Solid-state imaging device using a phase difference signal, method for driving the same, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10178332-B2
Application number	US-201515508181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Sep 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic device capable of improving auto-focusing accuracy by using a phase difference signal obtained by using a photoelectric conversion film. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion portion having a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed by an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film. The upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device or the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
first pixels and phase difference pixels; and
a photoelectric conversion portion for each pixel in the first pixels and the phase difference pixels that has a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed between an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film,
wherein the upper electrode is a single electrode for each of the first pixels, and
wherein the upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode for each of the phase difference pixels.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein different voltages are applied to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the different voltages are a first voltage allowing charges to be generated in the photoelectric conversion film and a second voltage allowing charges not to be generated in the photoelectric conversion film.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein, after the first voltage is applied to the first upper electrode and the second voltage is applied to the second upper electrode, the first voltage is applied to the second upper electrode and the second voltage is applied to the first upper electrode.

5. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the second voltage is controlled so that a potential difference with respect to the lower electrode is constant.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a voltage for allowing charges to be generated in the photoelectric conversion film is applied to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode, and
signals are output from the photoelectric conversion portions interposed between the first upper electrode and the lower electrode and between the second upper electrode and the lower electrode.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of a first signal output from the photoelectric conversion portion interposed between the first upper electrode and the lower electrode and a second signal output from the photoelectric conversion portion interposed between the second upper electrode and the lower electrode is used as a phase difference signal.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixels are a portion of pixels which are two-dimensionally arranged in a pixel array portion in a matrix shape.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixels and the phase difference pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in a pixel array portion in a matrix shape.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower electrode also faces the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode and is divided into a first lower electrode and a second lower electrode.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10 , wherein at least some of the phase difference pixels includes a first charge retaining portion connected to the first lower electrode and a second charge retaining portion connected to the second lower electrode.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein the phase difference pixels each include a charge combining portion which combines charges retained in the first charge retaining portion and charges retained in the second charge retaining portion.

13. The imaging device according to claim 12 , wherein the phase difference pixels each include switch elements between the first charge retaining portion and the charge combining portion and between the second charge retaining portion and the charge combining portion.

14. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein any one of the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode is formed so as to extend over an adjacent pixel.

15. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion portion photoelectrically converts predetermined color light.

16. The imaging device according to claim 15 , wherein the photoelectric conversion portion is formed outside a semiconductor substrate, and another photoelectric conversion portion photoelectrically converting light of color different from color which the photoelectric conversion portion photoelectrically converts is further included inside the semiconductor substrate.

17. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion portion photoelectrically converts light which passes through a color filter.

18. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode are formed so as to be symmetric with respect to an optical axis.

19. A method for driving an imaging device, comprising:
first pixels and phase difference pixels; and
a photoelectric conversion portion for each pixel in the first pixels and the phase difference pixels that has a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed between an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film,
wherein the upper electrode is a single electrode for each of the first pixels, and
wherein the upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode for each of the phase difference pixels, and
wherein the imaging device applies different voltages to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode.

20. An electronic device comprising an imaging device, comprising:
first pixels and phase difference pixels; and
a photoelectric conversion portion for each pixel in the first pixels and the phase difference pixels that has a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed between an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film,
wherein the upper electrode is a single electrode for each of the first pixels, and
wherein the upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode for each of the phase difference pixels.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Hatano Keisuke
• Koga Fumihiko
• Yamaguchi Tetsuji
• Izawa Shinichiro

Classifications

• G02B7/34

  using different areas in a pupil plane · CPC title

• H04N23/663 Primary

  for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title