# US 10,483,307 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 10,483,307 B2 - Document ID: US10483307B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/791,909 - Filed: 2017-10-24 - Published: 2018-05-31 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroshi Sekine; Yusuke Onuki; Masahiro Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483307B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding} - G06T 7/571: from focus - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/771: comprising storage means other than floating diffusion - 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 - H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes} - H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Provided is an imaging device including a substrate; a pixel array in which pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional manner on the substrate, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit that accumulates charges generated from an incident light, a charge holding unit that holds the charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplification unit that receives the charges transferred from the charge holding unit; and a light-shielding portion arranged to cover at least the charge holding unit. The photoelectric conversion unit and the charge holding unit in each pixel are aligned in a first direction in a top view orthogonal to the substrate. The charge holding units of the neighboring pixels are aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the top view. The light-shielding portion extends in the second direction and over the charge holding units, and covers a region between the charge holding units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging device comprising: a substrate; a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional manner on the substrate, wherein each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit configured to accumulate charges generated from an incident light, a charge holding unit configured to hold the charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplification unit having an input node that receives the charges transferred from the charge holding unit; and a light-shielding portion arranged to cover at least the charge holding unit, wherein the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge holding unit included in one of the pixels are aligned in a first direction in a top view from a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein a plurality of the charge holding units of the plurality of the pixels that are adjacent to each other are aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the top view, and wherein the light-shielding portion extends in the second direction and over the plurality of the charge holding units, and covers a region between the plurality of the charge holding units, wherein each of the pixels further includes a plurality of contacts that connect electrodes provided to the substrate and a wiring layer formed above the substrate, wherein the plurality of contacts are formed in a region between the plurality of the charge holding units aligned in the first direction in the top view, and wherein the light-shielding portion includes a part extending in the first direction and provided between the photoelectric conversion unit and the plurality of contacts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the wiring layer is arranged to cover the charge holding unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding portion has first openings each formed in a region in which the photoelectric conversion unit is formed and second openings each formed in a region in which the plurality of contacts are formed in the top view. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of contacts included in one of the pixels are aggregated under corresponding one of the second openings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein an element isolation region that electrically isolate the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge holding unit from each other is arranged in the pixel array, and wherein the element isolation region is formed of a material that restricts a light entering the charge holding unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the element isolation region is an impurity diffusion region forming PN junction isolation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel array is shaped in a rectangle having longer sides and shorter sides, and wherein the second direction is parallel to the longer sides. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels includes a plurality of the charge holding units, and wherein the plurality of the charge holding units are arranged to be aligned in the second direction in the top view. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels includes a plurality of the charge holding units, and wherein the plurality of the charge holding units are arranged to be aligned in the first direction interposing the photoelectric conversion unit in the top view. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a readout circuit unit configured to read out charges generated in the photoelectric conversion unit as an electrical signal is arranged in a region between the plurality of the photoelectric conversion units aligned in the second direction in the top view. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding portion is continuous from one end of the pixel array to another end of the pixel array to cover a plurality of the charge holding units that form a column in the second direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels further includes a transistor comprising a gate electrode and transferring charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge holding unit, and wherein a gap of two of the charge holding units of the plurality of the charge holding units that are adjacent to each other in the top view is smaller than a width of the gate electrode of the transistor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An imaging system comprising: the imaging device according to claim 1; and a signal processing unit configured to process a signal output from the pixels of the imaging device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A mobile apparatus comprising: the imaging device according to claim 1; a distance information acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information of a distance to an object from parallax images based on a signal from the imaging device; and a mobile apparatus control unit configured to control the mobile apparatus based on the distance information. ### Claim 15 An imaging device comprising: a substrate; a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional manner on the substrate, wherein each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit configured to accumulate charges generated from an incident light, a charge holding unit configured to hold the charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplification unit having an input node that receives the charges transferred from the charge holding unit; and a light-shielding portion arranged to cover at least the charge holding unit, wherein the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge holding unit included in one of the pixels are aligned in a first direction in a top view from a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein a plurality of the charge holding units of the plurality of the pixels that are adjacent to each other are aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the top view, wherein the light-shielding portion extends in the second direction and over the plurality of the charge holding units, and covers a region between the plurality of the charge holding units, wherein an element isolation region that electrically isolate the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge holding unit from each other is arranged in the pixel array, wherein the element isolation region is formed of a material that restricts a light entering the charge holding unit, and wherein the element isolation region is an impurity diffusion region forming PN junction isolation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein each of the pixels further includes a plurality of contacts that connect electrodes provided to the substrate and a wiring layer formed above the substrate, wherein the plurality of contacts are formed in a region between the plurality of the charge holding units aligned in the first direction in the top view, and wherein the light-shielding portion includes a part extending in the first direction and provided between the photoelectric conversion unit and the plurality of contacts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein the light-shielding portion has first openings each formed in a region in which the photoelectric conversion unit is formed and second openings each formed in a region in which the plurality of contacts are formed in the top view. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of contacts included in one of the pixels are aggregated under corresponding one of the second openings. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein the pixel array is shaped in a rectangle having longer sides and shorter sides, and wherein the second direction is parallel to the longer sides.