# US 5,708,282 A · CCD charge splitter

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- Number: US 5,708,282 A
- Document ID: US5708282A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/511,655
- Filed: 1995-08-07
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1995-08-07
- Assignees: Q-Dot, Inc.
- Inventors: Thomas E. Linnenbrink; Mark Wadsworth; Stephen D. Gaalema
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708282A

## CPC

- H03M 1/0658: {by calculating a running average of a number of subsequent samples}
- G11C 19/282: {with charge storage in a depletion layer, i.e. charge coupled devices [CCD]}
- H10F 39/15: Charge-coupled device [CCD] image sensors
- H03M 1/12: Analogue/digital converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence)
- H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

An apparatus and method of equalizing a first and second charge packet. The apparatus includes a charge splitter for splitting the first charge packet into a third charge packet on the first side of the charge splitter and a fourth charge packet on the second side of the charge splitter. The second charge component is split into a fifth charge component on the first side of the charge splitter and a sixth charge component on the second side of the charge splitter. The apparatus includes a charge combinet for adding the third and sixth charge packets and the fourth and fifth charge packets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for equalizing a first and a second charge packet comprising:
a) a charge splitter which splits the first charge packet into a third charge packet on a first side of the charge splitter and a fourth charge packet on a second side of the charge splitter and which splits the second charge packet into a fifth charge packet on the first side of the charge splitter and a sixth charge packet on the second side of the charge splitter;
b) a charge combinet which provides the equalized first and second charge packets by adding the third and sixth charge packets and the fourth and fifth charge packets;
c) first and second charge transfer paths which concurrently deliver the third and sixth charge packets to the charge combiner; and
d) third and fourth charge transfer paths which concurrently deliver the fourth and fifth charge packets to the charge combiner.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a second charge splitter for splitting the second charge packet into fifth and sixth charge packets.

### Claim 3

A charge coupled device for splitting a charge comprising:
a) a first charge splitter for splitting the charge into first and second charge components;
b) a second charge splitter having first and second sides for splitting the first charge component into a third charge component on the first side of the second charge splitter and into a fourth charge component on the second side of the charge splitter;
c) a third charge splitter having first and second sides for splitting the second charge component into a fifth charge component on the first side of the third charge splitter and a sixth charge component on the second side of the third charge splitter;
d) a charge adder for adding the third component and sixth component to produce a first split charge and the fourth and fifth components to produce a second split charge; and
e) a transfer channel for outputting the first and second split charges.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The charge coupled device as in claim 3 further comprising a fourth charge splitter having first and second sides for splitting the first split charge into a seventh charge component from the first side of the fourth charge splitter and into a eighth charge component from the second side of the fourth charge splitter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The charge coupled device as in claim 4 further comprising a fifth charge splitter having first and second sides for splitting the second split charge into a ninth charge component from the first side of the fourth charge splitter and into a tenth charge component from the second side of the fourth charge splitter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The charge coupled device as in claim 5 further comprising a second charge adder for adding the seventh and tenth charge component to produce a third split charge and the eigth and ninth components to produce a fourth split charge.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The charge coupled device as in claim 5 further comprising a second charge adder for adding the seventh component and ninth component to produce the first split charge and the eighth and tenth components to produce the second split charge.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The charge coupled device as in claim 3 wherein the charge splitter further comprises a field oxide barrier dividing a charge transfer channel.

### Claim 9

A charge coupled device for splitting a charge packet comprising:
a charge splitter having first and second sides for splitting the charge into first and second charge components;
a first charge transfer channel for transferring the first and second charge components out of the charge splitter;
a second charge transfer channel for transferring the first charge component back to the charge splitter and splitting the first charge component into a third charge component on the first side of the charge splitter and a fourth charge component on the second side of the charge splitter;
a third charge transfer channel for transferring the second charge component back to the charge splitter and splitting the second charge component into a fifth charge component on the first side of the charge splitter and a sixth charge component on the second side of the charge splitter;
an adder for adding the third component and sixth component to produce a first split charge and the fourth and fifth components to produce a second split charge; and
an output buffer for outputting the first and second split charges as a charge splitter output.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The charge coupled device as in claim 9 wherein the charge splitter further comprises a field oxide barrier dividing a charge transfer channel .