being formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

each of said detector cells formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip having therein a photodiode a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor for writing signals to and reading signals from said photodiode,

each of said cells comprising a photodiode with a common drain region formed in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and said diode between a set of said gate electrodes of said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in said substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes, on the distal side thereof from said common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

each of said cells on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip including means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation of a plurality of predetermined ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths by virtue of said associated passband filter means for said wavelength formed over said photodiodes on said integrated circuit, with said filter means having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a said group, wherein said circuit is implemented in a technology selected from the group consisting of CMOS, PMOS, NMOS, BiCMOS and BiMOS technologies on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, said associated passband filter means being formed on the surface of said semiconductor chip above said detector cells.

19. A camera system comprising an integrated circuit chip in accordance with claim 18 wherein:

at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from;

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

20. An integrated circuit formed on a single semiconductor chip which functions as a color image detector comprising:

said single semiconductor chip comprising said entire color image detector formed of integrated circuits,

a two-dimensional array of groups of detector cells formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, each group comprising several detector cells adapted for sensing a different complementary color passband color,

each of said detector cells having a photodiode and at least two transistors, including a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor for writing to and reading from said photodiode formed in said single semiconductor chip,

each of said cells comprising a said photodiode with a common drain region formed in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and said diode between a set of said gate electrodes of said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in said substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from said common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

each of said groups of cells in said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip including means for sensing incident color in the light radiation range of wavelengths of a plurality of predetermined ranges of color wavelengths by virtue of associated passband filter means for said wavelength formed over said photodiodes on said integrated circuit, with said filter means having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a said group said filter means formed on the surface of said semiconductor chip above said detector cells, said associated passband filter means being formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip,

charge sense-amplifiers formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip closely associated with said color detector cells being formed on said semiconductor chip, and

separate signal paths formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip for the plurality of detector cells within each picture element group being formed on said semiconductor chip, such a scheme ensuring that individual color information is not lost.

21. A camera system comprising an integrated circuit chip in accordance with claim 20 wherein at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from:

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object, and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

22. An integrated circuit formed on a single semiconductor integrated circuit semiconductor chip which functions as an image detector system, said integrated circuit comprising:

said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip comprising said entire color image detector formed of integrated circuits,

a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells formed in said formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip with said cells being formed into groups of at least three detector cells,

each of said detector cells having a photodiode, including a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor for writing signals to and reading signals from said photodiode, formed in a region of said single semiconductor chip,

each of said cells comprising a said photodiode with a common drain region formed in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and said diode between a set of said gate electrodes of said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in said substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from said common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

each detector cell in a group of said detector cells being associated with a set of passband filter means formed in said said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, for selectively detecting electromagnetic radiation within a different range of bands of electromagnetic information,

each of said detector cells including, formed in said chip, means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation of a plurality of predetermined ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths by virtue of an associated passband filter means formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, for said wavelength formed on a surface of said photodiodes in said integrated circuit, with said filter means having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a said group said filter means formed on the surface of said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip above corresponding ones of said detector cells.

23. An integrated circuit in accordance with claim 22 wherein said filter means comprises a set of filter elements formed on said semiconductor chip over each cell in a group of cells.

24. An integrated circuit chip in accordance with claim 22 wherein:

said filter means comprises a set of passband filter elements formed on said semiconductor chip over each cell with as follows;

a first set of filter elements cells with a first color range of filters laminated between a first transparent layer and a second transparent layer,

a second set of filter elements cells with a second color range of filters laminated between a second transparent layer and a third transparent layer, and

a third set of filter elements cells with a third color range of filters laminated between a third transparent layer and a fourth transparent layer.

25. A camera system comprising integrated circuits in accordance with claim 24 wherein at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from:

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

26. A camera system comprising integrated circuits in accordance with claim 22 wherein at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors in said chip allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from:

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

27. An integrated circuit color camera semiconductor chip comprising:

said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip comprising said entire integrated circuit color camera formed of integrated circuits,

a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells, each having a surface, with said cells being formed into groups of at least three detector cells formed in said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip,

each of said detector cells having a photodiode, a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor for writing signals to and reading signals from said photodiode formed on a region of said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip,

each of said cells comprising a said photodiode with a common drain region formed in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by the precharge control transistor, the sensing control transistor, and the diode between a set of said gate electrodes of the precharge control transistor, the sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in the substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from the common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

said detector cells, formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, each of the cells being covered with an adjustable passband filter means formed on the surface thereof said adjustable passband filter means formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip being adapted for sequentially varying the electromagnetic radiation within a different range of bands of electromagnetic information as a function of time, said passband filter means formed on the surface of said semiconductor chip above said detector cells,

each of said detector cells, formed on said chip, including means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and

formed on said single semiconductor integrated circuit chip is means for multiplexing the detected signals from said cells to provide multiple electrical passband output signals from said cells.

28. A camera system comprising integrated circuits in accordance with claim 27 wherein at least two separately positioned integrated circuit image detectors allow a three-dimensional image to be captured, by a means selected from:

a) detecting phase information of the incident image on each image detector,

b) using means employing triangulation to detect the three-dimensional position of a colored object and

c) a combination of detecting phase information and triangulation.

29. A method of forming an integrated circuit image detector cell formed on a single lightly doped P- integrated circuit semiconductor chip by the steps comprising:

forming a gate oxide layer on said chip,

forming a blanket layer of polysilicon on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

patterning said polysilicon layer into a set of gate electrodes of a precharge control transistor and a sensing control transistor on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

forming a photodiode having a surface in a said detector cell with a common drain region of said photodiode, said precharge control transistor and said sensing control transistor, said common drain region being located between said set of said gate electrodes, and forming a pair of source regions adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from said common drain region by ion implantation into said substrate of said chip, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode in said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip,

said cell being formed in a region of said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip, and

depositing a radiation passband filter over said photodiode on said surface of said photodiode.

30. A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein said passband filter is formed by forming a set of transparent layers over said chip with a passband filter located over said photodiode.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein a group of said photodiodes in said detector cells in said chip are formed into groups of at least three adjacent photodiodes in detector cells and a set of different passband filters is formed in said chip for each said group of cells by forming a set of transparent layers over said device with a different passband wavelength range filter located over different ones of said photodiodes, and a lenslet is formed on said chip over each of said passband filters.

32. A method in accordance with claim 31 wherein:

said cells are formed into a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells in said chip with said detector cells being associated with passband filter means for selectively detecting electromagnetic radiation within a plurality of bands of electromagnetic information,

each of said cells including means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation of a plurality of predetermined ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths by virtue of associated passband filter means for said wavelength formed over said photodiodes in said chip, with said filter means having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a said group, wherein said circuit is implemented in a technology selected from the group consisting of CMOS, PMOS, NMOS, BiCMOS and BiMOS technologies.

33. A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein said passband filter is formed by a variable wavelength passband filter located over said photodiode.

34. A method in accordance with claim 33 wherein:

said cells are formed into a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of color detector cells with said detector cells being associated with passband filter means for selectively detecting electromagnetic radiation within a plurality of bands of electromagnetic information,

each of said cells including means for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation of a plurality of predetermined ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths by virtue of associated passband filter means for said wavelength formed over said photodiodes on said integrated circuit, with said filter means having a diversity of passbands associated with different cells in a said group, wherein said circuit is implemented in a technology selected from the group consisting of CMOS, PMOS, NMOS, BiCMOS and BiMOS technologies.

35. A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein a lenslet is formed on said chip over said passband filter.

36. A camera on a chip, comprising:

a substrate, including an array of pixesl with each including a detector cell comprising a light collecting element which each receives light and stores electronic information in an amount indicative of an amount of light received;

each of said detector cells in said substrate of said chip having a photodiode, a precharge control transistor, and a sensing control transistor formed in said chip for writing signals to and reading signals from said photodiode,

each of said cells comprising a photodiode with a common drain region in said substrate, said common drain region being shared by said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and said diode between a set of said gate electrodes of said precharge control transistor, said sensing control transistor, and a pair of source regions formed in said substrate adjacent to said gate electrodes on the distal side thereof from said common drain region, with said drain region and said chip forming a PN photodiode on said single integrated circuit semiconductor chip, and

processing means integrated on said substrate comprising;

an array of charge sense-amplifiers formed on said chip closely associated with said light collecting elements,

a single matrix detector array providing accurate radiation band image reproduction in a radiation band image sensing system,

wherein circuitry in said control area is formed of MOS devices and said pixel area incorporates MOS devices.