# US 10,375,329 B2 · Imaging device including photoelectric conversion layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,329 B2 - Document ID: US10375329B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/963,410 - Filed: 2018-04-26 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-03 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yasuo Miyake; Masashi Murakami; Tokuhiko Tamaki; Yoshiaki Satou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375329B2 ## CPC - H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors - H04N 25/532: by controlling global shutters in CMOS SSIS - H04N 25/62: Detection or reduction of noise due to excess charges produced by the exposure, e.g. smear, blooming, ghost image, crosstalk or leakage between pixels - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/76: Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors - H10F 39/193: {Infrared image sensors} - H10F 39/803: {Pixels having integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements} - H10F 39/8037: {the integrated elements comprising a transistor} - H04N 25/531: by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS - H10K 85/311: {Phthalocyanine} - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract An imaging device including: unit pixel cells each including a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, a charge accumulation region connected to the first electrode, and a signal detection circuit connected to the charge accumulation region; and a voltage supply circuit connected to the second electrode, the voltage supply circuit supplying a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period, the voltage supply circuit supplying a second voltage that is different from the first voltage to the second electrode in a second period. Each unit pixel cells includes a reset transistor which switches between supply and cutoff of a reset voltage initializing the charge accumulation region, and a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode when the reset voltage is supplied is greater than a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode after the reset voltage is cut off. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging device comprising: unit pixel cells each including a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, a charge accumulation region electrically connected to the first electrode, and a signal detection circuit electrically connected to the charge accumulation region; and a voltage supply circuit electrically connected to the second electrode, the voltage supply circuit supplying a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period, the voltage supply circuit supplying a second voltage that is different from the first voltage to the second electrode in a second period different from the first period, wherein the unit pixel cells each include a reset transistor that is electrically connected to the charge accumulation region, the reset transistor switching between supply and cutoff of a reset voltage for initializing the charge accumulation region, and a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode when the reset voltage is supplied is greater than a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode after the reset voltage is cut off. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the reset transistor is an n-channel field-effect transistor, and the reset voltage is greater than the second voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the reset transistor is a p-channel field-effect transistor, and the reset voltage is smaller than the second voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the unit pixel cells are two-dimensionally arrayed in rows and columns, and signals detected by the signal detection circuits of the unit pixel cells are read out at different timings for each of the rows. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first period is one of a plurality of first periods, and the plurality of the first periods are included in one frame period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the voltage supply circuit supplies the first voltage to the second electrode at mutually different magnitudes among the plurality of first periods. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising: an image forming circuit that acquires a plurality of sets of image data based on each output from the signal detection circuit at the plurality of first periods, and forms a multiple-exposure image by superimposing the plurality of sets of image data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising: an image forming circuit that acquires a signal from the signal detection circuit, the signal corresponding to signal charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region in the one frame period, the image forming circuit forming a multiple-exposure image based on the signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first period is a period for accumulating charges generated by photoelectric conversion in the charge accumulation region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the start and end of the first period is common to the unit pixel cells. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the reset transistor switches between supply and cutoff of the reset voltage for initializing the charge accumulation region in the second period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the start and end of the first period is common to the pixels. ### Claim 13 An imaging device comprising: pixels each including a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a reset transistor that is electrically connected to the first electrode, the reset transistor switching between supply and cutoff of a reset voltage for initializing a voltage of the first electrode; and a voltage supply circuit electrically connected to the second electrode, the voltage supply circuit supplying a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period, the voltage supply circuit supplying a second voltage that is different from the first voltage to the second electrode in a second period different from the first period, wherein a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode when the reset voltage is supplied is greater than a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode after the reset voltage is cut off. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the reset transistor is an n-channel field-effect transistor, and the reset voltage is greater than the second voltage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the reset transistor is a p-channel field-effect transistor, and the reset voltage is smaller than the second voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the pixels are two-dimensionally arrayed in rows and columns, and signals from the pixels are read out at different timings for each of the rows. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the first period is one of a plurality of first periods, and the plurality of the first periods are included in one frame period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein the voltage supply circuit supplies the first voltage to the second electrode at mutually different magnitudes among the plurality of first periods. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the pixels each include a charge accumulation region electrically connected to the first electrode, and the first period is a period for accumulating charges generated by photoelectric conversion in the charge accumulation region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The imaging device according to claim 19, wherein the reset transistor switches between supply and cutoff of the reset voltage for initializing the voltage of the first electrode in the second period.