Solid state imaging device, signal processing device, and electronic apparatus having pixel sharing units and color filter coding units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10992890-B2
Application number	US-201916586026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A solid state imaging device includes: a group of a plurality of pixels configured to include pixels of the same color coding and with no pixel sharing between each other; and a color filter that is formed by Bayer arrangement of the group of a plurality of pixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
a first photodiode and a first transfer transistor coupled to the first photodiode;
a second photodiode and a second transfer transistor coupled to the second photodiode;
a third photodiode and a third transfer transistor coupled to the third photodiode;
a fourth photodiode and a fourth transfer transistor coupled to the fourth photodiode;
a fifth photodiode and a fifth transfer transistor coupled to the fifth photodiode;
a sixth photodiode and a sixth transfer transistor coupled to the sixth photodiode;
a seventh photodiode and a seventh transfer transistor coupled to the seventh photodiode;
an eighth photodiode and an eighth transfer transistor coupled to the eighth photodiode;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth transfer transistors;
a second floating diffusion coupled to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth transfer transistors; and
an amplification transistor coupled to the first and second floating diffusions,
wherein the first third, sixth, and eighth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a first spectrum,
wherein the second and fourth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a second spectrum which is different from the first spectrum,
wherein the fifth and seventh photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a third spectrum which is different from the first and second spectrum, and
wherein the first, third, fifth, and seventh photodiodes are in a first column of photodiodes, and wherein the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth photodiodes are in a second column of photodiodes.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the light with the first spectrum is green light.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the light with the second spectrum is red light.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the light with the third spectrum is blue light.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the light with the first spectrum is green light, wherein the light with the second spectrum is red light, and wherein the light with the third spectrum is blue light.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each photodiode is associated with one of a plurality of color filters.

7. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second photodiodes are in a first row of photodiodes, wherein the third and fourth photodiodes are in a second row of photodiodes, wherein the fifth and sixth photodiodes are in a third row of photodiodes, and wherein the seventh and eighth photodiodes are in a fourth row of photodiodes.

8. The imaging device of claim 7 , wherein the amplification transistor is located between the second and third rows of photodiodes.

9. The imaging device of claim 8 , further comprising a reset transistor, wherein the reset transistor is located adjacent the first row of photodiodes.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein first and second floating diffusions are coupled to a gate of the amplification transistor.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transfer transistors are connected between the cathodes of their respective photodiodes and the first floating diffusion, and wherein the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth transfer transistors are connected between the cathodes of their respective photodiodes and the second floating diffusion.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein the amplification transistor has a gate electrode that is connected to the first and second floating diffusions.

13. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein a defective pixel corresponding to one of the first through eighth photodiodes is corrected using a ninth photodiode.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13 , wherein the defective pixel has a color filter of a first color, and wherein the ninth photodiode has a color filter of the first color.

15. The imaging device according to claim 14 , wherein the one of the first through eight photodiodes corresponding to the defective pixel is coupled to the first or second floating diffusion through a corresponding transfer transistor, and wherein the ninth photodiode is coupled to a third floating diffusion through a ninth transfer transistor.

16. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an imaging device, comprising:
a first photodiode and a first transfer transistor coupled to the first photodiode;
a second photodiode and a second transfer transistor coupled to the second photodiode;
a third photodiode and a third transfer transistor coupled to the third photodiode;
a fourth photodiode and a fourth transfer transistor coupled to the fourth photodiode;
a fifth photodiode and a fifth transfer transistor coupled to the fifth photodiode;
a sixth photodiode and a sixth transfer transistor coupled to the sixth photodiode;
a seventh photodiode and a seventh transfer transistor coupled to the seventh photodiode;
an eighth photodiode and an eighth transfer transistor coupled to the eighth photodiode;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth transfer transistors;
a second floating diffusion coupled to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth transfer transistors; and
an amplification transistor coupled to the first and second floating diffusions,
wherein the first, third, sixth, and eighth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a first spectrum,
wherein the second and fourth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a second spectrum which is different from the first spectrum,
wherein the fifth and seventh photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a third spectrum which is different from the first and second spectrum and
wherein the first, third, fifth, and seventh photodiodes are in a first column of photodiodes, and wherein the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth photodiodes are in as second column of photodiodes;

an optical system,
wherein light from the optical system is incident on the imaging device; and

a signal processing circuit that processes an output signal output from the imaging device.

17. An imaging device, comprising:
a first photodiode and a first transfer transistor coupled to the first photodiode;
a second photodiode and a second transfer transistor coupled to the second photodiode;
a third photodiode and a third transfer transistor coupled to the third photodiode;
a fourth photodiode and a fourth transfer transistor coupled to the fourth photodiode;
a fifth photodiode and a fifth transfer transistor coupled to the fifth photodiode;
a sixth photodiode and a sixth transfer transistor coupled to the sixth photodiode;
a seventh photodiode and a seventh transfer transistor coupled to the seventh photodiode;
an eighth photodiode and an eighth transfer transistor coupled to the eighth photodiode;
a first floating diffusion coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth transfer transistors;
a second floating diffusion coupled to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth transfer transistors; and
an amplification transistor coupled to the first and second floating diffusions,
wherein the first, third, sixth, and eighth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a first spectrum,
wherein the second and fourth photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a second spectrum which is different from the first spectrum,
wherein the fifth and seventh photodiodes are configured to receive a light with a third spectrum which is different from the first

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Atsuhiko

Classifications

• H04N25/672

  between adjacent sensors or output registers for reading a single image · CPC title

• H04N25/68 Primary

  applied to defects · CPC title

• H04N25/10

  for transforming different wavelengths into image signals · CPC title

• H10F39/18

  Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/8053 Primary

  Colour filters · CPC title