# US 9,438,834 B2 · Solid-state imaging device, driving method thereof and electronic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,834 B2 - Document ID: US9438834B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/465,432 - Filed: 2014-08-21 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-07-30 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kyoko Izuha; Kouichi Harada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438834B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/51: Control of the gain - H10F 39/192: {Colour image sensors} - H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters} - H10F 39/806: {Optical elements or arrangements associated with the image sensors} - H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes} - H10F 39/803: {Pixels having integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section; an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in a portion of pixels selected from the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto; a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film; and an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state imaging device comprising: a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section; an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in at least a portion of the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto; a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film; an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film; and a voltage applying section which detects an amount of electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converting section and applies the voltage to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the time necessary for changing the light transmittance of the electrochromic film from the first transmittance to the second transmittance according to the voltage applied to the electrochromic film is shorter than one second. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: the pixels include a red pixel, a green pixel and a blue pixel, and the device further comprising a color filter which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in a region where each of the red pixel, the green pixel and the blue pixel is formed and which transmits light of red, green and blue wavelength regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic film is a stacked body including an electrochromic material layer, a solid electrolyte layer and an ion storage layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applying section applies the voltage to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount for each row of pixels including the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applying section applies the voltage to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount for each pixel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a voltage retaining section, which retains voltage to be applied to the electrochromic film, is connected to the voltage applying section. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a photochromic film which is formed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode to be stacked with the electrochromic film and has light transmittance changing from a third transmittance to a fourth transmittance according to the amount of incident light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are made of nano-carbon material including graphene or carbon nanotubes, or ITO. ### Claim 10 A driving method of a solid-state imaging device, comprising: in a solid-state imaging device including a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section; an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in a portion of pixels selected from the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto; a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film; and an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film, selecting the applied voltage so that the light transmittance of the electrochromic film becomes a predetermined value and applying the voltage to the electrochromic film. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The driving method according to claim 10, wherein: the upper electrode and the lower electrode are made of nano-carbon material including graphene or carbon nanotubes, or ITO, in the solid-state imaging device, and the voltage is selected so that the light transmittance of the electrochromic film becomes a predetermined value and is applied to the electrochromic film. ### Claim 12 A driving method of a solid-state imaging device, comprising: in a solid-state imaging device including a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section; an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in at least a portion of the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto; a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film; and an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film, detecting an amount of electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converting section and applying a voltage to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The driving method according to claim 12, wherein the voltage is applied to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount for each row of pixels including the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The driving method according to claim 12, wherein the voltage is applied to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount for each pixel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The driving method according to claim 12, wherein: the upper electrode and the lower electrode are made of nano-carbon material including graphene or carbon nanotubes, or ITO, in the solid-state imaging device, and the voltage is selected so that the light transmittance of the electrochromic film becomes a predetermined value and is applied to the electrochromic film. ### Claim 16 An electronic apparatus comprising: a solid-state imaging device; an optical system which introduces incident light to an imaging section of the solid-state imaging device; and a signal processing circuit which processes an output signal of the solid-state imaging device, wherein the solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section, an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in a portion of pixels selected from the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto, a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film, and an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are made of nano-carbon material including graphene or carbon nanotubes, or ITO. ### Claim 18 An electronic apparatus comprising: a solid-state imaging device; an optical system which introduces incident light to an imaging section of the solid-state imaging device; and a signal processing circuit which processes an output signal of the solid-state imaging device, wherein the solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section, an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in at least a portion of the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto, a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film, an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film, and a voltage applying section which detects an amount of electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converting section and applies a voltage to the electrochromic film according to the electric charge amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are made of nano-carbon material including graphene or carbon nanotubes, or ITO.