IP Library Granted Patent US 9,602,743
Granted Patent B2
US 9,602,743 · App. 14/878,180 · Granted Mar 21, 2017

Imaging device and image acquisition device

Inventors: Takayoshi Yamada (Hyogo, JP); Masayuki Takase (Osaka, JP); Tokuhiko Tamaki (Osaka, JP); Masashi Murakami (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
H04N5/359H01L27/14603H01L27/14612H01L27/14636H01L27/14667H04N5/357H04N5/361H04N5/378
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,602,743
App. No.
14/878,180
Granted
Mar 21, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device comprises at least one unit pixel cell. Each of them comprises: a photoelectric conversion layer having a first and second surfaces; a pixel electrode and a shield electrode located on the first surface and separated from each other, a shield voltage being applied to the shield electrode; an upper electrode located on the second surface and opposing to the pixel electrode and the shield electrode, a counter voltage being applied to the upper electrode; a charge accumulation node electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and a charge detection circuit electrically connected to the charge accumulation node. The charge detection circuit includes a reset transistor that sets the pixel electrode at an initialization voltage at predetermined timing. An absolute value of a difference between the shield voltage and the counter voltage is larger than an absolute value of a difference between the initialization voltage and the counter voltage.

Claims (27)

1. An imaging device, comprising:

at least one unit pixel cell, each of the at least one unit pixel cell comprising:

a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface being on a side opposite to the first surface;

a pixel electrode located on the first surface;

a shield electrode located on the first surface, the shield electrode being separated from the pixel electrode, a shield voltage being applied to the shield electrode;

an upper electrode located on the second surface, the upper electrode opposing to the pixel electrode and the shield electrode, a counter voltage being applied to the upper electrode;

a charge accumulation node electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and

a charge detection circuit electrically connected to the charge accumulation node, wherein

the charge detection circuit includes a reset transistor that sets the pixel electrode at an initialization voltage at predetermined timing, and

an absolute value of a difference between the shield voltage and the counter voltage is larger than an absolute value of a difference between the initialization voltage and the counter voltage.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one unit pixel cell comprises unit pixel cells, and

the unit pixel cells are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the initialization voltage is lower than the counter voltage, and

the shield voltage is lower than the initialization voltage.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the shield voltage is a negative voltage.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the initialization voltage is higher than the counter voltage, and

the shield voltage is higher than the initialization voltage.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one unit pixel cell does not comprise a micro lens on a side of the upper electrode opposite to the photoelectric conversion layer.

7. An image acquisition device, comprising:

an illumination system that irradiates an object with each of beams in sequence, incident directions of the beams with respect to the object being different from each other;

the imaging device according to claim 1 located at a position where the beams passing through the object are inputted, the imaging device acquiring images corresponding to the beams respectively, each of the images having a first resolution; and

an image processor that synthesizes the images to generate a synthetic image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution.

8. The image acquisition device according to claim 7 , wherein the imaging device includes an arrangement surface for holding the object, the arrangement surface being located on a side of the upper electrode opposite to the photoelectric conversion layer.

9. The image acquisition device according to claim 7 , wherein the image processor synthesizes the images by interpolating the images with each other.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2015
From: YAMADA, TAKAYOSHI; TAKASE, MASAYUKI; TAMAKI, TOKUHIKO; MURAKAMI, MASASHI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 036838/0516 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-216210 · Oct 23, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160119563A1 · Apr 28, 2016