Endoscope having large field of view resulted from two field of views
Granted: October 18, 2022
Patent Number:
11471027
An endoscope comprises a light splitting device for transmitting a first illuminating light and reflecting a second illuminating light emitted by a light source. The first illuminating light passes through a first color filter transmitting a first color. The second illuminating light passes through the second color filter transmitting a second color. The first color is different from the second color. The light splitting device combines a first incident light of the first color and a…
Flare-blocking image sensor
Granted: October 11, 2022
Patent Number:
11469264
A flare-blocking image sensor includes large pixels and small pixels, a microlens, and an opaque element. The large pixels and small pixels form a first and second pixel array respectively, each having a pixel pitch Px and Py. The second pixel array is offset from the first pixel array by ½Px and ½Py. A first large pixel of the large pixels is between and collinear with a first and a second small pixel separated by ?{square root over (Px2+Py2 )} in a first direction and each having a…
Image sensor with three readout approach for phase detection autofocus and image sensing photodiodes through multiple column bitlines
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11463648
An imaging device includes a photodiode array with a first and second photodiodes. First and second floating diffusions are configured to receive charge from the first and second photodiodes, respectively. An analog to digital converter (ADC) is configured to receive simultaneously first and second bitline signals from the first and second floating diffusions, respectively. The ADC is configured to generate a reference readout in response to the first and second bitline signals after a…
Bitline control supporting binning mode phase detection autofocus photodiodes
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11463640
An imaging device includes pixel circuits that include either image sensing photodiodes or phase detection autofocus (PDAF) photodiodes. The PDAF photodiodes are included in a first PDAF pixel circuit included in a first grouping of rows, and a second PDAF pixel circuit included in a second grouping of rows of a pixel array. Bitline pairs are coupled to respective columns of the pixel array. Each bitline pair includes a first bitline coupled to the first grouping of rows and a second…
Pixel and associated transfer-gate fabrication method
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11462579
A method for forming a transfer gate includes (i) forming a dielectric pillar on a surface of a semiconductor substrate and (ii) growing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the dielectric pillar. The dielectric pillar has a pillar height that exceeds an epitaxial-layer height of the epitaxial layer relative to the surface. The method also includes removing the dielectric pillar to yield a trench in the epitaxial layer. A pixel includes a doped semiconductor…
Stack chip air gap heat insulator
Granted: September 27, 2022
Patent Number:
11456328
Image sensors include a pixel die that is stacked on a logic die. The logic die includes at least one function logic element disposed on a bond side thereof, and a logic oxide array of raised logic oxide features also disposed on the bond side. The pixel die includes a pixel array disposed on a light receiving side thereof, and a pixel oxide array of raised pixel oxide features disposed on a bond side of the pixel die. A plurality of outer bonds is disposed between an outer region of the…
Image compression technique for low-power, always-on camera systems
Granted: September 20, 2022
Patent Number:
11451828
A method of compressing and storing preview video includes performing colorspace-reduction image compression on a reference frame of a video to generate a colorspace-reduced reference frame; determining difference blocks representing areas of a subsequent image frame that differ from the reference frame and generating a difference frame comprising colorspace-reduced image data of the difference blocks; generating a video stream comprising a color palette, the colorspace-reduced reference…
Multi-cell pixel array for high dynamic range image sensors
Granted: September 20, 2022
Patent Number:
11451717
A pixel includes an array of a plurality of photodiodes. The array of photodiodes includes a plurality of rows of photodiodes and a plurality of columns of photodiodes. The plurality of photodiodes includes a set of first photodiodes that has a first surface area and at least one second photodiode that has a second surface area that is smaller than the first surface area. The first photodiodes are arranged to be symmetric with respect to the at least one second photodiode. Output…
Dual floating diffusion transistor with vertical gate structure for image sensor
Granted: September 20, 2022
Patent Number:
11450696
A pixel circuit includes a photodiode and a floating diffusion disposed in a semiconductor substrate. A transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the floating diffusion to transfer photogenerated image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion. A dual floating diffusion (DFD) transistor is coupled between the floating diffusion and a DFD capacitor. The DFD transistor includes a DFD gate that includes a planar gate portion disposed over a surface of the semiconductor…
Isolation structure for suppression floating diffusion junction leakage in CMOS image sensor
Granted: September 13, 2022
Patent Number:
11444108
Examples of the disclosed subject matter propose disposing deep trench isolation structure around the perimeter of the pixel transistor region of the pixel cell. In some example embodiments, the deep trench isolation structure extends into the semiconductor substrate from the back side of the semiconductor substrate and abuts against or contacts the bottom of shallow trench isolation structure disposed in the front side of the semiconductor substrate. Together, the trench isolating…
Pixel for time-of-flight applications
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11435452
A time-of-flight (TOF) pixel includes a semiconductor material and a photogate disposed proximate to a frontside of the semiconductor material. The photogate is positioned to transfer charge in the semiconductor material toward the frontside in response to a voltage applied to the photogate. A floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor material proximate to the frontside of the semiconductor material, and one or more virtual phase implants is disposed in the semiconductor…
Method and structure to improve image sensor crosstalk
Granted: May 10, 2022
Patent Number:
11329086
Image sensors include a substrate material having a plurality of small photodiodes (SPDs) and a plurality of large photodiodes (LPDs) disposed therein. A plurality of pixel isolators is formed in the substrate material, each pixel isolator being disposed between one of the SPDs and one of the LPDs. A passivation layer is disposed on the substrate material and a buffer layer is disposed on the passivation layer. A plurality of first metal elements is disposed in the buffer layer, each…
Image sensor and electronic device
Granted: May 10, 2022
Patent Number:
11329082
An image sensor and an electronic device are disclosed. At least one pixel in the image sensor includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region and a transfer transistor located between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The photodiode includes a carrier-accumulation region, and a gate of the transfer transistor extends up to the carrier-accumulation region. The gate extends away from the floating diffusion region and overlaps over half of a width of the…
Lens-array imager
Granted: May 10, 2022
Patent Number:
11328150
A lens-array imager includes lenses Lm forming a lens array having a pitch dx, a pixel array including pixel-array regions Rm, and apertured baffle-layers therebetween; m={0, 1, 2, . . . }. Each pixel-array region has a width rx<dx and pitch px<dx. Each apertured baffle-layer is at a respective distance zk from the pixel array and has a respective plurality of aperture stops Am forming an aperture-stop array. A center of each aperture stop Am is collinear with both a center of…
Image sensors with phase detection auto-focus pixels
Granted: May 3, 2022
Patent Number:
11323608
An image sensor pixel array comprises a plurality of image pixel units to gather image information and a plurality of phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) pixel units to gather phase information. Each of the PDAF pixel units includes two of first image sensor pixels covered by two micro-lenses, respectively. Each of the image pixel units includes four of second image sensor pixels adjacent to each other, wherein each of the second image sensor pixels is covered by an individual micro-lens.…
Pixel, associated image sensor, and method
Granted: April 12, 2022
Patent Number:
11302727
A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate, a photodiode region, a floating diffusion region, and a dielectric layer. The substrate has a top surface forming a trench lined by the dielectric layer, and having a trench depth relative to a planar region of the top surface. The photodiode region is in the substrate and includes a bottom photodiode section beneath the trench and a top photodiode section adjacent to the trench, adjoining the bottom photodiode section, and extending toward the…
Column amplifier capacitor switch circuit to adjust analog gain
Granted: March 29, 2022
Patent Number:
11290674
A pixel cell readout circuit includes an amplifier and a capacitor switch circuit that includes a first routing path coupled to an input of the amplifier. A second routing path includes switches coupled in series along the second routing path. A first end of the second routing path is coupled to a bitline. A second end of the second routing path is coupled to an output of the amplifier. Only one of the switches is turned off and a remainder of the switches are turned on. Capacitors are…
Shallow trench isolation (STI) structure for CMOS image sensor
Granted: March 29, 2022
Patent Number:
11289530
A shallow trench isolation (STI) structure and method of fabrication includes a two-step epitaxial growth process. A trench larger than the target STI structure is etched into a semiconductor substrate, a first layer of un-doped semiconductor material epitaxially grown in the trench to provide an STI structure having a target depth and a critical dimension, and a second layer of doped semiconductor material epitaxially grown on the first layer, said second layer filling the trench and…
Image sensor with reduced petal flare
Granted: March 29, 2022
Patent Number:
11289523
An image sensor includes a substrate material, an array of the color filters, an array of waveguides and spacers. The substrate material includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed therein. The array of color filters are disposed over the substrate material. The array of waveguides are disposed over the substrate material. The buffer layer is disposed between the substrate material and the arrays of color filters and waveguides. The spacers are disposed between the color filters in the…
Pixel, associated image sensor, and method
Granted: March 22, 2022
Patent Number:
11282886
A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate, an upper surface thereof forming a trench having a trench depth relative to a planar region of the upper surface surrounding the trench, and in a plane perpendicular to the planar region; an upper width between the planar region and an upper depth that is less than the trench depth; and a lower width, between the upper depth and the trench depth, that is less than the upper width. A floating diffusion region adjacent to the trench extends away…
