Image sensor with photosensitive thin film transistors
AssigneePlanar Systems, Inc.
InventorWillem den Boer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor array includes image sensors having photo TFTs to generate photocurrent in response to received images. The photo TFTs each have their respective gate electrodes shorted to source electrodes to increase generated photocurrent. Storage capacitors are coupled to each photo TFT and discharged upon generation of a photocurrent. Each storage capacitor is coupled to a readout TFT that passes a current from the storage capacitor to a data line. Data lines indicate location of the received image on the image sensor array.
Claims22
An image sensor for sensing received image, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a photo TFT disposed on the substrate to generate a photocurrent responsive to the received image, the photo TFT including,
- a gate electrode,
- a source electrode coupled to the gate electrode,
- a drain electrode, and
- a semiconductor layer coupled to the source and drain electrodes;
- and
- a storage capacitor disposed on the substrate and coupled to the source electrode and drain electrode of the photo TFT, the storage capacitor storing a charge generated by the photocurrent.
An image sensor for sensing a received image, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a photo TFT disposed on the substrate to generate a photocurrent responsive to the received image, the photo TFT including,
- a gate electrode,
- a source electrode coupled to the gate electrode,
- a drain electrode, and
- a semiconductor layer coupled to the source and drain electrodes;
- a storage capacitor disposed on the substrate and coupled to the source electrode and drain electrode of the photo TFT, the storage capacitor storing a charge generated by the photocurrent;
- and
- a readout TFT disposed on the substrate, including,
- a gate electrode coupled to a select line,
- a source electrode coupled to the drain electrode of the photo TFT,
- a drain electrode coupled to a data line, and
- a semiconductor layer coupled to the source and drain electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.