# US 12,003,873 B2 · Imaging apparatus and electronic device

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- Number: US 12,003,873 B2
- Document ID: US12003873B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/732,925
- Filed: 2022-04-29
- Published: 2022-08-25
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-11-07
- Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Inventors: Luonghung Asakura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003873B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/59: by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
- H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels
- H04N 25/75: Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
- H04N 25/76: Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
- H04N 25/771: comprising storage means other than floating diffusion
- H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
- H10F 39/813: {Electronic components shared by multiple pixels, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixels}
- H10F 39/199: {Back-illuminated image sensors}
- H10F 39/809: {of hybrid image sensors}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A first and second pixel units that perform FD addition are provided. The first pixel unit includes: a first switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to an FD; and a reset transistor that is connected between another source/drain electrode of the first switch transistor and a power supply node. The second pixel unit includes: a second switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to an FD; a third switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to another source/drain electrode of the second switch transistor; and a capacitive element that is connected between another source/drain electrode of the third switch transistor and a reference potential node. The respective other source/drain electrodes of the first switch transistor and the second switch transistor are electrically connected with each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light-detecting device comprising:
a first pixel circuit including a photodiode, a first floating diffusion, a first switch transistor, and a reset transistor;
a second pixel circuit including a photodiode, a second floating diffusion, a second switch transistor, and a third switch transistor,
a wiring coupled to the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion; and
a first capacitor selectively coupled to the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion, wherein
the first floating diffusion is coupled to the second floating diffusion via the first switch transistor, the second switch transistor, and the wiring,
the first pixel circuit includes a first amplification transistor and a first selection transistor,
the second pixel circuit includes a second amplification transistor and a second selection transistor, and
the reset transistor, the first switch transistor, the first amplification transistor, and the first selection transistor are disposed along a first direction in a plan view.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, wherein at least one terminal of the first capacitor is disposed in a wiring layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, wherein the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion share a reset transistor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The light-detecting device of claim 3, wherein a terminal of the reset transistor is coupled to a predetermined power supply voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, further comprising:
a second capacitor selectively coupled to the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The light-detecting device of claim 5, wherein at least one terminal of the second capacitor is disposed in a wiring layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, wherein the first selection transistor is coupled to a vertical signal line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The light-detecting device of claim 7, wherein the first floating diffusion is coupled to a gate of the first amplification transistor, and the second floating diffusion is coupled to a gate of the second amplification transistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, wherein the photodiode included in the first pixel circuit is one of a first plurality of photodiodes in the first pixel circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The light-detecting device of claim 9, wherein the photodiode included in the second pixel circuit is one of a second plurality of photodiodes in the second pixel circuit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The light-detecting device of claim 10, wherein the first floating diffusion is shared by the first plurality of photodiodes and the second floating diffusion is shared by the second plurality of photodiodes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The light-detecting device of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of photodiodes are coupled to the first floating diffusion through a corresponding first plurality of transfer transistors, and the second plurality of photodiodes are coupled to the second floating diffusion through a corresponding second plurality of transfer transistors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The light-detecting device of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of photodiodes are coupled to the first floating diffusion through a corresponding first plurality of transfer transistors.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device claim 1, wherein the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion share a reset transistor, and a terminal of the reset transistor, a terminal of the first amplification transistor and a terminal of the second amplification transistor are coupled to a same predetermined power supply voltage.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The light-detecting device of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor is selectively coupled to the first floating diffusion via the third switch transistor, the wiring, and the first switch transistor, and is selectively coupled to the second floating diffusion via the second switch transistor.