Solid state imaging device and imaging apparatus
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorHideaki Matsuda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voltage limiting unit of a solid state imaging device limits a voltage of a signal line so as not to become a predetermined value or less. A signal processing unit to which a pixel signal is input via a signal line. A controlling unit is disposed between the voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit on the signal line. Further, the controlling unit causes the voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit to be non-conductive in a period in which a transfer unit of a pixel transfers the electric charge converted by a photoelectric conversion unit of the pixel to a floating diffusion region of the pixel.
Claims12
A solid state imaging device, comprising:
- a pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into electric charge, a transfer unit which transfers the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit to a floating diffusion region, and an output unit which outputs a pixel signal corresponding to the electric charge transferred to the floating diffusion region to a signal line;
- a voltage limiting unit connected to the signal line and limiting a voltage of the signal line so as not to become a predetermined value or less;
- a signal processing unit to which the pixel signal is input via the signal line;
- and
- a controlling unit disposed between the voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit on the signal line, and causing the voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit to be non-conductive in a period in which the transfer unit transfers the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit to the floating diffusion region.
A solid state imaging device, comprising:
- a first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into electric charge, a first transfer unit which transfers the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit to a first floating diffusion region, and a first output unit which outputs a first pixel signal corresponding to the electric charge transferred to the first floating diffusion region to a first signal line;
- a second pixel including a second photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into electric charge, a second transfer unit which transfers the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit to a second floating diffusion region, and a second output unit which outputs a second pixel signal corresponding to the electric charge transferred to the second floating diffusion region to a second signal line;
- a first voltage limiting unit connected to the first signal line and limiting a voltage of the first signal line so as not to become a predetermined value or less;
- a second voltage limiting unit connected to the second signal line and limiting a voltage of the second signal line so as not to become a predetermined value or less;
- a signal processing unit to which the first pixel signal is input via the first signal line and the second pixel signal is input via the second signal line;
- and
- a controlling unit, disposed between the first voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit, and causing the first voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit to be non-conductive in a first transfer period in which the first transfer unit transfers the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit to the first floating diffusion region, the controlling unit further disposed between the second voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit, and causing the second voltage limiting unit and the signal processing unit to be non-conductive in a second transfer period in which the second transfer unit transfers the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit to the second floating diffusion region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.