# US 12,120,449 B2 · Image capturing device and electronic apparatus with stacked chip structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,449 B2 - Document ID: US12120449B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/423,810 - Filed: 2020-01-08 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-25 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Luonghung Asakura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120449B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/79: Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors - H10F 39/8037: {the integrated elements comprising a transistor} - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H10F 39/809: {of hybrid image sensors} - H10F 39/811: {Interconnections} - H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An image capturing device of the present disclosure has a stacked chip structure in which at least two semiconductor chips including a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip are stacked. Pixels each including a light receiving portion are arranged on the first semiconductor chip, and a scanning section that selectively scans the pixel and a signal processing section that processes an analog signal output from the pixel are arranged on the second semiconductor chip. Further, the scanning section is arranged along pixel rows of the pixel arrangement in the matrix form. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image capturing device, comprising: a stacked chip structure in which at least two semiconductor chips are stacked, wherein the at least two semiconductor chips include a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip; a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional matrix form on the first semiconductor chip, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a light receiving portion; a scanning section configured to selectively scan each of the plurality of pixels; a signal processing section configured to process an analog signal output from each of the plurality of pixels, wherein the scanning section and the signal processing section are on the second semiconductor chip, and the scanning section is along a plurality of pixel rows of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form; a connection portion configured to electrically connect the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip, wherein the connection portion is a copper-copper connection (Cu—Cu connection); and a pixel control line wired on the first semiconductor chip, wherein the pixel control line is configured to transmit a signal output from the scanning section to the of plurality pixels, and the pixel control line includes: a first path wired along a column direction of the two-dimensional matrix form, a second path wired along a row direction of the two-dimensional matrix form, and the first path is laid out in a wiring shape such that the first path is shifted in the row direction by a specific amount at a specific length interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing section includes an analog-to-digital conversion section configured to convert the analog signal output from each of the plurality of pixels into a digital signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image capturing device according to claim 2, wherein the analog-to-digital conversion section includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters corresponding to the plurality of pixel rows of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor chip is configured by two chips at opposite end portions of the first semiconductor chip in the column direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the scanning section and an analog-to-digital conversion section of the signal processing section are on each of the two chips. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the scanning section is on one of the two chips, and an analog-to-digital conversion section of the signal processing section is on the other one of the two chips. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is a through silicon via (TSV). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, the scanning section is at a central portion in the column direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein a vertical signal line is laid out on a first metal layer, the first path of the pixel control line in the column direction is laid out on a second metal layer, the path second of the pixel control line in the row direction is laid out on a third metal layer, and a shift of the first path is based on row-direction wiring on the second metal layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein a vertical signal line is laid out on a first metal layer, the first path of the pixel control line in the column direction is laid out on a second metal layer, the second path of the pixel control line in the row direction is laid out on a third metal layer, and a shift of the first path of the pixel control line in the column direction is based on diagonal-direction wiring on the second metal layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein a vertical signal line and the first path of the pixel control line are laid out on a first metal layer, the second path of the pixel control line is laid out on a second metal layer, and a shift of the first path is based on one of row-direction wiring or diagonal-direction wiring on the second metal layer. ### Claim 12 An image capturing device, comprising: a stacked chip structure in which at least two semiconductor chips are stacked, wherein the at least two semiconductor chips include a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip; a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional matrix form on the first semiconductor chip, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a light receiving portion; a scanning section configured to selectively scan each of the plurality of pixels; and a signal processing section configured to process an analog signal output from each of the plurality of pixels, wherein the scanning section and the signal processing section are on the second semiconductor chip, the scanning section is along a plurality of pixel rows of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form, the signal processing section includes an analog-to-digital conversion section configured to convert the analog signal output from each of the plurality of pixels into a digital signal, the scanning section includes a first plurality of units that includes a specific circuit as a unit of the first plurality of units, the analog-to-digital conversion section includes a second plurality of units that includes the specific circuit as a unit of the second plurality of units, the scanning section is parallel to the analog-to-digital conversion section, a number of the first plurality of units is proportional to a number of the plurality of pixel rows of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form, and a number of the second plurality of units is proportional to a number of a plurality of pixel columns of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image capturing device according to claim 12, wherein a pitch of each of the first plurality is same as a pitch of each of the second plurality of units. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image capturing device according to claim 12, wherein a pitch of each of the first plurality of units is different from_a pitch of each of the second plurality of units, and a layout pitch ratio between the scanning section and the analog-to-digital conversion section is same as a ratio between the numbers of the plurality of pixel rows and the number of the plurality of pixel columns. ### Claim 15 An electronic apparatus, comprising: an image capturing device that includes: a stacked chip structure in which at least two semiconductor chips are stacked, wherein the at least two semiconductor chips include a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip; a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional matrix form on the first semiconductor chip, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a light receiving portion; a scanning section configured to selectively scan each of the plurality of pixels; a signal processing section configured to process an analog signal output from each of the plurality of pixels, wherein the scanning section and the signal processing section are on the second semiconductor chip, and the scanning section is along a plurality of pixel rows of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional matrix form; a connection portion configured to electrically connect the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip, wherein the connection portion is a copper-copper connection (Cu—Cu connection); and a pixel control line wired on the first semiconductor chip, wherein the pixel control line is configured to transmit a signal output from the scanning section to the of plurality pixels, and the pixel control line includes: a first path wired along a column direction of the two-dimensional matrix form, a second path wired along a row direction of the two-dimensional matrix form, and the first path is laid out in a wiring shape such that the first path is shifted in the row direction by a specific amount at a specific length interval.