Solid-state imaging device and driving method thereof, and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10998356-B2
Application number	US-201916719731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and a driving method thereof, and an electronic apparatus that make it possible to improve the precision of phase difference detection while suppressing deterioration of resolution in a solid-state imaging device having a global shutter function and a phase difference AF function. Provided is a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array unit including, as pixels including an on-chip lens, a photoelectric conversion unit, and a charge accumulation unit, imaging pixels for generating a captured image and phase difference detection pixels for performing phase difference detection arrayed therein; and a driving control unit configured to control driving of the pixels. The imaging pixel is formed with the charge accumulation unit shielded from light. The phase difference detection pixel is formed in a manner that at least part of at least one of the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge accumulation unit refrains from being shielded from light. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a CMOS image sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light detecting device, comprising:
a first pixel including:
a first photoelectric conversion region; and
a first charge accumulation region;

a second pixel including:
a second photoelectric conversion region; and
a second charge accumulation region;

a first light shielding portion disposed above a light receiving surface of the first charge accumulation region and the second charge accumulation region;
a second light shielding portion; and
a third light shielding portion,
wherein an end of the second light shielding portion and an end of the third light shielding portion are connected to the first light shielding portion in a cross-sectional view.

2. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first pixel includes a first floating diffusion region and the second pixel includes a second floating diffusion region.

3. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first charge accumulation region and the second accumulation region are adjacent to each other.

4. The light detecting device of claim 3 , wherein the second light shielding portion, the first charge accumulation region, the second accumulation region, and the third light shielding portion are arranged in this order in a first direction.

5. The light detecting device of claim 4 , wherein the first photoelectric conversion region, the first charge accumulation region, the second accumulation region, and the second photoelectric conversion region are arranged in this order in the first direction.

6. The light detecting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wiring layer is disposed above the first light shielding portion.

7. The light detecting device of claim 6 , wherein a wiring of the wiring layer is disposed directly above the first light shielding portion.

8. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first pixel includes a first reset transistor, a first amplifier transistor, and a first select transistor, wherein the first select transistor, the first amplifier transistor, and the first reset transistor are arranged in a first direction in which the first photoelectric conversion region and the first charge accumulation region are arranged.

9. The light detecting device of claim 8 , wherein the second pixel includes a second reset transistor, a second amplifier transistor, and a second select transistor, wherein the second reset transistor, the second amplifier transistor, and the second reset transistor are arranged in the first direction.

10. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first light shielding portion is disposed above one half of a light receiving surface of the first photoelectric conversion region.

11. The light detecting device of claim 10 , wherein the first light shielding portion is disposed near the first charge accumulation region.

12. The light detecting device of claim 10 , wherein the first light shielding portion is disposed near a pixel transistor region of the first pixel including a first reset transistor, a first amplifier transistor, and a first select transistor.

13. The light detecting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third pixel disposed adjacent to the first pixel and including third photoelectric conversion region and a third charge accumulation region, wherein a pixel transistor region of the first pixel is disposed between the first photoelectric conversion region and the third photoelectric conversion region.

14. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first light shielding portion extends in a first direction, and the second and third light shielding portions extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

15. The light detecting device of claim 14 , wherein the second and third light shielding portions are connected to opposite ends of the first light shielding portion.

16. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first light shielding portion is disposed above a first gate of a first transistor that transfers charge from the first photoelectric conversion region to the first charge accumulation region.

17. The light detecting device of claim 1 , wherein the first light shielding portion is disposed above a second gate of a second transistor that transfers charge from the second photoelectric conversion region to the second charge accumulation region.

18. An apparatus, comprising:
a lens unit; and
a light detecting device including:
a first pixel including:
a first photoelectric conversion region; and
a first charge accumulation region;

a second pixel including:
a second photoelectric conversion region; and
a second charge accumulation region;

a first light shielding portion disposed above a light receiving surface of the first charge accumulation region and the second charge accumulation region;
a second light shielding portion; and
a third light shielding portion,

wherein an end of the second light shielding portion and an end of the third light shielding portion are connected to the first light shielding portion in a cross-sectional view.

19. A light detecting device, comprising:
a first pixel including:
a first photoelectric conversion region; and
a first charge accumulation region;

a second pixel including:
a second photoelectric conversion region; and
a second charge accumulation region; and

a U-shaped shield disposed above the first charge accumulation region and the second charge accumulation region.

20. The light detecting device of claim 19 , wherein the U-shaped shield includes a flat base portion and first and second leg portions extending from the base portion.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Okuno Jun
• Yamashita Kazuyoshi

Classifications

• H04N25/704

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

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/703

  SSIS architectures incorporating pixels for producing signals other than image signals · CPC title

• H10F39/1865

  Overflow drain structures · CPC title