# US 12,119,334 B2 · Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photo-detection system, and movable body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,119,334 B2 - Document ID: US12119334B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/498,528 - Filed: 2021-10-11 - Published: 2022-04-14 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-14 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yasuharu Ota; Yukihiro Kuroda; Kazuhiro Morimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119334B2 ## CPC - G01K 7/01: using semiconducting elements having PN junctions (G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence) - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - G01C 3/02: Details - G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} - G01K 1/026: {arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)} - G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - H04N 25/773: comprising photon counting circuits, e.g. single photon detection [SPD] or single photon avalanche diodes [SPAD] - H10F 39/103: {the at least one element covered by H10F30/00 having potential barriers, e.g. integrated devices comprising photodiodes or phototransistors} - H10F 39/809: {of hybrid image sensors} - B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle} - B60T 2201/022: Collision avoidance systems - B60T 2210/32: Vehicle surroundings - G01J 2001/444: {Compensating; Calibrating, e.g. dark current, temperature drift, noise reduction or baseline correction; Adjusting} - G01J 2001/4466: {Avalanche} - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES ## Abstract A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: a first substrate including an avalanche photodiode; and a second substrate, in which the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on each other, and further includes: a temperature detection unit arranged in at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and having an output characteristic depending on a temperature; and a temperature value generating circuit arranged outside the first substrate and configured to convert output from the temperature detection unit into a temperature value signal that is a signal indicating temperature information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a first substrate including an avalanche photodiode; and a second substrate, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on each other, the photoelectric conversion apparatus further comprising: at least one temperature detection unit arranged in at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and having an output characteristic depending on a temperature; and a temperature value generating circuit arranged outside the first substrate and configured to convert output from the temperature detection unit into a temperature value signal that is a signal indicating temperature information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature value generating circuit is arranged in the second substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: a first component including the first substrate and the second substrate; and a second component that is electrically connected to the first component and is different from the first component, wherein the temperature value generating circuit is arranged in the second component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is arranged in the first substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is arranged in the second substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is arranged in the first substrate and the second substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the avalanche photodiode and the temperature detection unit are isolated from each other in respective wells. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a signal processing circuit arranged in the second substrate and configured to process an output signal of the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature value signal has temperature accuracy of 5 degrees Celsius or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of temperature detection units are arranged at different positions on a plane of the first substrate or the second substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a compensation unit that compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode based on the temperature value signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of temperature detection units are arranged at different positions on a plane of the first substrate or the second substrate, the photoelectric conversion apparatus further comprising a compensation unit that compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode based on a plurality of temperature value signals output from the plurality of temperature detection units. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the compensation unit compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode for each of regions corresponding to positions on a plane of the plurality of temperature detection units. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the compensation unit compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode based on a representative value of the plurality of temperature value signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the compensation unit compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode based on a result obtained by calculating the plurality of temperature value signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the compensation unit compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode by controlling a power source voltage for the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the compensation unit compensates a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode by correcting output of the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is a diode or a ring oscillator, and wherein the temperature value generating circuit is a counter circuit, a resistor element, an amplifier circuit, or an analog-to-digital converter circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the temperature value generating circuit generates a temperature value signal corrected in accordance with an individual value of the temperature detection unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the individual value of the temperature detection unit is a characteristic value of each individual for a voltage value, a current value, or an oscillation frequency as output from the temperature detection unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the compensation unit reflects an individual value of the avalanche photodiode to compensate a change in an output characteristic of the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the individual value of the avalanche photodiode is a breakdown voltage value of the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the compensation unit corrects and controls the power source voltage for the avalanche photodiode in accordance with an individual value of a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the power source voltage of the avalanche photodiode is controlled by the compensation unit based on an equation expressed by: V=α×ΔT+Vi+ΔVbd, where a power source voltage value of the avalanche photodiode is denoted as V, a change in a temperature value indicated by the temperature value signal is denoted as ΔT, a compensation value per unit temperature of the power source voltage of the avalanche photodiode is denoted as α, an ideal value of the power source voltage value at a reference temperature is denoted as Vi, and a shift of an individual value from an ideal value of the breakdown voltage is denoted as ΔVbd. ### Claim 25 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the compensation unit, a compensation amount per unit temperature at a temperature outside a first temperature range of the temperature value signal is different from a compensation amount per unit temperature in the first temperature range. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the compensation amount in a second temperature range that is higher than the first temperature range is smaller than the compensation amount in the first temperature range. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 25, wherein no compensation is performed in a second temperature range that is higher than the first temperature range. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) A photo-detection system comprising: the photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1; and a signal processing unit that processes a signal output from the photoelectric conversion apparatus. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) A movable body comprising: the photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1; a distance information acquisition unit that acquires, from a parallax image based on signals from the photoelectric conversion apparatus, distance information on a distance to an object; and a control unit that controls the movable body based on the distance information.