# US 10,375,332 B2 · Imaging device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,332 B2 - Document ID: US10375332B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/406,822 - Filed: 2017-01-16 - Published: 2017-07-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-22 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuko Nishimura; Tokuhiko Tamaki; Masashi Murakami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375332B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/585: with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes - H04N 25/618: for random or high-frequency noise - H04N 25/65: applied to reset noise, e.g. KTC noise related to CMOS structures by techniques other than CDS - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - 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 - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/80373: {characterised by the gate of the transistor} - H10F 39/811: {Interconnections} - 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 includes: a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, and a first signal detection circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first signal; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, and a second signal detection circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second signal. A sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell. A circuit configuration of the first signal detection circuit is different from a circuit configuration of the second signal detection circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging device comprising: a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, and a first circuit that is electrically connected to the first photoelectric converter and detects the first signal; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, and a second circuit that is electrically connected to the second photoelectric converter and detects the second signal, wherein a sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell, a circuit configuration of the first circuit is different from a circuit configuration of the second circuit, the first circuit reduces random noise more than the second circuit does, the first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, the first circuit includes a first amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the first electrode, a first transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, and a feedback circuit that forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first amplifier transistor and the first transistor, the second photoelectric converter includes a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and the second circuit includes a second amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second photoelectric converter includes a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode; and the second circuit includes a first capacitive element that is electrically connected to the second electrode and accumulates at least a part of the second signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a first feedback circuit including an inverting amplifier, wherein the first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, the first circuit includes a first amplifier transistor and a first reset transistor, a gate of the first amplifier transistor being electrically connected to the first electrode, one of a source and a drain of the first reset transistor being electrically connected to the first electrode, and the first feedback circuit forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first amplifier transistor, the inverting amplifier, and the first reset transistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second pixel cell does not include a feedback circuit that forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the second electrode via the second amplifier transistor and the second transistor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the second circuit includes a capacitive element that is electrically connected to the second electrode and accumulates at least a part of the second signal. ### Claim 6 An imaging device comprising a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, the first photoelectric converter including a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, and a first amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the first electrode; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, the second photoelectric converter including a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and a second amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein a sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell, and a gate width of the gate of the first amplifier transistor is larger than a gate width of the gate of the second amplifier transistor. ### Claim 7 An imaging device comprising a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, the first photoelectric converter including a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, and a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, the second photoelectric converter including a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and a second reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein a sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell, and a gate length of a gate of the first reset transistor is larger than a gate length of a gate of the second reset transistor. ### Claim 8 An imaging device comprising a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, the first photoelectric converter including a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, a first amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a second capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, a reference voltage being applied to the other end of the second capacitive element, a capacitance value of the second capacitive element being larger than a capacitance value of the first capacitive element, a first band control transistor one of a source and a drain of which is connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, and a first feedback circuit; a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, the second photoelectric converter including a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and a second amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the second electrode; and an inverting amplifier, wherein a sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell, and the first feedback circuit forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first amplifier transistor, the inverting amplifier, the first band control transistor, and the first capacitive element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 11 An imaging device comprising a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, the first photoelectric converter including a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, a first amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a second capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, a reference voltage being applied to the other end of the second capacitive element, a capacitance value of the second capacitive element being larger than a capacitance value of the first capacitive element, a first band control transistor one of a source and a drain of which is connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, and a first feedback circuit; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, the second photoelectric converter including a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and a second amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein a sensitivity of the first pixel cell is higher than a sensitivity of the second pixel cell, one of a source and a drain of the first amplifier transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor, and the first feedback circuit forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first amplifier transistor, the first band control transistor, and the first capacitive element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the first pixel cell includes a first selection transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first amplifier transistor, the other of the source and the drain of the first selection transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor, and the first feedback circuit forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first amplifier transistor, the first selection transistor, the first band control transistor, and the first capacitive element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 17 An imaging device comprising a first pixel cell including a first photoelectric converter that generates a first signal by photoelectric conversion, the first photoelectric converter including a first electrode and a first photoelectric conversion region on the first electrode, a first amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the first electrode, a second capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, a reference voltage being applied to the other end of the second capacitive element, a capacitance value of the second capacitive element being larger than a capacitance value of the first capacitive element, a first band control transistor one of a source and a drain of which is connected to the other end of the first capacitive element, and a first feedback circuit; and a second pixel cell including a second photoelectric converter that generates a second signal by photoelectric conversion, the second photoelectric converter including a second electrode and a second photoelectric conversion region on the second electrode, and a second amplifier transistor a gate of which is electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein a gate of the first band control transistor is electrically connected to the first electrode; and the first feedback circuit forms a feedback path for negatively feeding back a voltage of the first electrode via the first band control transistor and the first capacitive element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein the other end of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first band control transistor.