Solid-state image pickup device, image pickup device, and signal reading method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426402-B2
Application number	US-201514717233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2011
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A solid-state image pickup device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: electrically coupled substrates on which circuit elements constituting a pixel are arranged; a photoelectric conversion element included in the pixel; a reading circuit that reads from the pixel, a signal based on a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element; and first to n-th circuit sets each including a circuit element that reads a signal by a corresponding one of first to n-th reading modes. n is an integer such that n≧2. The circuit elements arranged on one of the substrates is used to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal by at least one of the first to n-th reading modes. The photoelectric conversion element, the reading circuit, and at least one of the first to n-th circuit sets which corresponds to the at least one of the first to n-th reading modes, are arranged on the one of the substrates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid-state image pickup device comprising:
a plurality of substrates on which circuit elements constituting a pixel are arranged, the plurality of substrates being electrically coupled to one another;
a photoelectric conversion element included in the pixel;
a reading circuit configured to read from the pixel, a signal based on a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element;
first to n-th circuit sets each comprising a circuit element configured to read a signal by a corresponding one of first to n-th reading modes; and
a control circuit configured to control:
the circuit elements arranged on one of the plurality of substrates, so as to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal outward the solid-state image pickup device, using the circuit elements arranged on the one of the plurality of substrates, in the first reading modes, and
the circuit elements arranged on at least two of the plurality of substrates, so as to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal outward the solid-state image pickup device, using the circuit elements arranged on the at least two of the plurality of substrates, in the second reading modes, wherein

n is an integer equal to or greater than two, and
the photoelectric conversion element, the reading circuit, and at least one of the first to n-th circuit sets which corresponds to the at least one of the first to n-th reading modes, are arranged on the one of the plurality of substrates.

2. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of substrates comprises a first substrate and a second substrate.

3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein n is two,
the circuit elements arranged on the first substrate is used to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal by one of the first and second reading modes, and
the photoelectric conversion element, the reading circuit, and one of the first and second circuit sets which corresponds to the one of the first and second reading modes, are arranged on the first substrate.

4. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 3 , wherein the first reading mode is a global shutter mode,
the second reading mode is a rolling shutter mode,
the first circuit set comprises a circuit element configured to read a signal by the global shutter mode, and
the second circuit set comprises a circuit element configured to read a signal by the rolling shutter mode.

5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 , wherein the circuit elements arranged on the first substrate are used to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal by the rolling shutter mode, and
the photoelectric conversion element, the reading circuit, and the second circuit set are arranged on the first substrate.

6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 5 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are used to complete operations from generation of the signal by the photoelectric conversion element to reading of the signal by the global shutter mode, and
the reading circuit and the first circuit set are arranged on each of the first substrate and the second substrate.

7. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 6 , wherein the first circuit set comprises a signal storing circuit on the second substrate, the signal storing circuit being configured to store the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element.

8. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of couplers electrically coupling the plurality of substrates,
wherein the signal storing unit is configured to store a signal supplied from the first substrate via the plurality of couplers, and
the reading circuit is configured to read the signal stored in the signal storing unit.

9. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 6 , wherein the reading circuit comprises:
a first reading circuit on the first substrate, the first reading circuit being configured to read a signal by the rolling shutter mode; and
a second reading circuit on the second substrate, the second reading circuit being configured to read a signal by the global shutter mode.

10. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a selecting circuit on the first substrate, the selecting circuit being configured to select from the first reading circuit and the second reading circuit, the reading circuit to be used for reading the signal based on the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element.

11. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 10 , wherein the solid-state image pickup device is configured to operate by switching between a first operation mode and a second operation mode,
in a case where the solid-state image pickup device operates in the first operation mode, the selecting circuit is configured to select the first reading circuit, and
in a case where the solid-state image pickup device operates in the second operation mode, the selecting circuit is configured to select the second reading circuit.

12. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 10 , wherein the first reading circuit is coupled to the pixel,
the first reading circuit comprises a first output signal line on the first substrate,
the second reading circuit is coupled to the pixel, and
the second reading circuit comprises a second output signal line on the second substrate.

13. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of pixels grouped into a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of pixels comprising the photoelectric conversion element;
a reset circuit configured to reset the photoelectric conversion element;
a reset control circuit included in the control circuit, configured to collectively select the plurality of groups, and control the reset circuit to sequentially reset the photoelectric conversion element belonging to each of the plurality of groups selected.

14. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an amplifier circuit configured to amplify the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element and output an amplified signal,
wherein the signal storing unit is configured to store the amplified signal output from the amplifier circuit.

15. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a noise reduction circuit configured to reduce noise included in the amplified signal output from the amplifier circuit,
wherein the signal storing unit is configured to store the amplified signal from which the noise is reduced by the noise reduction circuit.

16. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 15 , wherein the amplifier circuit comprises an amplifier transistor having a gate, a source, and a drain,
the amplifier transistor is configured to: receive from the gate, the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element; amplify the signal received from the gate; and output the amplified signal from one of the source and the drain.

17. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 16 , wherein the noise reduction circuit comprises:
a clamp capacitor configured to clamp the amplified signal outp

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Nakajima Shinichi

Classifications

• H04N23/667 Primary

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · 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

• H04N25/42 Primary

  by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode · CPC title

• H04N25/79

  Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/771

  comprising storage means other than floating diffusion · CPC title