Sensing device for improving the speed of image sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12323683-B2
Application number	US-202218050610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A sensing device is provided herein, which operates in a reset period, an exposure period, and a readout period. The sensing device includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a detection device, and a third transistor. The first transistor includes a control terminal and a first terminal. The second transistor is coupled to the first transistor and configured to set the voltage of the control terminal during the exposure period. The sensing device is coupled to the first transistor and configured to change the voltage of the control terminal during the exposure period. The third transistor is coupled to the first transistor and includes an output terminal outputting a sense signal from the first terminal during the readout period. The first transistor is an N-type transistor and the third transistor is a P-type transistor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensing device configured to operate in a reset period, an exposure period, and a readout period, wherein the sensing device comprises:
a first transistor, comprising a control terminal and a first terminal;
a second transistor, coupled to the first transistor and configured to set a voltage of the control terminal during the reset period;
a sensing element, coupled to the first transistor and configured to change the voltage of the control terminal during the exposure period;
a third transistor, coupled to the first transistor and comprising an output terminal, wherein the output terminal is configured to output a sense signal from the first terminal during the readout period; and
a readout circuit, coupled to the output terminal and comprising:
a current mirror, coupled to the readout line; and
a supplying transistor, comprising a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, wherein the control terminal of the supplying transistor receives a bias voltage, the first terminal of the supplying transistor is coupled to a supply voltage, and the second terminal of the supplying transistor is coupled to the current mirror;

wherein the first transistor is an N-type transistor, and the third transistor is a P-type transistor.

2. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second transistor is a P-type transistor.

3. The sensing device as defined in claim 2 , wherein the second transistor comprises a lightly doped drain.

4. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a readout line, and an output transistor, wherein the readout line is coupled to the output terminal, and the output transistor comprises a control terminal coupled to the readout line and a first terminal coupled one of a plurality of switching elements.

5. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a readout line and a multiplexer, wherein the readout line is coupled to the output terminal, and the multiplexer is coupled to the readout line, wherein the multiplexer comprises a plurality of switch elements.

6. The sensing device as defined in claim 5 , wherein each of the switching elements comprises a fourth transistor and a fifth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor is a P-type transistor, and the fifth transistor is an N-type transistor.

7. The sensing device as defined in claim 6 , further comprising an inverter coupled between a control terminal of the fourth transistor and a control terminal of the fifth transistor.

8. The sensing device as defined in claim 5 , wherein each of the switching elements comprises a fourth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor is a P-type transistor.

9. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a processor and an interconnect structure coupled between the sensing device and the processor, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a first line and a second line, wherein the first line and the second line are in parallel.

10. The sensing device as defined in claim 9 , wherein the sheet resistance of the first line and the second line ranges from 0.05 ohms to 0.6 ohms.

11. A sensing device, comprising:
a sensing circuit;
a readout line, coupled to the sensing circuit;
a readout circuit, comprising:
a current mirror, coupled to the readout line; and
a supplying transistor, comprising a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, wherein the control terminal of the supplying transistor receives a bias voltage, the first terminal of the supplying transistor is coupled to a supply voltage, and the second terminal of the supplying transistor is coupled to the current mirror;

a processor; and
an output transistor, coupled between the readout line and the processor, wherein the output transistor comprises a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, wherein the control terminal is coupled to the readout line, the first terminal is coupled to a reference voltage, and the second terminal is coupled to the processor.

12. The sensing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the sensing circuit comprises:
a first transistor, comprising a control terminal and a first terminal;
a second transistor, coupled to the first transistor and configured to set a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor during a reset period;
a sensing element, coupled to the first transistor and configured to change the voltage of the control terminal during an exposure period; and
a third transistor, coupled to the first transistor and comprising an output terminal, wherein the output terminal is configured to output a sense signal from the first terminal during a readout period;
wherein the first transistor is an N-type transistor and the third transistor is a P-type transistor.

13. The sensing device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second transistor is a P-type transistor.

14. The sensing device as defined in claim 13 , wherein the second transistor comprises a lightly doped drain.

15. The sensing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the sensing circuit further comprises a multiplexer coupled between the readout line and the processor, wherein the multiplexer comprises a plurality of switch elements.

16. The sensing device as defined in claim 15 , wherein each of the switching elements comprises a fourth transistor and a fifth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor is a P-type transistor, and the fifth transistor is an N-type transistor.

17. The sensing device as defined in claim 16 , wherein the sensing circuit further comprises an inverter coupled between a control terminal of the fourth transistor and a control terminal of the fifth transistor.

18. The sensing device as defined in claim 15 , wherein each of the switching elements comprises a fourth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor is a P-type transistor.

19. The sensing device as defined in claim 15 , wherein the sensing circuit further comprises an interconnect structure coupled between the sensing device and the processor, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a first line and a second line, wherein the first line and the second line are in parallel.

20. The sensing device as defined in claim 19 , wherein the sheet resistance of the first line and the second line ranges from 0.05 ohms to 0.6 ohms.

Assignees

• Innolux Corp

Inventors

• Tsai Ya-Li
• Yang Hui-Ching
• Huang Yang-Jui
• Lee Te-Yu

Classifications

• G03B7/083

  for control of exposure time · CPC title

• H04N25/709

  Circuitry for control of the power supply · CPC title

• H04N23/50 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N25/78 Primary

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title