Three-dimensional color image sensors having spaced-apart multi-pixel color regions therein
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsWon-Joo Kim, Yoon-Dong Park, Hyoung-Soo Ko
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Abstract
A three-dimensional color image sensor includes color pixels and depth pixels therein. A semiconductor substrate is provided with a depth region therein, which extends adjacent a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A two-dimensional array of spaced-apart color regions are provided within the depth region. Each of the color regions includes a plurality of different color pixels therein (e.g., red, blue and green pixels) and each of the color pixels within each of the spaced-apart color regions are spaced-apart from all other color pixels within other color regions.
Claims20
A three-dimensional color image sensor, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate comprising a depth region extending adjacent a surface thereof and a two-dimensional array of spaced-apart color regions within the depth region, said color regions respectively comprising a plurality of different color pixels.
A pixel array of a three-dimensional image sensor, the pixel array being integrated in a pixel array region of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a plurality of color pixels formed in color regions in the pixel array region, the color regions being spaced apart from each other by a first interval in a row direction and by a second interval in a column direction;
- and
- a plurality of depth pixels formed in a depth region in the pixel array region, the depth region corresponding to an empty region except the color regions in the pixel array region.
A three-dimensional image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array integrated in a pixel array region of a semiconductor substrate, the pixel array including,
- a plurality of color pixels formed in color regions in the pixel array region, the color regions being spaced apart from each other by a first interval in a row direction and by a second interval in a column direction, and
- a plurality of depth pixels formed in a depth region in the pixel array region, the depth region corresponding to an empty region except the color region in the pixel array region:
- an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert analog signals from the pixel array to digital signals;
- and
- a selection circuit configured to select a portion of the depth pixels and the color pixels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.