# US 9,883,124 B2 · Solid-state imaging device

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- Number: US 9,883,124 B2
- Document ID: US9883124B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/309,253
- Filed: 2015-04-07
- Published: 2017-03-16
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-13
- Assignees: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
- Applicants: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
- Inventors: Yukinobu Sugiyama; Kenta Endo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883124B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/47: Image sensors with pixel address output; Event-driven image sensors; Selection of pixels to be read out based on image data
- H04N 25/57: Control of the dynamic range
- H04N 25/40: Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
- H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels
- H04N 25/533: by using differing integration times for different sensor regions
- H04N 25/583: with different integration times
- H04N 25/76: Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
- H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
- H04N 25/779: Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array
- H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes a photodetecting unit, a row control unit, a column control unit, and a signal readout unit. The photodetecting unit includes M×N pixel units P(1,1) to P(M,N) two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns. Each pixel unit P(m,n) includes a photodiode PD, an amplifying transistor Tr1, a transfer transistor Tr2, a readout transistor Tr3, a first initialization transistor Tr4, and a second initialization transistor Tr5. One of the transfer transistor Tr2 and the first initialization transistor Tr4 performs an on/off operation based on a control signal output from the row control unit, and the other performs an on/off operation based on a control signal output from the column control unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solid-state imaging device comprising:
a photodetecting unit including M×N pixel units P(1,1) to P(M,N) two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns;
a row control unit outputting a control signal for controlling an operation of N pixel units P(m,1) to P(m,N) in an m-th row of the photodetecting unit to each row;
a column control unit outputting a control signal for controlling an operation of M pixel units P(1,n) to P(M,n) in an n-th column of the photodetecting unit to each column; and
a signal readout unit reading out signals from the M×N pixel units P(1,1) to P(M,N) of the photodetecting unit, wherein
each pixel unit P(m,n) of the photodetecting unit
includes a photodiode that generates a charge of an amount according to an incident light amount, an amplifying transistor that outputs a signal having a value according to an amount of charge of a gate terminal, a transfer transistor that transfers the charge generated in the photodiode to the gate terminal of the amplifying transistor, a readout transistor that outputs the signal output from the amplifying transistor to the signal readout unit, a first initialization transistor that initializes charge accumulation of the photodiode, and a second initialization transistor that initializes charge accumulation of the gate terminal of the amplifying transistor, and
one of the transfer transistor and the first initialization transistor performs an on/off operation based on the control signal output from the row control unit and the other performs an on/off operation based on the control signal output from the column control unit (where M and N are each an integer of 2 or more, m is an integer of 1 or more and M or less, and n is an integer of 1 or more and N or less).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the M×N pixel units P(1,1) to P(M,N) of the photodetecting unit are divided into a plurality of blocks,
each of the plurality of blocks includes pixel units arrayed in Q rows and R columns, and
in a pixel unit of a q-th row and an r-th column in each of the plurality of blocks, the transfer transistor performs the on/off operation based on the same control signal and the first initialization transistor performs the on/off operation based on the same control signal (where at least one of Q and R is an integer of 2 or more, q is an integer of 1 or more and Q or less, and r is an integer of 1 or more and R or less).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, in the photodetecting unit,
a pixel unit in which the transfer transistor performs the on/off operation based on the control signal output from the row control unit and the first initialization transistor performs the on/off operation based on the control signal output from the column control unit, and
a pixel unit in which the first initialization transistor performs the on/off operation based on the control signal output from the row control unit and the transfer transistor performs the on/off operation based on the control signal output from the column control unit are arranged in a mixed manner.