Light detector and distance measuring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020292675-A1
Application number	US-201916563595-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a light detector includes: a first set of light detection elements and a second set of light detection elements each being disposed in a first region on a substrate; and a first selection and integration circuit and a second selection and integration circuit each being disposed in a second region outside of the first region on the substrate. The first selection and integration circuit is configured to select a first subset of light detection elements in the first set, and integrate outputs from the light detection elements in the first subset. The second selection and integration circuit is configured to select a second subset of light detection elements in the second set, and integrate outputs from the light detection elements in the second subset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light detector comprising:
a first set of light detection elements and a second set of light detection elements each being disposed in a first region on a substrate; and a first selection and integration circuit and a second selection and integration circuit each being disposed in a second region outside of the first region on the substrate, wherein the first selection and integration circuit is configured to select a first subset of light detection elements in the first set, and integrate outputs from the light detection elements in the first subset, the second selection and integration circuit is configured to select a second subset of light detection elements in the second set, and integrate outputs from the light detection elements in the second subset.

2 . The light detector of claim 1 ,
wherein the first region is a single region encompassing all the light detection elements included in the light detector on the substrate, and wherein the second region is a single region encompassing all the selection and integration circuits included in the light detector on the substrate.

3 . The light detector of claim 1 , wherein
the first region and the second region are arranged in a first direction, the first set of the light detection elements and the second set of the light detection elements are arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and the first subset of light detection elements and a third subset of light detection elements in the first set of light detection elements are arranged in the first direction.

4 . The light detector of claim 3 ,
wherein a first plurality of the light detection elements in the first subset are arranged in the second direction.

5 . The light detector of claim 4 , wherein
a second plurality of the light detection elements in the first subset are arranged in the second direction, and the first plurality of the light detection elements in the first subset and the second plurality of the light detection element in the first subset are arranged in the first direction.

6 . The light detector of claim 1 ,
wherein the first selection and integration circuit includes a first switching element including a first end coupled in common to the light detection elements in the first subset.

7 . The light detector of claim 6 ,
wherein the second selection and integration circuit includes a second switching element including a first end coupled in common to the light detection elements in the second subset, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first switching element.

8 . The light detector of claim 7 , wherein
the first selection and integration circuit further includes a third switching element including a first end coupled in common to light detection elements in a third subset in the first set.

9 . The light detector of claim 8 ,
wherein the second selection and integration circuit further includes a fourth switching element including a first end coupled in common to light detection elements in a fourth subset in the second set, and a gate coupled to a gate of the third switching element.

10 . A light detector comprising:
a plurality of light detection elements disposed in a first region on a substrate; and a plurality of switching elements disposed in a second region outside of the first region on the substrate, wherein the light detection elements include:
a first light detection element and a second light detection element that are arranged in a first direction; and
a third light detection element arranged with the first light detection element in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and
the switching elements include:
a first switching element including a first end coupled to a first end of the first light detection element and a first end of the third light detection element; and
a second switching element including a first end coupled to a first end of the second light detection element, and a second end coupled a second end of the first switching element.

11 . The light detector of claim 10 , wherein
the first region is a single region encompassing all the light detection elements on the substrate, and the second region is a single region encompassing all the switching elements on the substrate.

12 . The light detector of claim 10 , wherein
the first region and the second region are arranged in the first direction, the light detection elements include:
a fourth light detection element and a fifth light detection element that are arranged with the first light detection element and the third light detection element in the second direction; and
a sixth light detection element arranged with the second light detection element in the second direction and arranged with the fourth light detection element in the first direction, and
wherein the switching elements include:
a third switching element including a first end coupled to a first end of the fourth light detection element and a first end of the fifth light detection element, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first switching element; and
a fourth switching element including a first end coupled to a first end of the sixth light detection element, a second end coupled to a second end of the third switching element, and a gate coupled to a gate of the second switching element.

13 . The light detector of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of inverters disposed in the second region, and wherein
the switching elements include:
a fifth switching element including a first end coupled to the first end of the first light detection element and the first end of the third light detection element; and
a sixth switching element including a first end coupled to a second end of the fifth switching element, and a second end coupled to the first end of the second light detection element, and
the inverters include:
a first inverter including a first end coupled to a gate of the first switching element, and a second end coupled to a gate of the fifth switching element; and
a second inverter including a first end coupled to a gate of the second switching element, and a second end coupled to a gate of the sixth switching element.

14 . The light detector of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of inverters disposed in the second region, and wherein
the switching elements include:
a seventh switching element coupled between the gate of the first switching element and the gate of the third switching element;
an eighth switching element coupled between the gate of the second switching element and the gate of the fourth switching element; and
a ninth switching element including a first end coupled between the first switching element and the seventh switching element, and a second end coupled between the eighth switching element and the fourth switching element, and
the inverters include:
a third inverter including a first end coupled in common to a gate of the seventh switching element and a gate of the eighth switching element, and a second end coupled to a gate of the ninth switching element.

15 . A distance measuring device comprising:
a light source; an optical system configured to irradiate a light from the light source and receive the light reflected from an outside; a light detector configured to detect the received reflected light; and a control circuit, wherein the light detector includes:
a first set of light detection elements and a second set of light detection elements each disposed in a first region on a substrate; and
a first selection and integration

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp

Inventors

• Kubota Hiroshi
• Matsumoto Nobu

Classifications

• H10F30/225

  the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes · CPC title

• G01S17/10 Primary

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title

• G01S17/18

  wherein range gates are used · CPC title

• G01S7/4865

  Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487) · CPC title

• G01S7/4863 Primary

  Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title