Imaging device including unit pixel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190188-A1
Application number	US-201514972153-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An imaging device includes: a unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric converter generating an electric signal and comprising a first and second electrodes and a photoelectric conversion film located therebetween, the first electrode being located on a light receiving side of the photoelectric conversion film, a signal detection circuit detecting the electric signal and comprising a first transistor and a second transistor that are connected to the second electrode, the first transistor amplifying the electric signal, and a capacitor circuit comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor having a capacitance value larger than that of the first capacitor that are serially connected to each other, the capacitor circuit being provided between the second electrode and a reference voltage; and a feedback circuit comprising the first transistor and an inverting amplifier and negatively feeding back the electric signal to the second transistor via the first transistor and the inverting amplifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imaging device comprising:
a unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric converter that generates an electric signal through photoelectric conversion of incident light, the photoelectric converter comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion film that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode being located on a light receiving side of the photoelectric conversion film, a signal detection circuit that detects the electric signal, the signal detection circuit comprising a first transistor a gate of which is connected to the second electrode and a second transistor one of a source and a drain of which is connected to the second electrode, the first transistor amplifying the electric signal, and a capacitor circuit comprising a first capacitor having a first capacitance value and a second capacitor having a second capacitance value larger than the first capacitance value, the first capacitor and the second capacitor being serially connected to each other, the capacitor circuit being provided between the second electrode and a reference voltage; and a feedback circuit comprising the first transistor and an inverting amplifier, the feedback circuit negatively feeding back the electric signal to the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor via the first transistor and the inverting amplifier.

2 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first capacitor is connected between the source and the drain of the second transistor.

3 . An imaging device comprising:
a unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric converter that generates an electric signal through photoelectric conversion of incident light, the photoelectric converter comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion film that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode being located on a light receiving side of the photoelectric conversion film, a signal detection circuit that detects the electric signal, the signal detection circuit comprising a first transistor a gate of which is connected to the second electrode and a second transistor one of a source and a drain of which is connected to the second electrode, the first transistor amplifying the electric signal, and a capacitor circuit comprising a first capacitor having a first capacitance value and a second capacitor having a second capacitance value larger than the first capacitance value, the first capacitor and the second capacitor being serially connected to each other, the capacitor circuit being provided between the second electrode and a reference voltage, the first capacitor being connected between the source and the drain of the second transistor; and a feedback circuit that negatively feeds back the electric signal to the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor.

4 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second capacitor is connected to the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor.

5 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
an amount of change of a voltage of the second electrode is switched by turning on and off the second transistor.

6 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal detection circuit further comprises a third transistor that selectively transmits output of the first transistor to the inverting amplifier.

7 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal detection circuit further comprises a fourth transistor that selectively transmits output of the inverting amplifier to the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor.

8 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal detection circuit further comprises a fourth transistor that is connected between the source and the drain of the second transistor and selectively transmits the output of the inverting amplifier to the first capacitor.

9 . The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein
a feedback circuit comprises the first transistor and an inverting amplifier, the feedback circuit negatively feeding back the electric signal to the other of the source and drain of the second transistor via the first transistor and the inverting amplifier.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Murakami Masashi
• Nishimura Kazuko
• Abe Yutaka
• Matsunaga Yoshiyuki
• Sato Yoshihiro
• Hirase Junji

Classifications

• H10F39/811

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10F39/191

  Photoconductor image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/026

  Wafer-level processing · CPC title

• H10F39/18

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

• H10F39/011

  Manufacture or treatment of image sensors covered by group H10F39/12 · CPC title