Solid-state imaging device
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsShiono Masumi, Oshima Itaru
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid-state imaging device with increased integration is provided. A pixel of the solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric converter and a counter that counts a pulse signal output based on the amount of light incident on the photoelectric converter, wherein the counter may be divided into a lower bit group and an upper bit group, a first integrated circuit is provided between the lower bit group and the upper bit group, and the first integrated circuit may connect the lower bit group and the upper bit group of a plurality of pixels to each other.
Claims21
A solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels comprising:
- a photoelectric converter;
- and
- a counter configured to count a pulse signal output based on an amount of light incident on the photoelectric converter, the counter comprising a first bit group counter and a second bit group counter;
- and
- a first integrated circuit provided between the first bit group counter and the second bit group counter, and configured to connect the first bit group counter to the second bit group counter.
A solid-state imaging device configured by stacking a plurality of layers, the solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels comprising:
- a photoelectric converter;
- and
- a signal processing unit comprising:
- a counter configured to count a pulse signal output based on an amount of light incident on the photoelectric converter, the counter comprising a first bit group counter and a second bit group counter formed in different layers among the plurality of layers.
A solid-state imaging device including a pixel unit including a plurality of vertically and horizontally adjacent pixels, the solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a counter configured to count pulse signals output based on an amount of light incident on each of the plurality of pixels, the counter comprising a first bit group counter and a second bit group counter,
- wherein the second bit group counter corresponding to the plurality of pixels is arranged in at least two layers, and
- wherein the first bit group counter corresponding to the plurality of pixels included in the pixel unit is arranged as one layer different from the layers in which the second bit group counter is arranged.
21-23. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.