Imaging element and imaging device
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsHajime Yonemochi, Tomoki Hirata, Shutaro Kato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imaging element includes a first semiconductor substrate having a pixel unit having disposed therein a plurality of pixels that each include a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to an electric charge, and to output signals based on the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit and a second semiconductor substrate having an exposure processing unit configured to use the signals read from the pixels to calculate an accumulation time for accumulating the electric charge yielded by the conversion performed by the photoelectric conversion units.
Claims21
An imaging element, comprising:
- a first semiconductor substrate having a pixel unit the pixel unit including:
- a first photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to an electric charge;
- a second photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to an electric charge and disposed alongside the first photoelectric conversion unit in a row direction;
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit;
- a second transfer unit configured to transfer the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit;
- a first accumulation unit configured to accumulate the electric charge transferred from the first photoelectric conversion unit by the first transfer unit;
- a second accumulation unit configured to accumulate the electric charge transferred from the second photoelectric conversion unit by the second transfer unit;
- a first output unit including a first selection unit electrically connected to a first signal line, the first output unit being configured to output a first signal based on the electric charge transferred to the first accumulation unit to the first signal line;
- and
- a second output unit including a second selection unit electrically connected to a second signal line, the second output unit being configured to output a second signal based on the electric charge transferred to the second accumulation unit to the second signal line;
- and
- a second semiconductor substrate stacked with the first semiconductor substrate, the second semiconductor substrate having:
- a first exposure processing unit configured to use the first signal to calculate a first evaluation value regarding an accumulation time for accumulating the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit;
- a second exposure processing unit configured to use the second signal to calculate a second evaluation value regarding an accumulation time for accumulating the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit;
- a first pixel driving unit configured to output a first transfer control signal for controlling the first transfer unit based on the first evaluation value;
- a second pixel driving unit configured to output a second transfer control signal for controlling the second transfer unit based on the second evaluation value;
- and
- a driving unit configured to output a selection control signal for controlling the first selection unit and the second selection unit,
- wherein the first transfer unit is electrically connected to a first transfer control line to which the first transfer control signal is output,
- wherein the second transfer unit is electrically connected to a second transfer control line to which the second transfer control signal is output, and
- wherein the first selection unit and the second selection unit are electrically connected to a selection control line to which the selection control signal is output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.