Imaging device including pixel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017013221-A1
Application number	US-201615190368-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An imaging device comprising: a pixel comprising a photoelectric converter and a reset transistor having a source and a drain one of which is electrically connected to the photoelectric converter; a first voltage generating circuit for generating a first voltage; a second voltage generating circuit for generating a second voltage identical or equivalent to the first voltage; and a first switching circuit having a first input terminal electrically connected to the first voltage generating circuit, a second input terminal electrically connected to the second voltage generating circuit, a first output terminal electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the reset transistor. The first switching circuit electrically connects one of the first and second input terminals to the first output terminal selectively in a period when the photoelectric converter is reset. The photoelectric converter is reset by use of the first voltage or the second voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imaging device comprising:
a pixel comprising
a photoelectric converter for generating a signal, and
a reset transistor for resetting the photoelectric converter, the reset transistor having a source and a drain, one of the source and the drain electrically connected to the photoelectric converter;
a first voltage generating circuit for generating a first voltage; a second voltage generating circuit for generating a second voltage identical or equivalent to the first voltage; and a first switching circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and a first output terminal, the first input terminal electrically connected to the first voltage generating circuit, the second input terminal electrically connected to the second voltage generating circuit, the first output terminal electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the reset transistor, wherein the first switching circuit electrically connects one of the first input terminal and the second input terminal to the first output terminal selectively in a period when the photoelectric converter is reset, and the photoelectric converter is reset by use of the first voltage or the second voltage.

2 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first output terminal of the first switching circuit is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the reset transistor by wiring.

3 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pixel further comprises an amplifier transistor for reading the signal, the amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the photoelectric converter, the imaging device further comprises an inverting amplifier having a third input terminal, a fourth input terminal and a second output terminal, the third input terminal electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the amplifier transistor, the fourth input terminal electrically connected to the first output terminal of the first switching circuit, the second output terminal electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the reset transistor.

4 . The imaging device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a load circuit electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the amplifier transistor, and to the third terminal of the inverting amplifier; a third voltage generating circuit for generating a third voltage; a fourth voltage generating circuit for generating a fourth voltage identical or equivalent to the third voltage; and a second switching circuit having a fifth input terminal, a sixth input terminal and a third output terminal, the fifth input terminal electrically connected to the third voltage generating circuit, the sixth input terminal electrically connected to the fourth voltage generating circuit, the second switching circuit electrically connecting one of the fifth input terminal and the sixth input terminal to the third output terminal selectively, wherein the third output terminal of the second switching circuit is electrically connected to the load circuit, and the load circuit is controlled by use of the third voltage or the fourth voltage.

5 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pixel further comprises an amplifier transistor for reading the signal, the amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the photoelectric converter, the first output terminal of the first switching circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the amplifier transistor, and the other of the source and the drain of the amplifier transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the reset transistor.

6 . The imaging device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a load circuit electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the amplifier transistor; a third voltage generating circuit for generating a third voltage; a fourth voltage generating circuit for generating a fourth voltage identical or equivalent to the third voltage; and a second switching circuit having a fifth input terminal, a sixth input terminal and a third output terminal, the fifth input terminal electrically connected to the third voltage generating circuit, the sixth input terminal electrically connected to the fourth voltage generating circuit, the second switching circuit electrically connecting one of the fifth input terminal and the sixth input terminal to the third output terminal selectively, wherein the third output terminal of the second switching circuit is electrically connected to the load circuit, and the load circuit is controlled by use of the third voltage or the fourth voltage.

7 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first switching circuit electrically connects the first input terminal to the first output terminal in a period included in a first frame period according to a first frame, and the first switching circuit electrically connects the second input terminal to the first output terminal in a period included in a second frame period according to a second frame subsequent to the first frame.

8 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the photoelectric converter is reset in a first period and in a second period different from the first period, the first period and the second period included in a frame period according to a frame, and the first switching circuit electrically connects the first input terminal to the first output terminal in the first period, and electrically connects the second input terminal to the first output terminal in the second period

9 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first voltage generating circuit and the second voltage generating circuit each comprise a sample hold circuit.

10 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the first voltage generating circuit and the second voltage generating circuit each comprise a sample hold circuit.

11 . The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the first voltage generating circuit and the second voltage generating circuit each comprise a sample hold circuit.

12 . The imaging device according to claim 5 , wherein the first voltage generating circuit and the second voltage generating circuit each comprise a sample hold circuit.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yanagida Masaaki
• Kito Takayasu
• Satou Yoshiaki

Classifications

• H04N25/709 Primary

  Circuitry for control of the power supply · CPC title

• H04N25/531 Primary

  by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS · CPC title

• H04N25/76

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

• H04N25/65

  applied to reset noise, e.g. KTC noise related to CMOS structures by techniques other than CDS · CPC title

• H04N25/78

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