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US 6,140,630 AGranted
Vcc pump for CMOS imagers
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorHoward E. Rhodes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A CMOS imaging device which includes a charge pump connected to one or more of a reset gate, transfer gate and row select gate of sensor cells and provides gate control signals which give the imaging device an increased dynamic range charge capacity while minimizing signal leakage. A charge pump may also supply control signals to photogates used in the cells.
Claims112
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said control signal to said charge transfer device.
2 more elements
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- a reset transistor responsive to a reset control signal for resetting said node to a predetermined charge condition prior to the transfer of charge thereto from said photosensitive area;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said reset control signal to said reset transistor.
3 more elements
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a charge transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area;
- a row select transistor for reading out a signal from said output transistor in response to a row select signal;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said row select signal to a gate of said row select transistor.
3 more elements
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- a reset transistor responsive to a reset control signal for resetting said node to a predetermined charge condition prior to the transfer of charge thereto from said photosensitive area;
- a row select transistor for reading out a signal from said output transistor in response to a row select signal;
- a first charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said control signal to said charge transfer device;
- a second charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said reset select signal to said reset transistor;
- and
- a third charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said row select signal to said row select transistor.
6 more elements
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive device formed in a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said substrate;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- a reset transistor responsive to a reset control signal for resetting said node to a predetermined charge condition prior to the transfer of charge thereto from said photosensitive area;
- a row select transistor for reading out a signal from said output transistor in response to a row select signal;
- and
- a charge pump connected to a supply voltage and supplying a voltage to at least said charge transfer device in response to a charge transfer control signal.
4 more elements
An imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a photogate formed over said photosensitive area;
- a readout circuit in said substrate for supplying an output signal representing charge accumulated in said photosensitive area;
- and
- a first charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply a first photogate control signal to said photogate.
2 more elements
A method for generating an output signal corresponding to an image received by a sensor on an array having rows and columns of pixel cells formed in a substrate, each cell being capable of collecting electrical charge based on a detected light intensity and having a diffusion node in said substrate capable of holding an electrical charge, the method comprising the steps of:
- resetting the voltage of the respective diffusion nodes of the cells to a predetermined voltage;
- detecting a first reset voltage at respective diffusion nodes of the cells;
- transferring electrical charges collected at respective photoregions of the cells to respective diffusion nodes using respective transistors which are controlled by a signal supplied from a charge pump;
- detecting a second voltage at respective diffusion nodes of said cells;
- and
- generating respective cell output signals from said detected first and second voltage of said cells.
3 more elements
A method for generating an output signal corresponding to an image received by a sensor array having rows and columns of pixel cells formed in a substrate, each cell being capable of collecting electrical charge based on a detected light intensity and having a diffusion node in said substrate capable of holding an amount of electrical charge, the method comprising the steps of:
- resetting the voltage of the respective diffusion nodes of the cells to a predetermined voltage, wherein said voltage is reset by a respective reset transistor which is controlled by a reset signal supplied by a charge pump;
- detecting a first reset voltage at respective diffusion nodes of the cells;
- transferring electrical charges collected at respective photoregions of the cells to respective diffusion nodes;
- detecting a second voltage at respective diffusions node of said cells;
- and
- generating cell output signals from said detected first and second voltages of said cells.
3 more elements
A method for generating an output signal corresponding to an image received by a sensor array having rows and columns of pixel cells formed in a substrate, each cell being capable of collecting electrical charge based on a detected light intensity and having a diffusion node in said substrate capable of holding an amount of electrical charge, the method comprising the steps of:
- resetting the voltage of the respective diffusion nodes of the cells to a predetermined voltage, wherein said voltage is reset by respective reset transistors which is operated by a reset signal supplied by a first voltage pump;
- detecting a first voltage at respective diffusion nodes of the cells;
- transferring electrical charges collected at respective photoregions of the cells to said diffusion nodes using respective transistors which are controlled by a transfer signal supplied by a second charge pump;
- detecting a second voltage at the respective diffusion nodes of said cells;
- and
- generating cell output signals from said detected first and second voltages of said cells.
3 more elements
An imaging system for generating output signals based on a received image, the imaging system comprising:
- a plurality of active pixel cells arranged into an array of rows and columns, each active pixel cell being operable to generate a voltage at a diffusion node corresponding to detected light intensity by the cells, each of said cells including a reset device for resetting a voltage at said diffusion node, a transfer device for transferring charge from a photosensitive area to said diffusion node and a row select device for reading out a signal representing charges at said diffusion node;
- at least one voltage pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to at least one of a reset device, a transfer device and a row select device of said cells to effectively operate said devices in response to respective control signals;
- a row decoder having a plurality of row lines connected to the array, each row line being connected to the row select devices for cells in a particular row of said array;
- and
- a column decoder having a plurality of column control lines connected to the array for selecting and outputting pixel output signals whereby pixels of the array are selected for output by row address and column address.
2 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- (i) a processor;
- and
- (ii) a CMOS imaging device for supplying image signals to said processor, said CMOS imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said control signal to said charge transfer device.
5 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- (i) a processor;
- and
- (ii) a CMOS imaging device for supplying image signals to said processor, said CMOS imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- a reset transistor responsive to a reset control signal for resetting said node to a predetermined charge condition prior to the transfer of charge thereto from said photosensitive area;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said reset control signal to said reset device.
6 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- (i) a processor;
- and
- (ii) a CMOS imaging device for supplying image signals to said processor, said CMOS imaging device comprising:
- a photosensitive area within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in said area;
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor formed in said substrate;
- a controllable charge transfer region having a control terminal, said transfer region being formed in said substrate adjacent said photosensitive area and having a node connected to a gate of said output transistor and at least one charge transfer device for transferring charge from said photosensitive area to said node in accordance with a transfer control signal applied to said control terminal;
- a row select transistor for reading out a signal from said output transistor in response to a row select signal;
- and
- a charge pump coupled to a supply voltage and connected to supply said row select signal to said row select transistor.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.