公开(公告)号：US20210258563A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-19

申请号：US16793345

申请日：2020-02-18

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Zhiyong Zhan ,  Tongtong Yu ,  Xin Wang ,  Liang Zuo ,  Kenny Geng

IPC: H04N17/00 ,  H04N5/378 ,  G01R31/56

Abstract: A test voltage sample and hold circuitry is disclosed in a readout circuitry of an image sensor. This circuitry samples a voltage at demand value based on a ramp voltage shared by the ADC comparators of the readout circuitry. The value of the sampled voltage is controlled by a control circuitry which is able to predict and calculate at what time a ramp generator may carry the demand voltage value. The sampled voltage is held by a hold capacitor during readout of one row and is accessed during the next row by the control circuitry as test data to drive a device under test (DUT) which may be any portion of the image sensor to be tested. Measured data out of the DUT is compared with expected data. Based on the result of the comparison, a signal indicates the pass or fail of the self-test concludes a self-test of the DUT.

公开(公告)号：US20180366513A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-20

申请号：US15628304

申请日：2017-06-20

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Dajiang Yang ,  Oray Orkun Cellek ,  Duli Mao ,  Xianfu Cheng ,  Xin Wang ,  Bill Phan ,  Dyson Tai

IPC: H01L27/148 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378

CPC classification number: H01L27/14831 ,  H01L27/14621 ,  H01L27/14868 ,  H04N5/35563 ,  H04N5/3559 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/37457 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: A single-exposure high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode, with a smaller full-well capacity than the first photodiode, disposed in a semiconductor material. The image sensor also includes a first floating diffusion disposed in the semiconductor material and a first transfer gate coupled to the first photodiode to transfer first image charge accumulated in the first photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor material and a second transfer gate is coupled to the second photodiode to transfer second image charge accumulated in the second photodiode into the second floating diffusion. An attenuation layer is disposed between the second photodiode and image light directed towards the single-exposure HDR image sensor to block a portion of the image light from reaching the second photodiode.

公开(公告)号：US11284045B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-22

申请号：US16855857

申请日：2020-04-22

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Qingfei Chen ,  Rui Wang ,  Wei Wei Wang ,  Zhiyong Zhan ,  Xin Wang ,  Qingwei Shan ,  Kenny Geng

IPC: H04N5/374 ,  H04N9/04 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: An imaging device includes groupings of photodiodes having four photodiodes. A transfer transistor is between each photodiode and a floating diffusion. Each floating diffusion is coupled to up to two photodiodes per grouping at a time through transfer transistors. A buffer transistor is coupled to each floating diffusion. The buffer transistors may be in a first or second grouping of buffer transistors. A first bit line is coupled to up to two buffer transistors of the first grouping and a second bit line is coupled to up to two buffer transistors of the second grouping of buffer transistors at a time. A color filter array including a plurality of groupings of color filters is disposed over respective photodiodes of the photodiode array, wherein each grouping of color filters includes four color filters having a same color, wherein each grouping of color filters overlaps two groupings of photodiodes.

公开(公告)号：US10411063B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-10

申请号：US15628304

申请日：2017-06-20

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Dajiang Yang ,  Oray Orkun Cellek ,  Duli Mao ,  Xianfu Cheng ,  Xin Wang ,  Bill Phan ,  Dyson Tai

IPC: H01L27/00 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745

Abstract: A single-exposure high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode, with a smaller full-well capacity than the first photodiode, disposed in a semiconductor material. The image sensor also includes a first floating diffusion disposed in the semiconductor material and a first transfer gate coupled to the first photodiode to transfer first image charge accumulated in the first photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor material and a second transfer gate is coupled to the second photodiode to transfer second image charge accumulated in the second photodiode into the second floating diffusion. An attenuation layer is disposed between the second photodiode and image light directed towards the single-exposure HDR image sensor to block a portion of the image light from reaching the second photodiode.

公开(公告)号：US20190109169A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-11

申请号：US16150135

申请日：2018-10-02

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xin Wang ,  Dajiang Yang ,  Siguang Ma ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Bill Phan ,  Duli Mao ,  Dyson Tai

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/374

Abstract: An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a first semiconductor material to absorb photons incident on the image sensor and generate image charge. A floating diffusion is disposed in the first semiconductor material and positioned to receive the image charge from the photodiode, and a transfer transistor is coupled between the photodiode and the floating diffusion to transfer the image charge out of the photodiode into floating diffusion in response to a transfer signal. A source follower transistor with a gate terminal is coupled to the floating diffusion to output an amplified signal of the image charge in the floating diffusion. The gate terminal includes a second semiconductor material in contact with the floating diffusion, and a gate oxide is partially disposed between the second semiconductor material and the first semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material extends beyond the lateral bounds of the floating diffusion.

公开(公告)号：US10243015B1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-26

申请号：US15872887

申请日：2018-01-16

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xin Wang ,  Dajiang Yang ,  Siguang Ma ,  Duli Mao ,  Dyson H. Tai

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/374

Abstract: A method for fabricating a photosensor array integrated circuit includes forming an isolation trench by a method comprising depositing a hard mask layer on a [110]-oriented single-crystal silicon substrate wafer, depositing, exposing, and developing a photoresist on the hard mask layer to define photoresist openings of locations for the trenches, dry plasma etching through the photoresist openings to form openings in the hard mask layer of locations for the trenches, and performing an anisotropic wet etch through the openings in the hard mask layer. In particular embodiments, the trenches are lined with P-type silicon, a silicon dioxide dielectric, and an additional oxide layer before being filled with tungsten.

公开(公告)号：US10128299B1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-13

申请号：US15728893

申请日：2017-10-10

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xin Wang ,  Dajiang Yang ,  Siguang Ma ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Bill Phan ,  Duli Mao ,  Dyson Tai

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/374

Abstract: An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a first semiconductor material to absorb photons incident on the image sensor and generate image charge. A floating diffusion is disposed in the first semiconductor material and positioned to receive the image charge from the photodiode, and a transfer transistor is coupled between the photodiode and the floating diffusion to transfer the image charge out of the photodiode into floating diffusion in response to a transfer signal. A source follower transistor with a gate terminal is coupled to the floating diffusion to output an amplified signal of the image charge in the floating diffusion. The gate terminal includes a second semiconductor material in contact with the floating diffusion, and a gate oxide is partially disposed between the second semiconductor material and the first semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material extends beyond the lateral bounds of the floating diffusion.

公开(公告)号：US10103194B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-16

申请号：US15276000

申请日：2016-09-26

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xin Wang ,  Dajiang Yang ,  Qin Wang ,  Duli Mao ,  Dyson Hsin-Chih Tai

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of light sensitive pixels, a first plurality of color filters, a plurality of reflective sidewalls, and a second plurality of color filters. The light sensitive pixels are formed on said substrate. The first plurality of color filters is disposed over a first group of the light sensitive pixels. The reflective sidewalls are formed on each side of each of the first plurality of color filters. The second plurality of color filters are disposed over a second group of light sensitive pixels and each color filter of the second plurality of color filters is separated from each adjacent filter of said first plurality of color filters by one of the reflective sidewalls. In a particular embodiment an etch-resistant layer is disposed over the first plurality of color filters and the second group of light sensitive pixels.