Solid-state image pickup device and electronic apparatus including a solid-state image pickup device having high and low sensitivity pixels
View Patent ↗The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus capable of generating highly-accurate image pickup signals having a large dynamic range. Pixels each include a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel. A control gate controls a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a CMOS image sensor that includes both the high-sensitivity pixel and the low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel and controls a potential of the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel.
1. A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel; and
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred.
2. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the low-sensitivity pixel control gate becomes a high level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and becomes a low level when the charges are transferred.
3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the low-sensitivity pixel control gate is formed on side opposite a light-incident side of the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel.
4. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising a charge voltage conversion section configured to convert charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel into a voltage and to convert charges accumulated in a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel into a voltage.
5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the pixels are arranged in a Bayer arrangement,
wherein an arrangement of the high-sensitivity pixel, the low-sensitivity pixel, and the charge voltage conversion section are the same for the pixels of a green color, and
wherein an arrangement of the high-sensitivity pixel, the low-sensitivity pixel, and the charge voltage conversion section are the same for the pixels of a red color and the pixels of a blue color.
6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising a lens configured to collect light onto a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel.
7. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel; and
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred.
8. A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel;
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred; and
a potential deep section of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel extending in a horizontal direction outside a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel.
9. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8 ,
further comprising
a charge voltage conversion section configured to convert charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel of a first pixel out of the plurality of pixels into a voltage and to convert charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel into a voltage.
10. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 9 , further comprising a circuit that is formed on a side opposite a light-incident side of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and configured to read out an image pickup signal as a voltage signal obtained by the conversion of the charge voltage conversion section.
11. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 9 , further comprising
a circuit that is formed on a light-incident side of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and configured to read out an image pickup signal as a voltage signal obtained by the conversion of the charge voltage conversion section.
12. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8 , wherein the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel partially extends toward a front surface of a substrate.
13. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8 , wherein the low-sensitivity pixel control gate becomes a high level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and becomes a low level when the charges are transferred.
14. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel;
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred; and
a potential deep section of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel extending in a horizontal direction outside a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel.
15. A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each including a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel,
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred, and
an electric field of the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel being stronger than that of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel.
16. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a charge voltage conversion section configured to convert charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel into a voltage; and
a circuit that is formed on a side opposite a light-incident side of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and configured to read out an image pickup signal as a voltage signal obtained by the conversion of the charge voltage conversion section.
17. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a charge voltage conversion section configured to convert charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel into a voltage; and
a circuit that is formed on a light-incident side of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel and configured to read out an image pickup signal as a voltage signal obtained by the conversion of the charge voltage conversion section.
18. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels includes a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel having a lower sensitivity than the high-sensitivity pixel;
a low-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel;
a high-sensitivity pixel control gate configured to control a potential of a photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel,
wherein the high-sensitivity pixel control gate is set to a low level when charges are accumulated in the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel and when the charges are transferred; and
an electric field of the photoelectric conversion device of the low-sensitivity pixel being stronger than that of the photoelectric conversion device of the high-sensitivity pixel.