Solid-state imaging element and camera system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9007503-B2
Application number	US-201113218979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2011
Priority date	Sep 3, 2010
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

A solid-state imaging element includes a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked, a plurality of stack-connecting parts for electrically connecting the plurality of semiconductor layers, a pixel array part in which pixel cells that include a photoelectric conversion part and a signal output part are arrayed in a two-dimensional shape, and an output signal line through which signals from the signal output part of the pixel cells are propagated, in which the plurality of semiconductor layers includes at least a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer, and, in the first semiconductor layer, the plurality of pixel cells are arrayed in a two-dimensional shape, the signal output part of a pixel group formed with the plurality of pixel cells shares an output signal line wired from the stack-connecting parts, and the output signal line has a separation part which can separate each output signal line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid-state imaging element comprising:
a first semiconductor layer including (a) a pixel array part having a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a two-dimensional array, each of the pixel cells having a photoelectric conversion part and an amplifying circuit in a one-to-one relationship, and (b) an output signal line configured to receive signals from a plurality of the amplifying circuits;
a second semiconductor layer stacked on the first semiconductor layer; and
a plurality of stack-connecting parts electrically connecting the first and second semiconductor layers,
wherein,
the plurality of pixel cells include a first set of pixel cells and a second set of pixel cells,
the output signal line includes a first signal line and a second signal line,
the first set of pixel cells share the first signal line and the second set of pixel cells share the second signal line in a column direction, respectively,
the first and second signal lines are configured to be selectively connected and selectively disconnected to at least one of the stack connecting parts by a switch located between the output signal line and at least one of the stack connecting parts, the switch being located between predetermined neighboring pixel cells.

2. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of pixel cells comprise a pixel group, and
the at least one stack-connecting part is arranged in a vicinity of a center of the pixel group sharing the output signal line connected to the at least one stack-connecting part.

3. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of pixel cells comprise a pixel group, and
the switch is arranged in a vicinity of a center of the pixel group.

4. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising dummy elements that are not connected to the output signal line and are arranged in the two-dimensional array of the pixel cells in the pixel array part.

5. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 4 , wherein the dummy elements are arranged so that two-dimensional arrangement of the switch is periodic.

6. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pixel driving part configured to drive the pixel cells of the pixel array part arranged on the first semiconductor layer,
wherein,
the pixel group sharing the at least one stack-connecting part is in a two-dimensional array of which rows and columns have two or more pixels, and
the output signal line connected to the plurality of amplifying circuits of the pixel cells selected simultaneously in parallel by the pixel driving part is connected to the stack-connecting part through the switch.

7. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein,
each photoelectric conversion part is connected to a respective amplifying circuit, each amplifying circuit including an amplifying transistor and a selection transistor.

8. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 7 , wherein:
each amplifying transistor has (a) a gate terminal configured to receive signals obtained from at least one of the photoelectric conversion parts, (b) a drain terminal connected to a power supply, and (c) a source terminal connected to the output signal line, and
a constant current source arranged on a first semiconductor layer side or a second semiconductor side is connected to the output signal line.

9. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 8 , wherein each source terminal of a respective amplifying transistor is connected to the output signal line through a respective selection transistor.

10. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor layer includes a light sensing element that can sense light radiated from a face opposed to a face where transistors and wiring layers are formed.

11. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor layer includes a wiring layer, and a photoelectric conversion film as a light sensing element formed on the wiring layer.

12. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein each of the stack-connecting parts include a terminal with which a first micro-pad arranged on an outermost layer of the first semiconductor layer and a second micro-pad arranged on an outermost layer of the second semiconductor layer, the second micro-pad being at a position corresponding to the first micro-pad and being connected to the first micro-pad through a micro-bump.

13. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein each of the stack-connecting parts include a terminal with which a first micro-pad arranged on the outermost layer of the first semiconductor layer and a second micro-pad arranged on the outermost layer of the second semiconductor layer, the second micro-pad being at a position corresponding to the first micro-pad and being directly pasted to the second micro-pad.

14. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein each of the stack-connecting parts include a contact via penetrating a semiconductor layer or an insulating layer of both or either of the first semiconductor layer or the second semiconductor layer.

15. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the second semiconductor layer includes a plurality of analog and digital (AD) conversion units.

16. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of AD conversion units is arranged so as to be in parallel with each of the stack-connecting parts.

17. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a signal processing circuit and a memory circuit on a third semiconductor layer or a semiconductor layer stacked as a succeeding semiconductor layer and connected by the stack-connecting parts.

18. A camera system comprising:
a solid-state imaging element;
an optical system which forms an image of a subject on the solid-state imaging element; and
a signal processing circuit which processes an output image signal of the solid-state imaging element,
wherein,
the solid-state imaging element includes (a) a first semiconductor layer including (i) a pixel array part having a plurality of pixel cells in a two-dimensional array, each of the pixel cells having a photoelectric conversion part and an amplifying circuit in a one-to-one relationship, and (ii) an output signal line configured to receive signals from a plurality of the amplifying circuits; (b) a second semiconductor layer stacked on the first semiconductor layer; and (c) a plurality of stack-connecting parts electrically connecting the first and second semiconductor layers,
the plurality of pixel cells include a first set of pixel cells and a second set of pixel cells,
the output signal line includes a first signal line and a second signal line,
the first set of pixel cells share the first signal line and the second set of pixel cells share the second signal line in a column direction, respectively, and
the first and second signal lines are configured to be selectively connected and selectively disconnected to at least one of the stack connecting parts by a switch located between the output signal line and at least one of the stack connecting parts, the switch being located between predetermined neighboring pixel cells.

19. The solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of stack-connecting parts includes a first micro-pad on the

Assignees

• Oike Yusuke
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Oike Yusuke

Classifications

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N25/778

  comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself · CPC title

• H04N25/767

  Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers · CPC title

• H04N25/77

  Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components · CPC title

• H04N25/766

  comprising control or output lines used for a plurality of functions, e.g. for pixel output, driving, reset or power · CPC title