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US 11,115,609 B2Granted
Solid-state imaging apparatus and driving method thereof
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorFumiaki Sano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and a driving method that can perform imaging at lower power consumption. By providing the solid-state imaging apparatus including a pixel array section on which a plurality of SPAD pixels is two-dimensionally arranged, in which in a case where illuminance becomes first illuminance higher than reference illuminance, a part of the SPAD pixels of the plurality of pixels arranged on the pixel array section is thinned, it is possible to image at lower power consumption. The present technology can be applied to an image sensor, for example.
Claims14
A light detecting device, comprising:
- a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
- a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode;
- and
- a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
- wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
- wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
- wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
- wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch between the first mode and the second mode according to an amount of incident light.
5 more elements
A light detecting device comprising:
- a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
- a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode;
- and
- a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
- wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
- wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
- wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface,
- wherein, in a third mode, the first transistor is in an OFF state and the second transistor is in the OFF state,
- wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode in a case where the amount of incident light exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and
- wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch from the second mode to the third mode in a case where the amount of incident light exceeds a second predetermined threshold larger than the first predetermined threshold.
7 more elements
The light detecting device, comprising:
- a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
- a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode;
- and
- a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
- wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
- wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
- wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface,
- wherein the two-dimensional array includes a first block having an n=n subset of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes including the first avalanche photodiode, and a second block having an m=m subset of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes including the second avalanche photodiode, and
- wherein n and m are integers greater than one.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.