Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090294816 | CMOS image sensor and driving method of the same - Provided are a CMOS image sensor and a driving method thereof. The CMOS image sensor may include a photodetector disposed in a semiconductor substrate to accumulate photocharges, a charge transfer element configured to control transfer of the photocharges accumulated in the photodetector, a detecting element configured to detect the photocharges transferred by the charge transfer element, and a well driving contact configured to increase a potential difference between the photodetector and the detecting element while the photocharges are transferred. | 12-03-2009 |
20100045836 | Image sensor and image sensing system including the same - An image sensor includes a conductive well in a semiconductor substrate, a photo sensitive device (PSD) in the semiconductor substrate below the conductive well, the PSD and conductive well overlapping each other, and a charge transmission unit in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the conductive well, the charge transmission unit having a structure of a recessed gate and being positioned in a recess region of the semiconductor substrate. | 02-25-2010 |
20100133635 | image sensor and image sensing system including the same - The image sensor and an image sensing system including the same are provided. The image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a pixel array formed at a pixel area located in the semiconductor substrate and comprising a plurality of photoelectric converts, a plurality of driver circuits formed at a circuit area defined in the semiconductor substrate. The image sensor includes at least one heat blocker or heat shield. The at least one heat blocker may be formed between the pixel area and the circuit area in the semiconductor substrate. The heat blocker or heat shield may block or dissipate heat generated at the circuit area from being transferred to the pixel area through the semiconductor substrate. The heat blocker or heat shield may be used in image sensors using a back-side illumination sensor (BIS) structure or image sensors using a silicon on insulator (SOI) semiconductor substrate. | 06-03-2010 |
20100133638 | Image sensors and methods of manufacturing the same - An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes, a plurality of wells isolating the plurality of photodiodes from each other, and a plurality of conductive layers or conductive lines for suppressing a dark current generated at the surface of the photodiodes and in the wells in response to a bias voltage. | 06-03-2010 |
20100134668 | Image sensors - An image sensor includes a plurality of wells for isolating a plurality of photodiodes from each other. Each of the wells includes a P-type well region and an N-type well region configured to receive a positive bias voltage. The image sensor provides a clearer image by suppressing a blooming effect and a dark current. | 06-03-2010 |
20100140733 | Back-side illuminated image sensor - In an example embodiment, the backside-illuminated image sensor includes a substrate including a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices being separated by a semiconductor. The backside-illuminated sensor further includes a transparent electrode layer or a metal layer formed on a surface of a substrate. As a positive bias voltage or a negative bias voltage is applied to the transparent electrode layer or the metal layer, generation of dark current in the surface of the silicon substrate may be reduced or suppressed. | 06-10-2010 |
20120249740 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE SENSORS, CAMERAS, AND IMAGING SYSTEMS - A three-dimensional image sensor may include a light source module configured to emit at least one light to an object, a sensing circuit configured to polarize a received light that represents the at least one light reflected from the object and configured to convert the polarized light to electrical signals, and a control unit configured to control the light source module and sensing circuit. A camera may include a receiving lens; a sensor module configured to generate depth data, the depth data including depth information of objects based on a received light from the objects; an engine unit configured to generate a depth map of the objects based on the depth data, configured to segment the objects in the depth map, and configured to generate a control signal for controlling the receiving lens based on the segmented objects; and a motor unit configured to control focusing of the receiving lens. | 10-04-2012 |
20130020463 | IMAGE-SENSING DEVICES AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME - In a method of operating an image sensor, a noise voltage of a floating diffusion region is sampled after a reset voltage is applied to the floating diffusion region. A storage region, in which a photo-charge is stored, is electrically connected to the floating diffusion region after sampling the noise voltage, and a demodulation voltage of the floating diffusion region is sampled after the storage region and the floating diffusion region are electrically-connected. A voltage is determined based on the noise voltage and the demodulation voltage. | 01-24-2013 |
20130119234 | UNIT PIXEL AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING THE SAME - A unit pixel of a three-dimensional image sensor includes a non-silicon photodetector and at least one readout circuit. The non-silicon photodetector is formed at a silicon substrate, and the non-silicon photodetector comprising at least one of non-silicon materials to generate a photocharge in response to incident light. The at least one readout circuit is formed at the silicon substrate, the at least one readout circuit outputs a sensing signal based on the photocharge, and the sensing signal generates depth information on a distance to an object. | 05-16-2013 |
20130126716 | PIXEL CIRCUIT, DEPTH SENSOR AND OPERATING METHOD - A pixel circuit for a depth sensor operating in a detection period and an output period in either a first operating mode (high incident light intensity) or a second operating mode (low incident light intensity). The pixel circuit includes a light receiving unit generating charge in response to the incident light, a signal generation unit accumulating charge in a FDN in response to a transmission signal, reset signal and selection signal during the detection period, and generating an analog signal having a level corresponding to a voltage apparent at the FDN during the output period, and a refresh transistor coupled between a supply voltage and the light receiving unit and discharging charge to the supply voltage in response to a refresh signal. | 05-23-2013 |
20140198183 | SENSING PIXEL AND IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING SAME - A depth-sensing pixel included in a three-dimensional (3D) image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion device configured to generate an electrical charge by converting modulated light reflected by a subject; a capture transistor, controlled by a capture signal applied to the gate thereof, the photoelectric conversion device being connected to the drain thereof; and a transfer transistor, controlled by a transfer signal applied to the gate thereof, the source of the capture transistor being connected to the drain thereof, and a floating diffusion region being connected to the source thereof. | 07-17-2014 |
20140253905 | DEPTH PIXEL AND IMAGE PICK-UP APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A depth pixel of an image sensor includes a depth sensing element configured to generate first charges that are photo-electrically converted from a light reflected from an object, a first floating diffusion node configured to receive the first charges from the depth sensing element, a second floating diffusion node configured to output second charges corresponding to a component of a reflection light where a component of an ambient light is cancelled, and an ambient light cancellation circuit configured to detect the ambient light to control a barrier level of a charge transfer path between the first floating diffusion node and the second floating diffusion node in response to the ambient light. | 09-11-2014 |