# US 12,119,360 B2 · Capacitance matched metal wirings in dual conversion gain pixels

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- Number: US 12,119,360 B2
- Document ID: US12119360B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/610,264
- Filed: 2020-05-21
- Published: 2022-07-07
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-21
- Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Inventors: Frederick Brady; Adarsh Basavalingappa; Taisuke Suwa; Michiel Timmermans; Sungin Hwang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119360B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/80373: {characterised by the gate of the transistor}
- H10F 39/812: {Arrangements for transferring the charges in the image sensor perpendicular to the imaging plane, e.g. buried regions used to transfer generated charges to circuitry under the photosensitive region}
- G01S 7/4863: Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
- G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
- H04N 25/70: SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
- 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
- H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes}
- H10F 39/803: {Pixels having integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements}
- H10F 39/811: {Interconnections}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion region, a first transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region, a first floating diffusion, a second floating diffusion, a second transfer transistor coupled between the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion to control access to the second floating diffusion, a third transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region, a third floating diffusion coupled, a fourth floating diffusion, and a fourth transfer transistor coupled between the third floating diffusion and the fourth floating diffusion to control access to the fourth floating diffusion. The imaging device includes a first wiring layer including a first wiring connected to the second floating diffusion, a second wiring connected to the fourth floating diffusion, and a third wiring connected to ground and capacitively coupled with the first wiring and the second wiring.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging device, comprising:
a pixel including:
a photoelectric conversion region;
a first transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first transfer transistor;
a second floating diffusion;
a second transfer transistor coupled between the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion to control access to the second floating diffusion;
a third transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a third floating diffusion coupled to the second transfer transistor;
a fourth floating diffusion; and
a fourth transfer transistor coupled between the third floating diffusion and the fourth floating diffusion to control access to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a first wiring layer including:
a first wiring connected to the second floating diffusion;
a second wiring connected to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a third wiring connected to ground and capacitively coupled with the first wiring and the second wiring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the first wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a first pattern, the second wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a second pattern, and the third wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a third pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The imaging device of claim 2, wherein the third pattern has line symmetry in a first direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The imaging device of claim 2, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern form a combination pattern that includes an interdigitated section where portions of the third wiring are interdigitated with portions of the first wiring and the second wiring.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The imaging device of claim 4, wherein the interdigitated section has line symmetry in a first direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The imaging device of claim 4, wherein the interdigitated section is asymmetrical.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The imaging device of claim 2, wherein the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern have point symmetry with respect to a reference point.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the wiring layer includes:
a fourth wiring that connects the first floating diffusion to a first amplification transistor; and
a fifth wiring that connects the third floating diffusion to a second amplification transistor, wherein the fourth and fifth wirings include dummy portions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The imaging device of claim 8, wherein patterns of the fourth wiring and the fifth wiring have point symmetry with respect to a reference point.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising:
a second wiring layer including:
a fourth wiring connected to the second floating diffusion;
a fifth wiring connected to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a sixth wiring connected to ground and capacitively coupled to the fourth wiring and the fifth wiring.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The imaging device of claim 10, wherein the fourth wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a fourth pattern, the fifth wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a fifth pattern, and the sixth wiring overlaps the photoelectric conversion region and has a sixth pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The imaging device of claim 11, wherein the sixth pattern has line symmetry in a first direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The imaging device of claim 11, wherein the fourth pattern and the fifth pattern form a combination pattern that includes an interdigitated section where portions of the sixth wiring are interdigitated with portions of the fourth wiring and the fifth wiring.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The imaging device of claim 13, wherein the interdigitated section has line symmetry in a first direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The imaging device of claim 10, further comprising:
a third wiring layer including a plurality of vertical signal lines that overlap the photoelectric conversion region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The imaging device of claim 15, further comprising:
a fourth wiring layer that includes a first gate wiring and a first gate pad electrically connected to a gate of the first transfer transistor and a gate of fifth transfer transistor of another pixel, and a second gate wiring and a second gate pad electrically connected to a gate of the second transfer transistor and a gate of a sixth transfer transistor of the another pixel.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The imaging device of claim 16, further comprising:
a fifth wiring layer including:
a first contact strip electrically connected to the first gate pad; and
a second contact strip electrically connected to the second gate pad.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The imaging device of claim 17, wherein the first gate wiring, the first gate pad, and the first contact strip overlap the photoelectric conversion region.

### Claim 19

A system, comprising:
a light source; and
an imaging device including:
a pixel including:
a photoelectric conversion region;
a first transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first transfer transistor;
a second floating diffusion;
a second transfer transistor coupled between the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion to control access to the second floating diffusion;
a third transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a third floating diffusion coupled to the second transfer transistor;
a fourth floating diffusion; and
a fourth transfer transistor coupled between the third floating diffusion and the fourth floating diffusion to control access to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a first wiring layer including:
a first wiring connected to the second floating diffusion;
a second wiring connected to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a third wiring connected to ground and capacitively coupled with the first wiring and the second wiring.

### Claim 20

An imaging device, comprising:
a pixel including:
a photoelectric conversion region;
a first transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first transfer transistor;
a second floating diffusion;
a second transfer transistor coupled between the first floating diffusion and the second floating diffusion to control access to the second floating diffusion;
a third transfer transistor coupled to the photoelectric conversion region to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion region;
a third floating diffusion coupled to the second transfer transistor;
a fourth floating diffusion; and
a fourth transfer transistor coupled between the third floating diffusion and the fourth floating diffusion to control access to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a first wiring layer including:
a first wiring connected to the second floating diffusion;
a second wiring connected to the fourth floating diffusion; and
a third wiring connected to ground and capacitively coupled with the first wiring and the second wiring, wherein the first wiring, the second wiring, and the third wiring form a symmetrical pattern.