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US 7,115,855 B2Granted
Image sensor having pinned floating diffusion diode
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorSungkwon C. Hong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an image sensor having a pinned floating diffusion region in addition to a pinned photodiode. The pinned floating diffusion region increases the capacity of the sensor to store charge, increases the dynamic range of the sensor and widens intra-scene intensity variation.
Claims41
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a substrate of a first conductivity type;
- a photoconversion device comprising a region of a second conductivity type within said substrate and having a first pinning potential;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, said charge collection region comprising a region of said first conductivity type at an upper surface of a region of said second conductivity type and having a second pinning potential, wherein said second pinning potential is different from said first pinning potential;
- and
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region.
2 more elements
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a photoconversion device having a first pinning potential;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device and having a second pinning potential, wherein said second pinning potential is different from said first pinning potential, said charge collection region comprising:
- a first doped region of a second conductivity type for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, a second doped region of a first conductivity type within said first doped region and a third doped region of said second conductivity type within said first doped region;
- and
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region and wherein said second doped region and first doped region form a diode and said second doped region is adjacent a gate of said transfer transistor.
2 more elements
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a photoconversion device having a first pinning potential (VPIN1);
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device and having a second pinning potential (VPIN2) wherein VPIN2 is greater than WINi, said charge collection region comprising:
- a first doped region of a second conductivity type for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, a second doped region of a first conductivity type within said first doped region and a third doped region of said second conductivity type within said first doped region;
- and
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region and wherein said second doped region and first doped region form a diode and said second doped region is adjacent a gate of said transfer transistor.
2 more elements
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a photoconversion device;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, said charge collection region comprising:
- a first doped region of a second conductivity type for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, a second doped region of a first conductivity type within said first doped region and a third doped region of said second conductivity type within said first doped region;
- a storage capacitor connected to said third doped region;
- and
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region and wherein said second doped region and first doped region form a diode and said second doped region is adjacent a gate of said transfer transistor.
3 more elements
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a photoconversion device;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, said charge collection region comprising:
- a first doped region of a second conductivity type for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, a second doped region of a first conductivity type within said first doped region and a third doped region of said second conductivity type within said first doped region, wherein said second doped region surrounds said third doped region, said third doped region extending into said first doped region;
- and
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region and wherein said second doped region and first doped region form a diode and said second doped region is adjacent a gate of said transfer transistor.
2 more elements
A processing system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- an imager coupled to said processor, comprising pixel sensor cells, wherein each pixel sensor cell comprises:
- a substrate of a first conductivity type;
- a photoconversion device comprising a region of a second conductivity type within said substrate and having a first pinning potential;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, said charge collection region comprising a region of said first conductivity type at an upper surface of a region of said second conductivity type and having a second pinning potential, wherein said second pinning potential is different from said first pinning potential;
- a transfer transistor for transferring charge from said photoconversion device to said charge collection region;
- and
- a readout circuit comprising at least an output transistor.
6 more elements
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a substrate of a first conductivity type;
- a photoconversion device comprising a region of a second conductivity type within said substrate for accumulating charge and having a first pinning potential;
- and
- a charge collection region for receiving accumulated charges from said photoconversion device and having a second pinning potential, wherein said second pinning potential is different from said first pinning potential, said charge collection region comprising an upper surface region of said first conductivity type and a well region of said second conductivity type, wherein said well region is configured to store a pixel charge to be read out as a pixel signal.
1 more element
A pixel sensor cell comprising:
- a photoconversion device having a first pinning potential;
- a charge collection region for receiving charges from said photoconversion device and having a second pinning potential, wherein said second pinning potential is different from said first pinning potential, said charge collection region comprising:
- a first doped region of a second conductivity type for receiving charges from said photoconversion device, a second doped region of a first conductivity type within said first doped region and a third doped region of said second conductivity type within said first doped region and spaced from said second doped region, wherein said first doped region is configured to store a pixel charge to be read out as a pixel signal;
- and
- a conductor connected to said third doped region for reading out stored charge from said first doped region.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.