Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Solid-state image sensor
- Patent Title (中): 固态图像传感器
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Application No.: US12676562Application Date: 2008-09-04
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Publication No.: US08988571B2Publication Date: 2015-03-24
- Inventor: Shigetoshi Sugawa , Yasushi Kondo , Hideki Tominaga
- Applicant: Shigetoshi Sugawa , Yasushi Kondo , Hideki Tominaga
- Applicant Address: JP Miyagi JP Kyoto
- Assignee: Tohoku University,Shimadzu Corporation
- Current Assignee: Tohoku University,Shimadzu Corporation
- Current Assignee Address: JP Miyagi JP Kyoto
- Agency: Sughrue Mion, PLLC
- Priority: JP2007-230178 20070905
- International Application: PCT/JP2008/002425 WO 20080904
- International Announcement: WO2009/031301 WO 20090312
- Main IPC: H04N5/335
- IPC: H04N5/335 ; H04N5/355 ; H04N5/3745 ; H04N5/378

Abstract:
A pixel area with a two-dimensional array of pixels (10) each including a photodiode and a memory area (3a) on which memory sections for holding signals produced by the pixels for continuously recordable frames are separately provided on a semiconductor substrate. All the pixels simultaneously perform a photocharge storage operation, and the signals produced by the photocharge storage are extracted in parallel through mutually independent pixel output lines (14). In a plurality of memory sections connected to one pixel output line, a sample-and-hold transistor of a different memory section is turned on for each exposure cycle so as to sequentially hold signals in a capacitor of each memory section. After the continuous imaging is completed, all the pixel are sequentially read. Unlike CCD cameras, the present sensor does not simultaneously drive all the gate loads. Therefore, the sensor consumes less power yet can be driven at high speeds. The separation between the memory area and pixel area prevents signals from deterioration due to an intrusion of excessive photocharges. As a result, the sensor can perform imaging operations at higher speeds than ever before and yet capture images with higher qualities.
Public/Granted literature
- US20100208115A1 SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR Public/Granted day:2010-08-19
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