Solid-state image sensor, imaging apparatus, and control method for solid-state image sensor
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorKENICHIROU ANJYOU
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The picture quality is improved by a solid-stage image sensor of the voltage domain type. A transfer transistor transfers charge from a photoelectric conversion element to a floating diffusion layer. A reset transistor initializes the floating diffusion layer. A pre-stage amplification transistor amplifies and outputs a voltage of the floating diffusion layer. A plurality of capacitive elements hold the outputted voltage. A vertical scanning circuit performs soft reset on the pre-stage amplification transistor when a reset level that is the voltage when the floating diffusion layer is initialized is to be held in any one of the plurality of capacitive elements.
Claims11
A solid-state image sensor comprising:
- a transfer transistor that transfers charge from a photoelectric conversion element to a floating diffusion layer;
- a reset transistor that initializes the floating diffusion layer;
- a pre-stage amplification transistor that amplifies and outputs a voltage of the floating diffusion layer;
- a plurality of capacitive elements that hold the outputted voltage;
- and
- a vertical scanning circuit that performs soft reset on the pre-stage amplification transistor when a reset level that is the voltage when the floating diffusion layer is initialized is to be held in any one of the plurality of capacitive elements.
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a transfer transistor that transfers charge from a photoelectric conversion element to a floating diffusion layer;
- a reset transistor that initializes the floating diffusion layer;
- a pre-stage amplification transistor that amplifies and outputs a voltage of the floating diffusion layer;
- a plurality of capacitive elements that hold the outputted voltage;
- a vertical scanning circuit that performs soft reset on the pre-stage amplification transistor when a reset level that is the voltage when the floating diffusion layer is initialized is to be held in any one of the plurality of capacitive elements;
- and
- a signal processing section that converts the voltage into a digital signal.
A control method for a solid-state image sensor, comprising:
- a resetting step by a reset transistor of initializing a floating diffusion layer to which charge is transferred from a photoelectric conversion element;
- a sample and hold step by a plurality of capacitive elements of holding a voltage outputted from a pre-stage amplification transistor that amplifies and outputs a voltage of the floating diffusion layer;
- and
- a vertical scanning step of performing soft reset, when a reset level that is the voltage when the floating diffusion layer is initialized is to be held in any one of the plurality of capacitive elements, on the pre-stage amplification transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.