Solid-state image pickup device and camera system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104324-B2
Application number	US-201214116426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 24, 2011
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

There are provided a solid-state image pickup device and a camera system that include no useless pixel arrangement and are capable of suppressing decrease in resolution caused by adopting stereo function. A pixel array section including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array is included. Each of the plurality of pixels has a photoelectric conversion function. Each of the plurality of pixels in the pixel array section includes a first pixel section and a second pixel section. The first pixel section includes at least a light receiving function. The second pixel section includes at least a function to detect electric charge that has been subjected to photoelectric conversion. The first and second pixel sections are formed in a laminated state. Further, the first pixel section is formed to have an arrangement in a state shifted in a direction different from first and second directions that are used as references. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. The second pixel section is formed in a square arrangement along the first direction and the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid-state image pickup device comprising:
a plurality of rectangular pixels arranged in an array, each of the plurality of pixels divided into a plurality of triangular divided pixel cells, each of the divided pixel cells having a respective photoelectric conversion element; and
first and second pixel sections,
wherein,
for each pixel, the divided pixel cells have a same sensitivity to light,
for each pixel, one half of the divided pixels are dedicated to a left channel of a stereoscopic image and another half of the divided pixels are dedicated to a right channel of the stereoscopic image,
the first pixel section is comprised of rectangular upper portions of the pixels and the second pixel section is comprised of rectangular lower portions of the pixels, each pixel having one upper section and one lower section,
the first and second pixel sections overlie each other in a vertical direction so that each pixel is comprised of its upper portion and its lower portion in the vertical direction,
the first pixel section includes microlenses of the pixels,
the second pixel section includes electric charge detection elements of the divided pixel cells, each lower portion having a respective electric charge detection element,
the first or the second pixel section includes the photoelectric conversion elements of the divided pixel cells,
the upper portions of the pixels are arrayed in a first square matrix pattern along first and second directions which are orthogonal to each other in horizontal directions,
the lower portions of the pixels are arrayed in a second square matrix pattern along third and fourth directions which are orthogonal to each other in horizontal directions, but neither of which is the same as either the first direction or the second direction so that the first and second pixel sections are rotated relative to each other, and
for each pixel, the divided pixel cells are divided from each other along the first direction or the second direction.

2. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the divided pixel cells is designated as a left (L) pixel or a right (R) pixel for stereoscopic imaging, and
each multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over two or more of the divided pixel cells at least in the third direction.

3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second pixel section also includes the photoelectric conversion elements and wiring layers.

4. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first pixel section also includes color filters, and
the second pixel section also includes the photoelectric conversion elements and wiring layers.

5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the solid-state image pickup device has a back-face illumination type pixel structure,
the first pixel section also includes color filters, and the photoelectric conversion elements, and
the second pixel section also includes wiring layers.

6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the solid-state image pickup device has a front-face illumination type pixel structure,
the first pixel section also includes color filters and wiring layers, and
the second pixel section also includes the photoelectric conversion elements.

7. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein part or all of each multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over adjacent divided pixel cells, at least in the third direction, the divided pixel cells being included in one or more color pixels having same color.

8. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7 , wherein:
color pixels having a same color are arranged in one of odd-numbered rows or even-numbered rows in a pixel arrangement, and
color pixels having different colors are arranged in the other of the odd-numbered rows or the even-numbered rows.

9. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7 , wherein:
divided pixel cells of color pixels having a same color are arranged in some rows in a part of the pixel array, and
divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in other rows.

10. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein part or all of each multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over different-color divided pixel cells having different colors that are adjacent to one another, at least in the third direction.

11. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 10 , wherein:
divided pixel cells of color pixels having a same color are arranged in odd-numbered columns or in even-numbered columns in the pixel array, and
divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in respective rows of the pixel array.

12. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 10 , wherein divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in respective rows and respective columns of the pixel array.

13. A camera system with a solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 and an optical system configured to form an image of a subject on the solid-state image pickup device.

14. The camera system according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second directions are oriented 45 degrees rotated with respect to the third and fourth directions.

15. The camera system according to claim 13 , wherein:
each microlens is a multilens provided over two or more pixels of the plurality of pixels,
the divided pixel cells are arrayed along the third and fourth directions,
each of the divided pixel cells is allocated as a left (L) pixel or a right (R) pixel for stereoscopic imaging, and
each multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over two or more of the divided pixel cells at least in the third direction.

16. The camera system according to claim 15 , wherein part or all of the multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over the divided pixel cells adjacent to one another, at least in the first direction, the divided pixel cells being included in one or more color pixels having same color.

17. The camera system according to claim 16 , wherein:
color pixels having a same color are arranged in odd-numbered rows or even-numbered rows, and
color pixels having different colors are arranged in rows with the color pixels having the same color.

18. The camera system according to claim 16 , wherein:
divided pixel cells of color pixels having same color are arranged in rows in part of a pixel arrangement, and
divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in other rows.

19. The camera system according to claim 15 , wherein part or all of each multilens is arranged to allow light to enter over different-color divided pixel cells having different colors that are adjacent to one another, at least in the first direction.

20. The camera system according to claim 19 , wherein:
divided pixel cells of color pixels having same color are arranged in odd-numbered columns or in even-numbered columns in a pixel arrangement, and
divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in respective rows.

21. The camera system according to claim 19 , wherein
divided pixel cells of color pixels having different colors are arranged in a mixed state in respective rows and respective columns.

Assignees

• Hirota Isao
• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Hirota Isao

Classifications

• H04N13/204 Primary

  using stereoscopic image cameras (stereoscopic photography G03B35/00) · CPC title

• H04N25/46

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N13/0257

  Electricity · mapped topic