Back to results
US 7,924,333 B2Granted
Method and apparatus providing shared pixel straight gate architecture
AssigneeAptina Imaging Corporation
InventorsZhiping Yin, Xiaofeng Fan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses using four-way-shared readout circuits to increase pixel fill factor. Embodiments consolidate circuits from several pixels, reducing the number of components in each pixel and this increasing the fill factor of each pixel. Additionally, embodiments use “straight gate” transfer gates to increase the readout speed and symmetry of the smaller pixels.
Claims22
A pixel array comprising:
- a plurality of pixel blocks organized into rows and columns, each block comprising:
- first, single, second, third, and fourth pixels, each pixel having a respective photosensor for generating photocharges;
- a common unitary floating diffusion region shared by the photosensors of the first, second, third, and fourth pixels for storing the generated photocharges from each of the photosensors;
- a shared readout circuit connected to said common floating diffusion region;
- and
- first, second, third, and fourth rectilinear transfer gates for selectively transferring photocharges from a photosensor of an associated pixel to the first common floating diffusion region;
- wherein each of the transfer gates overlaps an edge of the photosensor in its associated pixel and an edge of a photosensor outside the pixel block and transfers photocharge from the photosensor outside the pixel block to a second common floating diffusion;
- and
- wherein said shared readout circuit of a first block is provided between a first pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixels rows and a readout circuit of a second block is provided between a second pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixel rows.
6 more elements
An imager comprising:
- a plurality of pixel blocks organized into rows and columns, each block comprising:
- first, second, third, and fourth photosensors for generating photocharges in response to light;
- a common unitary floating diffusion region shared by the first, second, third, and fourth photosensors;
- first, second, third, and fourth rectangular transfer gates, each having a length and width, for transferring photocharges to the common floating diffusion region from a respective one of the first, second, third, and fourth photosensors;
- a common reset transistor for resetting the charge at the common floating diffusion region;
- and
- a readout circuit comprising at least one common transistor for producing at least one signal representing an amount of charge stored at the common storage node, at least a portion of the readout circuit being located in an active region between the first, second, third, and fourth photosensors;
- wherein each of the transfer gates overlaps along its length an edge of its first associated photosensor and an edge of a second associated photosensor in an adjacent block;
- and
- wherein said readout circuit of a first block is provided between a first pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixels rows and a readout circuit of a second block is provided between a second pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixel rows.
7 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- a pixel array comprising:
- a plurality of pixel blocks organized into rows and columns, each block comprising:
- first, second, third, and fourth pixels, each pixel having a respective photosensor for generating photocharges;
- a common unitary floating diffusion region shared by respective photosensors of the first, second, third, and fourth pixels for storing the generated photocharges;
- a shared readout circuit connected to said common floating diffusion region;
- and
- first, second, third, and fourth rectilinear transfer gates for transferring photocharges to the common unitary floating diffusion region from a respective one of the first, second, third, and fourth photosensors;
- wherein each photosensor is connected to a ground contact;
- wherein each of the transfer gates overlaps an entire edge of the photosensor in its associated pixel and the common unitary floating diffusion region;
- wherein each of the transfer gates overlaps a photosensor in an adjacent pixel block and a second common floating diffusion region in the adjacent pixel block;
- and
- wherein said shared readout circuit of a first block is provided between a first pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixels rows and a readout circuit of a second block is provided between a second pair of photosensors of said first block which are in adjacent pixel rows.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.