公开(公告)号：US20170176579A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-22

申请号：US15372411

申请日：2016-12-08

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Alexander Shpunt ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Matthew C. Waldon ,  Mina A. Rezk ,  Thierry Oggier

IPC: G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/481

CPC classification number: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42

Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a laser light source, which emits at least one beam of light pulses, a beam steering device, which transmits and scans the at least one beam across a target scene, and an array of sensing elements. Each sensing element outputs a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element. Light collection optics image the target scene scanned by the transmitted beam onto the array. Circuitry is coupled to actuate the sensing elements only in a selected region of the array and to sweep the selected region over the array in synchronization with scanning of the at least one beam.

公开(公告)号：US10438987B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15713477

申请日：2017-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Nobuhiro Karasawa ,  Xiaofeng Fan ,  Arnaud Laflaquiere ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  G01S7/486 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/376 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L31/0352

Abstract: A back-illuminated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor includes a sensor wafer stacked vertically over a circuit wafer. The sensor wafer includes one or more SPAD regions, with each SPAD region including an anode gradient layer, a cathode region positioned adjacent to a front surface of the SPAD region, and an anode avalanche layer positioned over the cathode region. Each SPAD region is connected to a voltage supply and an output circuit in the circuit wafer through inter-wafer connectors. Deep trench isolation elements are used to provide electrical and optical isolation between SPAD regions.

公开(公告)号：US10324171B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-18

申请号：US15372411

申请日：2016-12-08

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Alexander Shpunt ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Matthew C. Waldon ,  Mina A Rezk ,  Thierry Oggier

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42

Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a laser light source, which emits at least one beam of light pulses, a beam steering device, which transmits and scans the at least one beam across a target scene, and an array of sensing elements. Each sensing element outputs a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element. Light collection optics image the target scene scanned by the transmitted beam onto the array. Circuitry is coupled to actuate the sensing elements only in a selected region of the array and to sweep the selected region over the array in synchronization with scanning of the at least one beam.

公开(公告)号：US20180341009A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-29

申请号：US15586286

申请日：2017-05-04

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Cristiano L. Niclass ,  Alexander Shpunt ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Matthew C. Waldon ,  Mina A. Rezk ,  Thierry Oggier

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486

Abstract: An electro-optical device includes at least one laser light source and a beam steering device, which transmits and scan the at least one beam across a target scene. One or more sensing elements output a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element from the target scene. Circuitry processes the signal in order to determine respective distances to points in the scene and controls the light source to emit the beam at the low level during a first scan, to identify, based on the first scan, the points in the scene that are located at respective distances from the device that are greater than a predefined threshold distance, and to control the laser light source during a second scan to emit the beam at the high level while the beam steering device directs the beam toward the identified points.

公开(公告)号：US09997551B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-12

申请号：US14975790

申请日：2015-12-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Matthew C. Waldon

IPC: H01L27/14 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/497

CPC classification number: H01L27/14609 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/14641 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L31/107

Abstract: A sensing device includes an array of sensing elements. Each sensing element includes a photodiode, including a p-n junction, and a local biasing circuit, coupled to reverse-bias the p-n junction at a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage of the p-n junction by a margin sufficient so that a single photon incident on the p-n junction triggers an avalanche pulse output from the sensing element. A bias control circuit is coupled to set the bias voltage in different ones of the sensing elements to different, respective values that are greater than the breakdown voltage.

公开(公告)号：US20180109742A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-19

申请号：US15627409

申请日：2017-06-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Claus Molgaard ,  Ashirwad Bahukhandi ,  Chiajen Lee ,  Xiangli Li

IPC: H04N5/345 ,  H04N5/347 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N9/04

Abstract: Pixel binning is performed by summing charge from some pixels positioned diagonally in a pixel array. Pixel signals output from pixels positioned diagonally in the pixel array may be combined on the output lines. A signal representing summed charge produces a binned 2×1 cluster. A signal representing combined voltage signals produces a binned 2×1 cluster. A signal representing summed charge and a signal representing combined pixel signals can be combined digitally to produce a binned 2×2 pixel. Orthogonal binning may be performed on other pixels in the pixel array by summing charge on respective common sense regions and then combining the voltage signals that represent the summed charge on respective output lines.

公开(公告)号：US20170179173A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-22

申请号：US14975790

申请日：2015-12-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shingo Mandai ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Matthew C. Waldon

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107

CPC classification number: H01L27/14609 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/14641 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L31/107

Abstract: A sensing device includes an array of sensing elements. Each sensing element includes a photodiode, including a p-n junction, and a local biasing circuit, coupled to reverse-bias the p-n junction at a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage of the p-n junction by a margin sufficient so that a single photon incident on the p-n junction triggers an avalanche pulse output from the sensing element. A bias control circuit is coupled to set the bias voltage in different ones of the sensing elements to different, respective values that are greater than the breakdown voltage.

公开(公告)号：US20170052065A1

公开(公告)日：2017-02-23

申请号：US14830760

申请日：2015-08-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Anup K. Sharma ,  Arnaud Laflaquière ,  Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  Gershon Rosenblum ,  Shingo Mandai

IPC: G01J1/42 ,  G01J1/44

CPC classification number: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/107 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G04F10/005 ,  H01L31/02027

Abstract: A sensing device includes a first array of sensing elements, which output a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element. A second array of processing circuits are coupled respectively to the sensing elements and comprise a gating generator, which variably sets a start time of the gating interval for each sensing element within each acquisition period, and a memory, which records the time of incidence of the single photon on each sensing element in each acquisition period. A controller controls the gating generator during a first sequence of the acquisition periods so as to sweep the gating interval over the acquisition periods and to identify a respective detection window for the sensing element, and during a second sequence of the acquisition periods, to fix the gating interval for each sensing element to coincide with the respective detection window.

Abstract translation: 感测装置包括感测元件的第一阵列，其输出指示感测元件上的单个光子的入射时间的信号。 处理电路的第二阵列分别耦合到感测元件，并且包括选通发生器，其在每个采集周期内可变地设置每个感测元件的选通间隔的开始时间，以及记录存储器的入射时间 在每个采集周期中每个感测元件上的单个光子。 控制器在采集周期的第一序列期间控制门控发生器，以便在采集周期上扫描门控间隔，并且识别感测元件的相应检测窗口，并且在采集周期的第二序列期间， 每个感测元件的选通间隔与相应的检测窗口一致。