US 12,761,380 B2Granted

Method for sensing radiation

AssigneeApplied Material Israel, Ltd.

InventorElad Ilan

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Abstract

A radiation sensing device that includes (a) a readout circuit that includes a first readout capacitor and a second readout capacitor, and (b) a pixel that includes: (i) a radiation sensing element that is configured to convert radiation that impinges on the radiation sensing element to radiation indicative charge; (ii) a floating diffusion branch that includes a floating diffusion region, a floating diffusion reset switch, and a floating diffusion branch output circuit; (iii) a capacitor branch that includes a capacitor branch switch, a capacitor, a capacitor reset switch and a capacitor branch output circuit; wherein a capacitance of the capacitor exceeds a capacitance of the floating diffusion region; and (iv) an input transfer gate that is configured to couple the radiation sensing element to at least one of the capacitor branch and the floating diffusion branch.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A radiation sensing device, comprising:

a readout circuit comprising a first readout capacitor and a second readout capacitor;
a pixel comprising:
a radiation sensing element configured to convert radiation that impinges on the radiation sensing element to radiation indicative charge;
a floating diffusion branch comprising a floating diffusion region, a floating diffusion reset switch, and a floating diffusion branch output circuit;
a capacitor branch that comprises a capacitor branch switch, a third capacitor, a capacitor reset switch and a capacitor branch output circuit, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor exceeds a capacitance of the floating diffusion region;
and
an input transfer gate configured to couple the radiation sensing element to at least one of the capacitor branch and the floating diffusion branch;
wherein the radiation sensing device is configured to:
(a) utilize at least the first readout capacitor and the second readout capacitor in association with a pair of read operations related to the floating diffusion region, to provide a floating diffusion radiation related signal;
(b) determine, based on the floating diffusion radiation related signal and a floating diffusion region capacitance parameter, whether to read the third capacitor;
and
(c) when it is determined to read the third capacitor, utilize the at least the first readout capacitor and the second readout capacitor in association with a pair of read operations related to the third capacitor, to provide a capacitor radiation related signal.

9 more elements

A method for radiation sensing, the method comprising:

providing a floating diffusion radiation related signal by utilizing at least a first readout capacitor of a readout circuit and a second readout capacitor of the readout circuit in association with a pair of read operations related to a floating diffusion region of a pixel, to provide a floating diffusion radiation related signal;
determining, based on the floating diffusion radiation related signal and a floating diffusion region capacitance parameter, whether to read a capacitor of the pixel;
and
when it is determined to read the capacitor, provide a capacitor radiation related signal by utilizing the at least the first readout capacitor and the second readout capacitor in association with a pair of read operations related to the capacitor;
wherein the pixel further comprises a radiation sensing element that is configured to convert radiation that impinges on the radiation sensing element to a radiation indicative charge;
wherein the floating diffusion region belongs to a floating diffusion branch that further comprises a floating diffusion reset switch, and a floating diffusion branch output circuit;
wherein the capacitor belongs to a capacitor branch that further comprises a capacitor branch switch, a capacitor reset switch and a capacitor branch output circuit;
wherein a capacitance of the capacitor exceeds a capacitance of the floating diffusion region, wherein the floating diffusion branch and the capacitor branch are preceded by an input transfer gate that is configured to couple the radiation sensing element to at least one of the capacitor branch and the floating diffusion branch.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.