USRE45094E1 - Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor - Google Patents
Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- USRE45094E1 USRE45094E1 US13/556,829 US201213556829A USRE45094E US RE45094 E1 USRE45094 E1 US RE45094E1 US 201213556829 A US201213556829 A US 201213556829A US RE45094 E USRE45094 E US RE45094E
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- pixel
- reset
- source
- voltage
- line
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
- H04N23/70—Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
- H04N23/741—Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
- H04N25/70—SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
- H04N25/76—Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
- H04N25/766—Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors comprising control or output lines used for a plurality of functions, e.g. for pixel output, driving, reset or power
Definitions
- the voltage can be boosted internally.
- the present application defines increasing the pixel voltage dynamic range in a photosensor, such as an active pixel sensor. This is done by using two controlling lines to control each pixel. Each pixel line can have its own voltage, thereby enabling applying separate voltages to different parts of the pixel. By selectively controlling the voltages on the different parts, dynamic range boosting can be carried out.
- a reset transistor source/drain of a pixel of a CMOS imager is biased with a voltage signal on a line that supplies the voltage signal to a row of pixels of the imager, and the voltage signal is lowered during operation of the imager.
- FIG. 1 shows a basic active pixel sensor
- FIG. 2 shows the ways that the control lines are coupled to different parts of the circuits.
- FIG. 3 shows a portion of the circuit of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 1 A single pixel of an active pixel sensor is shown in FIG. 1 .
- An array of these active pixel sensor elements can be formed on a single chip and formed using transistors which are compatible with CMOS techniques.
- a photoreceptor, e.g. a photodiode 100 is formed in the substrate 99 .
- a first reset controlling line 115 controls a reset transfer gate 105 to reset the charge from the photodiode 100 based on a floating reset diffusion 110 .
- the diffusion is either floating when gate 105 is off, or connected to line 120 , when gate 105 is on.
- the value on the floating diffusion 110 represents the charge on the photodiode 100 .
- This charge level is buffered by a follower transistor 125 , and also switched by an in pixel select transistor 130 . Additional pixels and circuitry may be also placed in the pixel as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,515.
- All of the elements in this device can be formed from MOS and CMOS transistors. These transistors have a significant threshold voltage between 0.6 and 0.9 volts. The output voltages from the floating diffusion 110 , the source follower transistor 125 and other voltages may be reduced or shifted downward by these thresholds.
- the voltage on the floating diffusion may extend between 1.2 volts and 2.7 volts, e.g. the dynamic range may equal 1.5 volts.
- a boosted reset pulse may be used to increase the floating diffusion level, for example by 0.5 volts. This could correspondingly increase the signal dynamic range.
- the present application teaches a way to expand dynamic range, maintain low dark current, and provide an operational mode in which quantum efficiency is increased by all the photodiode PN junctions in the pixel being kept near zero potential during the integration time.
- the improved pixel uses a combination of three different techniques for increasing its performance.
- a first technique uses in-pixel boosting.
- the photodiode voltage only increases during the time of integration.
- the channel of the pixel source follower is filled with charge during reset.
- the charge dumps from the channel into the drain during the readout time.
- the readout line is kept grounded during reset.
- the present system may separate the biases to switching elements (e.g. transistors), within a single pixel. This is done by using an additional metal line in each pixel.
- the circuit as described herein also uses a shared reset/select line which forms a reset for a first line, and a select for a different line. In this way the drain of the reset transistor for a specific pixel is separated from the drain of the source follower transistor for that pixel. By applying pulses to the transistors at different times, the power supplies can be effectively separated.
- VDD lines are run horizontally. As described herein, a special dynamic readout regime is used to minimize the DC current along that line, and thereby minimize voltage drop along that line.
- Each VDD line such as 205 is connected to two separate row drivers; here line N ⁇ 1 and line N. As shown by waveform 209 , this provides the VDD voltage only during the time of the two select pulses, i.e. during almost one row time. During the rest of the frame time, VDD remains grounded.
- the VDD N ⁇ 1 line 205 first rises at 210 . This boosts the voltage on the floating diffusion on line N. This also boosts the reset on line N ⁇ 1 and also begins the first selecting pulse time period. During the second selecting pulse time 226 , the VDD line raises the level on the source follower 215 .
- the voltage on the VDD line N ⁇ 1 is raised again to begin the period 226 .
- the surface potential under the source follower gate is then maximized, thereby minimizing the capacitance of the source follower gate.
- the bottom horizontal VLN line 250 is connected to a gate of a current sink transistor 252 .
- This current sink transistor is turned on to provide a timed pulse (e.g. of 3.3 volts) instead of continuous DC voltage.
- This causes the transistors which are biased by the voltage line 254 , which includes the transistors 215 , 216 and corresponding transistors of other pixels, to operate as switches instead of steady state current generators.
- This also provides two column modes. An “on” mode connects the columns to ground and an “off” mode provides floating columns.
Abstract
Description
Claims (12)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/556,829 USRE45094E1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2012-07-24 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US15161999P | 1999-08-31 | 1999-08-31 | |
US09/653,527 US7116366B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2000-08-31 | CMOS aps pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US10/901,114 US7230645B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
US48403909A | 2009-06-12 | 2009-06-12 | |
US13/556,829 USRE45094E1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2012-07-24 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/901,114 Reissue US7230645B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
USRE45094E1 true USRE45094E1 (en) | 2014-08-26 |
Family
ID=33554741
Family Applications (4)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/653,527 Expired - Fee Related US7116366B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2000-08-31 | CMOS aps pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US10/901,114 Expired - Lifetime US7230645B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
US10/901,178 Expired - Fee Related US7116368B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | CMOS APS pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US13/556,829 Expired - Fee Related USRE45094E1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2012-07-24 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
Family Applications Before (3)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/653,527 Expired - Fee Related US7116366B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2000-08-31 | CMOS aps pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US10/901,114 Expired - Lifetime US7230645B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | Method of operating a CMOS APS pixel sensor |
US10/901,178 Expired - Fee Related US7116368B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2004-07-29 | CMOS APS pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
Country Status (1)
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US (4) | US7116366B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7116366B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2006-10-03 | Micron Technology, Inc. | CMOS aps pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US7310004B2 (en) * | 2004-05-28 | 2007-12-18 | California Institute Of Technology | Apparatus and method of interconnecting nanoscale programmable logic array clusters |
US7235771B2 (en) * | 2004-07-29 | 2007-06-26 | California Institute Of Technology | Increasing the dynamic range of CMOS photodiode imagers |
JP4744828B2 (en) * | 2004-08-26 | 2011-08-10 | 浜松ホトニクス株式会社 | Photodetector |
US9410889B2 (en) * | 2005-06-10 | 2016-08-09 | Applied Biosystem, Llc | Method and system for multiplex genetic analysis |
US7755684B2 (en) * | 2006-08-29 | 2010-07-13 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Row driver circuitry for imaging devices and related method of operation |
US7969494B2 (en) * | 2007-05-21 | 2011-06-28 | Aptina Imaging Corporation | Imager and system utilizing pixel with internal reset control and method of operating same |
US8130300B2 (en) | 2007-12-20 | 2012-03-06 | Aptina Imaging Corporation | Imager method and apparatus having combined select signals |
US9353757B2 (en) * | 2011-03-03 | 2016-05-31 | Brian Carter Jones | Magnetically actuated fluid pump |
US11569069B2 (en) | 2015-02-06 | 2023-01-31 | Applied Materials, Inc. | 3D printed chamber components configured for lower film stress and lower operating temperature |
JP6917894B2 (en) | 2015-02-06 | 2021-08-11 | アプライド マテリアルズ インコーポレイテッドApplied Materials,Incorporated | 3D printed chamber components configured to reduce membrane stress and operating temperature |
US10598180B2 (en) * | 2015-07-01 | 2020-03-24 | Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. | Compressor with thermally-responsive injector |
Citations (20)
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US5153420A (en) | 1990-11-28 | 1992-10-06 | Xerox Corporation | Timing independent pixel-scale light sensing apparatus |
US5539461A (en) | 1993-03-23 | 1996-07-23 | Nippon Hoso Kyokai | Solid state image sensor and a driving method thereof |
US5614744A (en) | 1995-08-04 | 1997-03-25 | National Semiconductor Corporation | CMOS-based, low leakage active pixel array with anti-blooming isolation |
US5869857A (en) | 1997-04-07 | 1999-02-09 | Chen; Pao-Jung | CMOS photodetectors with wide range operating region |
US5898168A (en) | 1997-06-12 | 1999-04-27 | International Business Machines Corporation | Image sensor pixel circuit |
US5900623A (en) | 1997-08-11 | 1999-05-04 | Chrontel, Inc. | Active pixel sensor using CMOS technology with reverse biased photodiodes |
US6097022A (en) | 1998-06-17 | 2000-08-01 | Foveon, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with bootstrap amplification |
US20010030704A1 (en) | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-18 | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. | Semiconductor device and method of driving the same |
US20020001037A1 (en) | 1993-05-28 | 2002-01-03 | Mamoru Miyawaki | Photoelectric conversion device providing advantageous readout of two-dimensional array of transistors |
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US6423994B1 (en) | 1997-02-28 | 2002-07-23 | Eastman Kodak Company | Active pixel sensor with inter-pixel function sharing |
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US6535247B1 (en) | 1998-05-19 | 2003-03-18 | Pictos Technologies, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with capacitorless correlated double sampling |
US6580063B1 (en) | 1999-03-11 | 2003-06-17 | Nec Corporation | Solid state imaging device having high output signal pain |
US6603513B1 (en) | 1999-02-16 | 2003-08-05 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Using a single control line to provide select and reset signals to image sensors in two rows of a digital imaging device |
US6618083B1 (en) | 1997-12-31 | 2003-09-09 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Mismatch-independent reset sensing for CMOS area array sensors |
US20040141076A1 (en) | 1998-06-08 | 2004-07-22 | Takahisa Ueno | Solid-state imaging element, method for driving the same, and camera system |
US6950131B1 (en) | 2000-09-26 | 2005-09-27 | Valley Oak Semiconductor | Simultaneous access and reset system for an active pixel sensor |
US7057150B2 (en) | 1998-03-16 | 2006-06-06 | Panavision Imaging Llc | Solid state imager with reduced number of transistors per pixel |
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Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6268862B1 (en) * | 1996-03-08 | 2001-07-31 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Three dimensional virtual space generation by fusing images |
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2000
- 2000-08-31 US US09/653,527 patent/US7116366B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2004
- 2004-07-29 US US10/901,114 patent/US7230645B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2004-07-29 US US10/901,178 patent/US7116368B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2012
- 2012-07-24 US US13/556,829 patent/USRE45094E1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (24)
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US5153420A (en) | 1990-11-28 | 1992-10-06 | Xerox Corporation | Timing independent pixel-scale light sensing apparatus |
US5539461A (en) | 1993-03-23 | 1996-07-23 | Nippon Hoso Kyokai | Solid state image sensor and a driving method thereof |
US20020001037A1 (en) | 1993-05-28 | 2002-01-03 | Mamoru Miyawaki | Photoelectric conversion device providing advantageous readout of two-dimensional array of transistors |
US5614744A (en) | 1995-08-04 | 1997-03-25 | National Semiconductor Corporation | CMOS-based, low leakage active pixel array with anti-blooming isolation |
US6423994B1 (en) | 1997-02-28 | 2002-07-23 | Eastman Kodak Company | Active pixel sensor with inter-pixel function sharing |
US6512543B1 (en) | 1997-03-14 | 2003-01-28 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Physical quantity distribution sensor, method of driving said sensor and method of producing said sensor |
US5869857A (en) | 1997-04-07 | 1999-02-09 | Chen; Pao-Jung | CMOS photodetectors with wide range operating region |
US5898168A (en) | 1997-06-12 | 1999-04-27 | International Business Machines Corporation | Image sensor pixel circuit |
US5900623A (en) | 1997-08-11 | 1999-05-04 | Chrontel, Inc. | Active pixel sensor using CMOS technology with reverse biased photodiodes |
US6618083B1 (en) | 1997-12-31 | 2003-09-09 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Mismatch-independent reset sensing for CMOS area array sensors |
US7057150B2 (en) | 1998-03-16 | 2006-06-06 | Panavision Imaging Llc | Solid state imager with reduced number of transistors per pixel |
US6535247B1 (en) | 1998-05-19 | 2003-03-18 | Pictos Technologies, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with capacitorless correlated double sampling |
US20050041127A1 (en) | 1998-06-08 | 2005-02-24 | Takahisa Ueno | Solid-state imaging element, method for driving the same, and camera system |
US20040141076A1 (en) | 1998-06-08 | 2004-07-22 | Takahisa Ueno | Solid-state imaging element, method for driving the same, and camera system |
US7116365B1 (en) | 1998-06-08 | 2006-10-03 | Sony Corporation | Solid-state imaging element, method for driving the same, and camera system |
US6410899B1 (en) | 1998-06-17 | 2002-06-25 | Foveon, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with bootstrap amplification and reduced leakage during readout |
US6211510B1 (en) | 1998-06-17 | 2001-04-03 | Foveon, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with bootstrap amplification |
US6097022A (en) | 1998-06-17 | 2000-08-01 | Foveon, Inc. | Active pixel sensor with bootstrap amplification |
US6603513B1 (en) | 1999-02-16 | 2003-08-05 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Using a single control line to provide select and reset signals to image sensors in two rows of a digital imaging device |
US6580063B1 (en) | 1999-03-11 | 2003-06-17 | Nec Corporation | Solid state imaging device having high output signal pain |
US7116368B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2006-10-03 | Micron Technology, Inc. | CMOS APS pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US7116366B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2006-10-03 | Micron Technology, Inc. | CMOS aps pixel sensor dynamic range increase |
US20010030704A1 (en) | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-18 | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. | Semiconductor device and method of driving the same |
US6950131B1 (en) | 2000-09-26 | 2005-09-27 | Valley Oak Semiconductor | Simultaneous access and reset system for an active pixel sensor |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20050001918A1 (en) | 2005-01-06 |
US20050001917A1 (en) | 2005-01-06 |
US7116366B1 (en) | 2006-10-03 |
US7230645B2 (en) | 2007-06-12 |
US7116368B2 (en) | 2006-10-03 |
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