CROSSTEK CAPITAL, LLC Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20130143351 | SMALL PIXEL FOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS WITH VERTICALLY INTEGRATED SET AND RESET DIODES - A pixel of an image sensor, the pixel includes a floating diffusion node to sense photo-generated charge, a reset diode to reset the floating diffusion node in response to a reset signal, and a set diode to set the floating diffusion node. | 06-06-2013 |
20120068230 | IMAGE SENSOR CAPABLE OF INCREASING PHOTOSENSITIVITY AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - An image sensor capable of overcoming a decrease in photo sensitivity resulted from using a single crystal silicon substrate, and a method for fabricating the same are provided. An image sensor includes a single crystal silicon substrate, an amorphous silicon layer formed inside the substrate, a photodiode formed in the amorphous silicon layer, and a transfer gate formed over the substrate adjacent to the photodiode and transferring photoelectrons received from the photodiode. | 03-22-2012 |
20120028394 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING SAME - An image sensor includes an epi-layer of a first conductivity type formed in a substrate, a photodiode formed in the epi-layer, and a first doping region of a second conductivity type formed under the photodiode to separate the first doping region from the photodiode. | 02-02-2012 |
20110311146 | ADAPTED PIECEWISE LINEAR PROCESSING DRIVE - A piecewise linear processing device applies different amplification rates according to a general environment and a low luminance environment where much noise exists. The piecewise linear processing device includes a knee point storing unit configured to store a user's default setting value and low luminance setting value; a luminance detecting unit configured to detect a noisy environment to output a current luminance information signal and a maximum luminance information signal; an adaptive knee point supply unit configured to receive the default setting value, the low luminance setting value, the current luminance information signal, and the maximum luminance information signal to supply a adjusted adaptive knee point according to a degree of noise; and a piecewise linear processing unit configured to apply a section amplification rate to an input data on the basis of a region corresponding to the adaptive knee point. | 12-22-2011 |
20110242359 | FLICKER DETECTING CIRCUIT AND METHOD IN IMAGE SENSOR - A circuit includes a luminance average value output unit for extracting luminance values from pixel data of the first and the second frames to generate first luminance average values for pixel lines of the first frame and second luminance average values for pixel lines of the second frame, a flicker curve generating unit for subtracting the second luminance average values from the first luminance average values, thereby generating a flicker curve, and a flicker detecting unit for extracting a plurality of local minimum points from the flicker curve, calculating a distance between each two neighboring local minimum points of the extracted local minimum points, and determining whether the flicker is present based on the distances and the frequency numbers of the distances. | 10-06-2011 |
20110210381 | TRANSISTOR, IMAGE SENSOR WITH THE SAME, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Provided is an image sensor including a drive transistor as a voltage buffer, which can suppress generation of secondary electrons from a channel of the drive transistor to prevent generation of image defects caused by dark current. The transistor includes a gate electrode formed on a substrate, source and drain regions formed in the substrate exposed to both sides of the gate electrode, respectively, and an electric field attenuation region formed on the drain region and partially overlapping the gate electrode. | 09-01-2011 |
20110205417 | METHOD AND IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL WITHOUT ADDRESS TRANSISTOR - The invention describes in detail a solid-state CMOS image sensor, specifically the CMOS image sensor pixel that has only two row lines per pixel, pinned photodiode for sensing light, and one or two column lines. The pixel does not have an address transistor and the sensing and reset transistors are both MOS p-channel type. This architecture results in a low noise operation with a very small output transistor random noise. In addition this new pixel architecture allows for the standard CDS signal processing operation, which reduces the pixel to pixel non-uniformities and minimizes kTC reset noise. The pixel has high sensitivity, high conversion gain, high response uniformity, and low noise, which is enabled by the efficient 3T pixel layout. | 08-25-2011 |
20110198716 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An image sensor includes a color filter, an over-coating layer formed on the color filter, and a medium layer formed on the over-coating layer, wherein the medium layer is configured with at least two medium layers of which refractive indices are different from each other. | 08-18-2011 |
20110198486 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An image sensor includes a color filter, an over-coating layer formed on the color filter, and a medium layer formed on the over-coating layer, wherein the medium layer is configured with at least two medium layers of which refractive indices are different from each other. | 08-18-2011 |
20110192959 | SMALL PIXEL FOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS WITH VERTICALLY INTEGRATED SET AND RESET DIODES - A pixel of an image sensor, the pixel includes a floating diffusion. | 08-11-2011 |
20110186951 | BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED SENSOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed is a backside illuminated image sensor including a light receiving element formed in a first substrate, an interlayer insulation layer formed on the first substrate including the light receiving element, a via hole formed through the interlayer insulation layer and the first substrate while being spaced apart from the light receiving element, a spacer formed on an inner sidewall of the via hole, an alignment key to fill the via hole, interconnection layers formed on the interlayer insulation layer in a multilayer structure in which a backside of a lowermost layer of the interconnection layers is connected to the alignment key, a passivation layer covering the interconnection layers, a pad locally formed on a backside of the first substrate and connected to a backside of the alignment key, and a color filter and a microlens formed on the backside of the first substrate corresponding to the light receiving element. | 08-04-2011 |
20110186918 | SHALLOW TRENCH ISOLATION STRUCTURE HAVING AIR GAP, CMOS IMAGE SENSOR USING THE SAME AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CMOS IMAGE SENSOR - Disclosed is a shallow trench isolation structure having an air gap for suppressing the dark currents and cross-talk which occur in CMOS image sensors. The shallow trench isolation structure suppresses photons injected from neighboring pixels and dark current, so that high-quality images are obtained. Since impurities are removed from a p type ion implantation region for a photodiode when an inner wall oxide layer is etched to form the air gap, the p type ion implantation region has a uniform doping profile, thereby suppressing the diffusion of electrons towards the surface and achieving an image having a high quality. | 08-04-2011 |
20110180895 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CMOS IMAGE SENSOR - Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, capable of preventing hillock-type defects caused by the delamination of interconnections from occurring in the CMOS image sensor. The method of manufacturing the CMOS image sensor includes preparing a substrate having a first metal interconnection, forming an interlayer insulation layer over the first metal interconnection, forming a contact hole to expose a part of the first metal interconnection by etching the interlayer insulation layer, forming a buffer layer on the interlayer insulation layer along an inner surface of the contact hole, performing an annealing process, forming a spacer on an inner sidewall of the contact hole by etching the buffer layer, forming a barrier metal layer along a top surface of the interlayer insulation layer including the spacer, forming a contact plug on the barrier metal layer such that the contact hole is filled with the contact plug, and forming a second metal interconnection on the interlayer insulation layer such that the second metal interconnection makes contact with the contact plug. | 07-28-2011 |
20110177646 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH IMPROVED COLOR CROSSTALK - An image sensor comprises a substrate of a first conductivity type. First and second pixels are arrayed over the substrate. A potential barrier is formed in a region of the substrate corresponding to the first pixel but not in a region of the substrate corresponding to the second pixel. The second pixel is responsive to a color having a wavelength longer than the color to which the first pixel is responsive. The potential barrier is doped with dopants by a high energy ion implantation dopants or by an ion implantation or diffusion during epitaxial growth of the P-type epitaxial layer. | 07-21-2011 |
20110168873 | PIXEL OF IMAGE SENSOR HAVING ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLABLE PINNING LAYER - Disclosed are a pinned photodiode having and electrically controllable pinning layer and an image sensor including the pinned photodiode. A predetermined voltage is applied to the pinning layer for the depletion duration of the photodiode in the image sensor, so that stable surface pinning is acquired and the uniform surface pinning is achieved between pixels. | 07-14-2011 |
20110164161 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CMOS IMAGE SENSOR USING DOUBLE HARD MASK LAYER - Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, capable of forming silicide in a logic region and facilitating ion implantation into a pixel region while keeping a hard mask layer in a thin thickness without performing a process for removing the hard mask layer. The critical dimension is easily controlled when forming a gate pattern and the uniformity in the critical dimension of a gate photoresist pattern is improved. The method includes the steps of forming a gate conductive layer on a substrate on which a pixel region and a logic region are defined; forming a hard mask pattern on the gate conductive layer in such a manner that a thickness of the hard mask pattern in the pixel region is thicker than a thickness of the hard mask pattern in the logic region; forming a gate pattern in the pixel region and the logic region by etching the gate conductive layer using the hard mask pattern as an etching barrier; removing the hard mask pattern remaining in the logic region; and forming silicide in the logic region. | 07-07-2011 |
20110127630 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - An image sensor includes a trench formed by a shallow trench isolation (STI) process, a channel stop layer formed over a substrate in the trench, an isolation structure filled in the trench, and a photodiode formed in the substrate adjacent to a sidewall of the trench. In more detail of the image sensor, a trench is formed in a substrate through a STI process, and a channel stop layer is formed over the substrate in the trench. An isolation structure is formed in the trench, and a photodiode is fanned in the substrate adjacent to a sidewall of the trench. | 06-02-2011 |
20110108709 | BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR - A backside illuminated image sensor includes a photodiode, formed below the top surface of a semiconductor substrate, for receiving light illuminated from the backside of the semiconductor substrate to generate photoelectric charges, a reflecting gate, formed on the photodiode over the front upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, for reflecting light illuminated from the backside of the substrate and receiving a bias to control a depletion region of the photodiode, and a transfer gate for transferring photoelectric charges from the photodiode to a sensing node of a pixel. | 05-12-2011 |
20110086459 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A COMPLEMENTARY METAL OXIDE SEMICONDUCTOR (CMOS) IMAGE SENSOR - There are provided a CMOS image sensor and a method for fabrication thereof. The CMOS image sensor having a reset transistor, a select transistor, a drive transistor and a photodiode, includes an active region in shape of a line, a gate electrode of the drive transistor, which is intersected with the active region, a blocking layer interposed between the active region and the gate electrode in which the blocking layer is formed on an intersection region of the active region and the gate electrode, and a metal contact electrically connected to the gate electrode, wherein the metal contact is not electrically connected to the active region by the blocking layer. | 04-14-2011 |
20110086458 | CMOS IMAGE SENSOR WITH ASYMMETRIC WELL STRUCTURE OF SOURCE FOLLOWER - Provided is a CMOS image sensor with an asymmetric well structure of a source follower. The CMOS image sensor includes: a well disposed in an active region of a substrate; a drive transistor having one terminal connected to a power voltage and a first gate electrode disposed to cross the well; and a select transistor having a drain-source junction between another terminal of the drive transistor and an output node, and a second gate electrode disposed in parallel to the drive transistor. A drain region of the drive transistor and a source region of the select transistor are asymmetrically arranged. | 04-14-2011 |
20100146477 | MICROLENS ALIGNMENT PROCEDURES IN CMOS IMAGE SENSOR DESIGN - A method for aligning a microlens array in a sensor die to resolve non-symmetric brightness distribution and color balance of the image captured by the sensor die. The method includes performing a pre-simulation to simulate a microlens array alignment in a silicon die and to determine a shrink-factor and de-centering values, calculating the error in a real product's alignment in process and image offset, performing a post simulation based on offset calculation on the real product and re-design of the microlens alignment, and repeating the steps of calculating the error and performing the post-simulation until a satisfactory brightness distribution is obtained. The sensor die has sensor pixels, each pixel comprising a photodiode and a microlens for directing incoming light rays to the photodiode, wherein optical axis of the microlens is shifted with respect to optical axis of the photodiode by a preset amount determined by at least one iteration of alignment process. | 06-10-2010 |
20100039537 | METHOD FOR REDUCING ROW NOISE WITH DARK PIXEL DATA - A method for reducing the row noise from complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor by using average values from sub-regions of the shielded pixels. The method operates on sensor with and without a Color Filter Array (CFA) before any interpolation is applied and estimates the local offset by subtracting out outliers and averaging the averages of sub-regions in the shielded pixels. The method also reduces the pixel-to-pixel noise while reducing the row noise. | 02-18-2010 |
20090309010 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH DECREASED OPTICAL INTERFERENCE BETWEEN ADJACENT PIXELS - An image sensor with decreased optical interference between adjacent pixels is provided. An image sensor, which is divided into a pixel region and a peripheral region, the image sensor including a photodiode formed in a substrate in the pixel region, first to Mth metal lines formed over the substrate in the pixel region, where M is a natural number greater than approximately 1, first to Nth metal lines formed over a substrate in the peripheral region, where N is a natural number greater than M, at least one layer of dummy metal lines formed over the Mth metal lines but formed not to overlap with the photodiode, and a microlens formed over the one layer of the dummy metal lines to overlap with the photodiode. | 12-17-2009 |
20090278180 | CMOS IMAGE SENSOR WITH ASYMMETRIC WELL STRUCTURE OF SOURCE FOLLOWER - Provided is a CMOS image sensor with an asymmetric well structure of a source follower. The CMOS image sensor includes: a well disposed in an active region of a substrate; a drive transistor having one terminal connected to a power voltage and a first gate electrode disposed to cross the well; and a select transistor having a drain-source junction between another terminal of the drive transistor and an output node, and a second gate electrode disposed in parallel to the drive transistor. A drain region of the drive transistor and a source region of the select transistor are asymmetrically arranged. | 11-12-2009 |
20090268071 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH SCALER AND IMAGE SCALING METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor is wieldy used in many fields, including medical field and security device. Specifically, the image sensor is most widely used in digital camera and mobile phone. The digital camera and the mobile phone requires capture image of higher resolution and higher quality. However, a preview size of the mobile phone or digital camera requires a small size because of a display limitation. Therefore, a function of reducing an image size or magnifying a specific portion of the picture is essential in the image sensor. Accordingly, there is provided an image sensor with a scaler. The image sensor with the scaler can arbitrarily adjust a size of an image without any additional scaling chip. | 10-29-2009 |
20090262223 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING IMAGE QUALITY OF IMAGE SENSOR - Provided are an apparatus and method for improving an image quality of an image sensor, capable of adaptively removing noise occurring in a de-mosaicking that is performed for generating three-channel data of R, G and B from a single channel pixel structure based on a bayer pattern. The apparatus includes a first converting unit for converting RGB color data into a YCbCr color data, the RGB color data being obtained from bayer data through a de-mosaicking, a noise removal unit for removing noise from a Cb and a Cr color data outputted from the first converting unit, and a second converting unit for converting the Cb and the Cr color data from the noise removal unit and a Y data from the first converting unit into the RGB color data. | 10-22-2009 |