Solid-state imaging element and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283544-B2
Application number	US-201615746054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A solid-state imaging element includes a photodiode and a light collecting section. The photodiode includes a light receiving surface and an electrode placed on the light receiving surface, and that outputs an electrical signal in accordance with light incident on the light receiving surface in a state where a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied to the electrode. The light collecting section causes light from a subject to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid-state imaging element comprising:
a photodiode that includes a light receiving surface and an electrode placed on the light receiving surface, and that outputs an electrical signal in accordance with light incident on the light receiving surface in a state where a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied to the electrode; and
a light collecting section that causes light from a subject to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed.

2. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein, in the photodiode, the electrode is placed substantially at a center of the light receiving surface.

3. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting section includes a microlens having a concavity in a substantially central portion.

4. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 3 , wherein the microlens has an opening in the concavity.

5. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 3 , further comprising:
wiring that is electrically connected the electrode,
wherein the microlens has a concavity continuing along the wiring.

6. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 5 , wherein the microlens has a cut in a bottom portion of the continuing concavity.

7. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting section includes a plurality of microlenses each of which is configured to cause light to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed.

8. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 7 , further comprising:
wiring that is placed between the plurality of microlenses adjacent to each other, and that is electrically connected to the electrode.

9. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of microlenses has a quadrangular bottom surface.

10. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting section includes a first light collecting member and a second light collecting member that are sequentially arranged between the electrode and the subject, the second light collecting member having a larger refractive index than the first light collecting member.

11. An imaging device comprising:
a pixel circuit in which pixels each of which includes a photodiode and a light collecting section are arranged in a two-dimensional array form, the photodiode including a light receiving surface and an electrode placed on the light receiving surface, and outputting an electrical signal in accordance with light incident on the light receiving surface in a state where a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied to the electrode, the light collecting section causing light from a subject to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed; and
a processing circuit that processes the output electrical signal.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Yorikado Yuhi
• Toda Atsushi
• Inoue Susumu

Classifications

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H04N25/76

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

• G02B3/0056

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title

• G02B3/00

  Simple or compound lenses · CPC title