Abstract:
An ultrahigh speed bipolar transistor has a base region which is formed from a P.sup.+ base polysilicon sidewall using a self-alignment method, and a base junction window which is formed in order to minimize the collector-base junction capacity. In the method for fabricating this transistor, an insulation layer of oxide silicon or nitrogen silicon is formed under the base polysilicon layer. Accordingly, impurities from the base polysilicon layer do not diffuse into the epitaxial layer during the diffusion process. Instead, the extrinsic base region is formed by the diffusion of impurities from the polysilicon sidewall which is connected to the base polysilicon layer. Therefore the length of the entire base region is shortened. Furthermore, the junction area between the collector region is also lowered. Thus, the collector-base junction capacity is decreased and a higher operating speed is obtained.
Abstract:
A method of producing the bipolar transistor includes forming an aperture through a triple layer over an active region of an epitaxial layer, then forming a shallow polysilicon film at the bottom of the aperture. An intrinsic base region is formed by segregating a conductive impurity to the epitaxial layer by thermally oxidizing the polysilicon film. Then an extrinsic base region is formed by diffusing impurities into the epitaxial layer from a polysilicon sidewall formed on the aperture. In the transistor fabricated according to this method, an insulation layer of oxide silicon or nitrogen silicon is formed under the base polysilicon layer. Accordingly, impurities from the base polysilicon layer do not diffuse into the epitaxial layer during the diffusion process. Instead, the extrinsic base region is formed by the diffusion of impurities from the polysilicon sidewall which is connected to the base polysilicon layer. Therefore the length of the entire base region is shortened. Furthermore, by forming the intrinsic base region by thermally oxidizing the shallow polysilicon film, the base width and the transmission time are reduced, thus leading to a higher performance speed of the element.
Abstract:
One embodiment of an analog-to-digital converter includes at least one comparator and a restriction circuit. The comparator has first and second input nodes and a connection node. The connection node is one of an internal node and an output node of the comparator. The restriction circuit is electrically connected to the connection node, and the restriction circuit is configured to restrict a voltage of the connection node.
Abstract:
One embodiment of an analog-to-digital converter includes at least one comparator and a restriction circuit. The comparator has first and second input nodes and a connection node. The connection node is one of an internal node and an output node of the comparator. The restriction circuit is electrically connected to the connection node, and the restriction circuit is configured to restrict a voltage of the connection node.
Abstract:
One embodiment of an analog-to-digital converter includes at least one comparator and a restriction circuit. The comparator has first and second input nodes and a connection node. The connection node is one of an internal node and an output node of the comparator. The restriction circuit is electrically connected to the connection node, and the restriction circuit is configured to restrict a voltage of the connection node.
Abstract:
A CDS circuit is provided. The CDS circuit includes a signal compressor which compresses each of a pixel signal and a ramp signal using capacitive dividing and outputs a compressed pixel signal and a compressed ramp signal, and a comparator which compares the compressed pixel signal with the compressed ramp signal and outputs a comparative signal corresponding to a comparison result.
Abstract:
A correlated double sampling circuit includes a delta-sigma modulator, a selection circuit, and an accumulation circuit. The delta-sigma modulator is configured to receive an input signal, delta-sigma modulate the input signal, and output a modulation signal. The selection circuit is configured to invert the modulation signal and selectively output one of the modulation signal and an inverted modulation signal in response to a selection signal corresponding to an operation phase. The accumulation circuit is configured to generate a first accumulation result by performing an accumulation process on one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a first operation phase, and generate a second accumulation result by performing the accumulation process on the first accumulation result and the other one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a second operation phase.
Abstract:
Example embodiments are directed to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that controls a gain by changing a system parameter, an image sensor including the ADC and a method of operating the ADC. The ADC includes a sigma-delta modulator which receives an input signal and a clock signal and sigma-delta modulates the input signal into a digital output signal based on the clock signal and an accumulation unit which accumulates the digital output signal at each cycle of the clock signal according to an analog-to-digital conversion time and outputs an accumulation result. A system parameter is varied during the analog-to-digital conversion time to control a gain of the ADC. The method of operating the analog-to-digital converter includes sigma-delta modulating an input signal into a digital output signal in response to a clock signal input to the ADC; and accumulating the digital output signal at each cycle of the input clock signal according to an analog-to-digital conversion time and outputting an accumulation result.
Abstract:
An image sensor includes a delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including a delta-sigma modulator (DSM) and a voltage adjusting circuit. The DSM is configured to perform delta-sigma modulation on an analog signal from a unit pixel. The delta-sigma ADC is configured to convert the analog signal to a digital signal. The voltage adjusting circuit includes a replica inverter having a same configuration as at least one inverter included in the DSM. The voltage adjusting circuit is configured to adjust a power supply voltage and an input voltage provided to the at least one inverter based on a current flowing in the replica inverter.
Abstract:
A CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode, a switch configured to transfer a signal sensed by the photodiode to a sensing node, and a comparator electrically and directly connected to the sensing node and configured to compare the sensed signal of the sensing node and a ramp signal. Reset offset of the comparator is maintained at a constant offset voltage level during an initialization mode.