Flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11670648
A flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate and a metal layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a small-photodiode region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms a trench surrounding the small-photodiode region in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a first back-surface region of the back surface above the small-photodiode region. The metal layer covers the first back-surface region, at least partially fills the trench, and surrounds the…
Differential subrange ADC for image sensor
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11659302
A differential subrange analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts differential analog image signals received from sample and hold circuits to a digital signal through an ADC comparator. The comparator of the differential subrange ADC is shared by a successive approximation register (SAR) ADC coupled to provide both M upper output bits (UOB) and a ramp ADC coupled to provide N lower output bits (LOB). Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) of the differential subrange SAR ADC comprises 2M…
Dual row select pixel for fast pixel binning
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11658202
A pixel array includes pixel cells, each including photodiodes. A source follower is coupled to generate an image signal in response image charge generated by the photodiodes. A first row select transistor is coupled to the source follower to output the image signal of the pixel cell. Pixel cells are organized into columns including a first column and a second column. The first row select transistors of the pixel cells of the first and second columns of pixel cells are coupled to first…
Image sensor with through silicon fin transfer gate
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11658199
A device includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, and a channel region. The photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The photodiode is coupled to generate charges in response to incident light. The photodiode has a substantially uniform doping profile throughout a depth of the photodiode in the semiconductor material. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material. The transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the…
Image sensor with through silicon fin transfer gate
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11658198
A device includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, and a channel region. The photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The photodiode is coupled to generate charge in response to incident light. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material. The transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The channel region associated with the transfer gate is in the semiconductor material proximate to…
Layout design of dual row select structure
Granted: May 16, 2023
Patent Number:
11652131
A pixel array includes pixel cells disposed in semiconductor material. Each of the pixel cells includes photodiodes, and a floating diffusion to receive image charge from the photodiodes. A source follower is coupled to the floating diffusion to generate an image signal in response image charge from the photodiodes. Drain regions of first and second row select transistors are coupled to a source of the source follower. A common junction is disposed in the semiconductor material between…
Imaging system for detecting human-object interaction and a method for detecting human-object interaction
Granted: May 16, 2023
Patent Number:
11651579
The present application discloses an imaging system for detecting human-object interaction and a method for detecting human-object interaction thereof. The imaging system includes an event sensor, an image sensor, and a controller. The event sensor is configured obtain an event data set of the targeted scene according to variations of light intensity sensed by pixels of the event sensor when an event occurs in the targeted scene. The image sensor is configured capture a visual image of…
Image sensor with sub-pixel photodiode array with multiple mini-wire grid polarizers for polarization imaging
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11644606
An image sensor configured to resolve intensity and polarization has multiple pixels each having a single microlens adapted to focus light on a central photodiode surrounded by at least a first, a second, a third, and a fourth peripheral photodiodes, where a first polarizer at a first angle is disposed upon the first peripheral photodiode, a third polarizer at a third angle is disposed upon the third peripheral photodiode, a second polarizer at a second angle is disposed upon the second…
Method for forming LED flickering reduction (LFR) film for HDR image sensor and image sensor having same
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11647300
A pixel array for a high definition (HD) image sensor is disclosed. The pixel array includes a number of split pixel cells each including a first photodiode and a second photodiode that is more sensitive to incident light than the first photodiode. The first photodiode can be used to sense bright or high intensity light conditions, while the second photodiode can be used to sense low to medium intensity light conditions. In the disclosed pixel array, the sensitivity of one or more…
Determining depth information from a single camera
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11647175
An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object…
Method for forming LED flickering reduction (LFR) film for HDR image sensor and image sensor having same
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11647300
A pixel array for a high definition (HD) image sensor is disclosed. The pixel array includes a number of split pixel cells each including a first photodiode and a second photodiode that is more sensitive to incident light than the first photodiode. The first photodiode can be used to sense bright or high intensity light conditions, while the second photodiode can be used to sense low to medium intensity light conditions. In the disclosed pixel array, the sensitivity of one or more…
Determining depth information from a single camera
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11647175
An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object…
Image sensor with sub-pixel photodiode array with multiple mini-wire grid polarizers for polarization imaging
Granted: May 9, 2023
Patent Number:
11644606
An image sensor configured to resolve intensity and polarization has multiple pixels each having a single microlens adapted to focus light on a central photodiode surrounded by at least a first, a second, a third, and a fourth peripheral photodiodes, where a first polarizer at a first angle is disposed upon the first peripheral photodiode, a third polarizer at a third angle is disposed upon the third peripheral photodiode, a second polarizer at a second angle is disposed upon the second…
Tilted transfer gate for advanced CMOS image sensor
Granted: April 25, 2023
Patent Number:
11637138
A pixel circuit includes a trench etched into a front side surface of a semiconductor substrate. The trench includes a bottom surface etched along a <100> crystalline plane and a tilted side surface etched along a <111> crystalline plane that extends between the bottom surface and the front side surface. A floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the bottom surface of the trench. A photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the…
Arithmetic logic unit design in column analog to digital converter with shared gray code generator for correlated multiple samplings
Granted: April 18, 2023
Patent Number:
11632512
An arithmetic logic unit (ALU) includes a front end latch stage coupled to latch Gray code (GC) outputs of a GC generator in response to a comparator output. A signal latch stage is coupled to latch outputs of the front end latch stage. A GC to binary stage is coupled to generate a binary representation of the GC outputs latched in the signal latch stage. First inputs of an adder stage are coupled to receive outputs of the GC to binary stage. Outputs of the adder stage are generated in…
Current steering ramp compensation scheme and digital circuit implementation
Granted: April 11, 2023
Patent Number:
11627273
A ramp generator includes a plurality of switched current sources coupled in parallel between a resistor and ground. A digital ramp control signal generator includes a counter to generate a ramp control signal in response to a clock signal. Each bit of the ramp control signal is coupled to control switching of a respective one of the plurality of switched current sources to generate a ramp signal at an output of the ramp generator. The digital ramp control signal generator is coupled to…
Image sensor package
Granted: April 11, 2023
Patent Number:
11626434
A method of image sensor package fabrication includes forming a recess in a transparent substrate, depositing conductive traces in the recess, inserting an image sensor in the recess so that the image sensor is positioned in the recess to receive light through the transparent substrate, and inserting a circuit board in the recess so that the image sensor is positioned between the transparent substrate and the circuit board.
Transistors having increased effective channel width
Granted: April 11, 2023
Patent Number:
11626433
Image sensors include a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor substrate and a transistor operatively coupled to the photodiode. At least three substrate trench structures are formed in the semiconductor substrate, defining two nonplanar structures, each having a plurality of sidewall portions. An isolation layer includes at least three isolation layer trench structures, each being disposed in a respective one of the three substrate trench structures. A gate includes three fingers, each…
Low power static random-access memory
Granted: April 11, 2023
Patent Number:
11626153
A low power SRAM (static RAM) for an image sensor includes a voltage generation circuit for providing a positive supply voltage VP and a negative supply VN, wherein VDD>Vp>Vn>Vgnd; a plurality of memory cells coupled to a respective plurality of column sense lines in a pixel array, the plurality of memory cells receiving differential inputs dp and dn; and a Gray counter coupled to switchably couple VP and VN to the differential inputs dp and dn of the plurality of memory cells.…
Method for detecting spoof fingerprints with an under-display fingerprint sensor
Granted: April 4, 2023
Patent Number:
11620852
A method for detecting spoof fingerprints with an under-display fingerprint sensor includes illuminating, with incident light emitted from a display, a target region of a fingerprint sample disposed on a top surface of the display; detecting a first scattered signal from the fingerprint sample with a first image sensor region of an image sensor located beneath the display, the first image sensor region not directly beneath the target region, the first scattered signal including a first…
