公开(公告)号：US20250106533A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-27

申请号：US18471466

申请日：2023-09-21

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies Inc.

Inventor： Yoshiyuki Matsunaga ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Lindsay Grant

IPC: H04N25/616 ,  H04N25/65 ,  H04N25/771 ,  H04N25/78

Abstract: A pixel of an image sensor includes a photodiode, a reset transistor, a peak hold transistor, and a first capacitor and a second capacitor. The pixels include, a first mode in which the noise and image output voltages of the photodiode are held in the first and second capacitors, respectively, and a second mode in which the output voltage of the photodiode in a state where the reset transistor is turned on to reset the photodiode is held in the first capacitor or the second capacitor. In the first mode, an image signal corresponding to the light incident amount of the photodiode and a noise signal when the light incident amount is relatively low are obtained. In the second mode, a noise signal when the light incident amount of the photodiode is relatively high is obtained.

公开(公告)号：US12142625B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-12

申请号：US17957440

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: An imaging system including a sensor wafer and a logic wafer. The sensor wafer includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, the plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns and including at least a first pixel and a second pixel positioned in a first row included in the rows. The sensor wafer includes a first transfer control line associated with the first row, the first transfer control line coupled to both a first transfer gate of the first pixel and a second transfer gate of the second pixel. The logic wafer includes a first storage capacitor associated with the first pixel and a second storage capacitor associated with the second pixel, a first storage control line coupled to a first storage gate associated with the first pixel and a second storage control line coupled to a second storage gate associated with the second pixel.

公开(公告)号：US20240114258A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-04

申请号：US17957451

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/33 ,  H04N9/04

CPC classification number: H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/33 ,  H04N9/045

Abstract: A method of operating an imaging system is described. The method comprising transferring first image charges accumulated during a long exposure period of a first image frame to respective floating diffusion regions of a first pixel and a second pixel, reading out long exposure image signals from the respective floating diffusion regions to a first storage capacitor associated with the first pixel and a second storage capacitor associated with the second pixel, transferring second image charges accumulated during a short exposure period of the first image frame to the respective floating diffusion regions of the first pixel and the second pixel, reading out a short exposure image signal from a corresponding one of the floating diffusion regions to the second storage capacitor, and reading out storage charge signals from the first storage capacitor and the second storage capacitor to generate image data for the first image frame.

公开(公告)号：US11557620B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-17

申请号：US17217937

申请日：2021-03-30

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Seong Yeol Mun ,  Yibo Zhu ,  Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A high k passivation layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, and a buffer layer are disposed over semiconductor substrate including photodiodes formed therein. Trenches are etched into the semiconductor substrate through the buffer layer, anti-reflective coating layer, and the high k passivation layer in a grid-like pattern surrounding each of the photodiodes in the semiconductor substrate. Another high k passivation layer lines an interior of the trenches in the semiconductor substrate. An adhesive and barrier layer is deposited over the high k passivation layer that lines the interior of the trenches. A deep trench isolation (DTI) structure is formed with conductive material deposited into the trenches over the adhesive and barrier layer to fill the trenches. A grid structure is formed over the DTI structure and above a plane of the buffer layer. The grid structure is formed with the conductive material.

公开(公告)号：US20220352220A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-03

申请号：US17243024

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Hui Zang ,  Yuanliang Liu ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Gang Chen ,  Bill Phan ,  Duli Mao ,  Takeshi Takeda

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a first photodiode region and circuitry. The first photodiode region is disposed within a semiconductor substrate proximate to a first side of the semiconductor substrate to form a first pixel. The first photodiode region includes a first segment coupled to a second segment. The circuitry includes at least a first electrode associated with a first transistor. The first electrode is disposed, at least in part, between the first segment and the second segment of the first photodiode region such that the circuity is at least partially surrounded by the first photodiode region when viewed from the first side of the semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11272126B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-08

申请号：US17204786

申请日：2021-03-17

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Sohei Manabe ,  Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H04N5/353 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to generate image charge in response to incident light, and a first transfer gate is coupled to the photodiode to extract image charge from the photodiode in response to a first transfer signal. A first storage gate is coupled to the first transfer gate to receive the image charge from the first transfer gate, and a first output gate is coupled to the first storage gate to receive the image charge from the first storage gate. A first capacitor is coupled to the first output gate to store the image charge.

公开(公告)号：US20210377435A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-02

申请号：US16886473

申请日：2020-05-28

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Tiejun Dai ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Zhe Gao

IPC: H04N5/235 ,  H01L27/092 ,  H04N5/345 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel cell includes a first subpixel and a plurality of second subpixels. Each subpixel includes a photodiode to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. Image charge is transferred from the first subpixel to a floating diffusion through a first transfer transistor. Image charge is transferred from the plurality of second subpixels to the floating diffusion through a plurality of second transfer transistors. An attenuation layer is disposed over the first subpixel. The first subpixel receives the incident light through the attenuation layer. The plurality of second subpixels receive the incident light without passing through the attenuation layer. A dual floating diffusion (DFD) transistor is coupled to the floating diffusion. A capacitor is coupled to the DFD transistor.

公开(公告)号：US10741593B1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-11

申请号：US16422646

申请日：2019-05-24

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi ,  Sohei Manabe

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material layer to accumulate image charge photogenerated in the photodiode in response to incident light. A storage transistor is coupled to the photodiode to store the image charge photogenerated in the photodiode. The storage transistor includes a storage gate disposed proximate a first surface of the semiconductor material layer. The storage gate includes a pair of vertical transfer gate (VTG) portions. Each one of the pair of VTG portions extends a first distance into the semiconductor material layer through the first surface of the semiconductor material layer. A storage node is disposed below the first surface of the semiconductor material layer and between the pair of VTG portions of the storage gate to store the image charge transferred from the photodiode in response to a storage signal.

公开(公告)号：US10283558B1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-07

申请号：US15972380

申请日：2018-05-07

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Sohei Manabe ,  Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An image sensor including a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a first, second, and third doped region of a semiconductor material, and a first capacitor is presented. The photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor material to generate image charge in response to incident light. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material proximate to the photodiode. The floating diffusion region is at least partially surrounded by the first doped region of the semiconductor material. The second doped region and the third doped region of the semiconductor material each have an opposite polarity of the floating diffusion region and the first doped region. The floating diffusion region and at least part of the first doped region are laterally disposed between the second doped region and the third doped region.

公开(公告)号：US20180124372A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-03

申请号：US15341374

申请日：2016-11-02

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Zheng Yang ,  Eiichi Funatsu ,  Sohei Manabe ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Dajiang Yang ,  Duli Mao ,  Bowei Zhang

IPC: H04N13/00 ,  H04N13/02 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H04N5/353 ,  H04N5/378 ,  G06T5/00 ,  G06T5/50 ,  H01L27/146

CPC classification number: H04N13/106 ,  G01B11/24 ,  G06T5/001 ,  G06T5/50 ,  G06T7/586 ,  G06T7/593 ,  G06T2207/10028 ,  G06T2207/10144 ,  G06T2207/10152 ,  G06T2207/20224 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/14614 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H04N5/3535 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N13/254 ,  H04N13/271 ,  H04N2013/0092

Abstract: An active depth imaging system and method of operating the same captures illuminator-on and illuminator-off image data with each of a first and second imager. The illuminator-on image data includes information representing an imaged scene and light emitted from an illuminator and reflected off of objects within the imaged scene. The illuminator-off image data includes information representing the imaged scene without the light emitted from the illuminator. For each image set captured by the first and second imagers, illuminator-off image data is subtracted from the illuminator-on image data to identify the illuminated light within the scene. The depth of an object at which the light is incident on then is determined by the subtracted image data of the first and second imagers.