Solid-state imaging device, method for driving solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel part having a pixel arranged therein, the pixel performing photoelectric conversion; and

a reading circuit having an analog-to-digital conversion function for analog-to-digital converting a pixel signal read out from the pixel to a signal line,

wherein the pixel signal read out from the pixel is at least either one of:

a first pixel signal including a read-out reset signal and a read-out luminance signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a first operation; and

a second pixel signal including a read-out luminance signal and a read-out reset signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a second operation,

wherein the reading circuit includes:

an amplifying part for amplifying the pixel signal; and

an AD converting part for analog-to-digital converting, in connection with a search signal, the pixel signal amplified by the amplifying part, and

wherein a first search signal for the first pixel signal and a second search signal for the second pixel signal are configurable such that search levels thereof are inverted.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the amplifying part includes:

a first operational amplifier;

a first sampling capacitor connected between (i) an input line for the first pixel signal or the second pixel signal and (ii) a first input terminal of the first operational amplifier;

a first feedback capacitor connected between an output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the first input terminal;

an offset potential; and

a first switch part for selectively connecting one of ends of the first feedback capacitor to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier or the offset potential, and

wherein a second input terminal of the first operational amplifier is connectable at least to a referential potential.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the amplifying part includes:

a second sampling capacitor connected between (i) an input line for the first pixel signal or the second pixel signal and (ii) a second input terminal of the first operational amplifier;

a second feedback capacitor connected between the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier and a reference potential; and

a second switch part for selectively connecting the referential potential to the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the AD converting part includes:

a second operational amplifier;

a sample holding switch connected to a signal output line of the amplifying part;

an input capacitor connected between a first input terminal of the second operational amplifier and the sample holding switch; and

a search signal input part connected between (i) a connection terminal of the input capacitor that is connected to the sample holding switch and (ii) a feeding line of the search signal, the search signal input part inputting the search signal into the connection terminal of the input capacitor that is connected to the sample holding switch, and

wherein a second input terminal of the second operational amplifier is connected to the referential potential.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the search signal input part of the AD converting part includes:

a search signal input capacitor connected at one of terminals thereof to the connection terminal of the input capacitor that is connected to the sample holding switch and at the other terminal thereof to the feeding line of the search signal.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the search signal input part of the AD converting part includes:

a plurality of capacitors each of which is connected at one of terminals thereof to the connection terminal of the input capacitor that is connected to the sample holding switch; and

a plurality of switches arranged in correspondence with the plurality of capacitors, each of the switches selectively connecting the other terminal of a corresponding one of the capacitors to a referential or reference potential in accordance with a control signal complying with binary search.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the amplifying part includes:

a first autozero switch connected between the first input terminal of the first operational amplifier and an output terminal of the first operational amplifier, and

wherein the AD converting part includes:

a second autozero switch connected between the first input terminal of the second operational amplifier and an output terminal of the second operational amplifier.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein when the first pixel signal is a single-ended signal and input into the first sampling capacitor of the amplifying part,

the first feedback capacitor of the amplifying part is connected to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier by the first switch part, and the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier is connected to the referential potential, and

the first search signal is fed to the AD converting part, and

when the second pixel signal is a single-ended signal and input into the first sampling capacitor of the amplifying part,

the first feedback capacitor of the amplifying part is selectively connected to the offset potential by the first switch part, and the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier is connected to the referential potential, and

the second search signal that is obtained by inverting a search level of the first search signal is fed to the AD converting part.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein when the first pixel signal is a differential signal and input into the first sampling capacitor and a second sampling capacitor of the amplifying part,

the first feedback capacitor of the amplifying part is connected to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier by the first switch part, and

the first search signal is fed to the AD converting part.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein when the second pixel signal is a differential signal and input into the first sampling capacitor and a second sampling capacitor of the amplifying part,

the first feedback capacitor of the amplifying part is connected to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier by the first switch part, and

the first search signal is fed to the AD converting part.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , comprising:

the pixel part having, from among a first pixel and a second pixel, at least the first pixel arranged therein, the first pixel including a photoelectric conversion reading part and a signal retaining part, and the second pixel including the photoelectric conversion reading part;

a reading part for reading pixel signals from the pixel part;

a first signal line to which a read-out signal from the photoelectric conversion reading part is output; and

a second signal line to which a retaining signal from the signal retaining part is output,

wherein at least the photoelectric conversion reading part of the first pixel includes:

an output node;

a photoelectric conversion element for storing therein, in a storage period, charges generated by photoelectric conversion;

a transfer element for transferring, in a transfer period, the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion element;

a floating diffusion to which the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion element are transferred through the transfer element;

a source follower element for converting the charges in the floating diffusion into a voltage signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the charges and outputting the voltage signal to the output node;

a reset element for resetting, in a reset period, the floating diffusion to a predetermined potential; and

a selection element for electrically connecting in a first period, the output node to the first signal line, and

wherein the signal retaining part includes:

a sample-and-hold capacitor for retaining therein a signal output from the output node of the photoelectric conversion reading part of the first pixel;

a switch element for selectively connecting, in a second period, the sample-and-hold capacitor to the output node of the photoelectric conversion reading part; and

an output part including a source follower element for outputting, in the second period, the signal retained in the sample-and-hold capacitor at a level corresponding to a retained voltage, the output part selectively outputting a signal obtained by conversion to the second signal line.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11 ,

wherein the pixel part at least includes:

a first pixel array in which the photoelectric conversion reading parts of a plurality of the first pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and

a retaining part array in which the signal retaining parts of the plurality of first pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern.

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 12 ,

wherein the pixel part includes:

a second pixel array in which the photoelectric conversion reading parts of a plurality of the second pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern, and

wherein the photoelectric conversion reading parts of the plurality of second pixels each include:

a photoelectric conversion element for storing therein, in a storage period, charges generated by photoelectric conversion;

a transfer element for transferring, in a transfer period, the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion element;

a floating diffusion to which the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion element are transferred through the transfer element;

a source follower element for converting the charges in the floating diffusion into a voltage signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the charges;

a reset element for resetting, in a reset period, the floating diffusion to a predetermined potential; and

a selection element for electrically connecting, in a first period, an output line of a voltage signal fed from the source follower element to the first signal line.

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11 ,

wherein, in a first operation, the reading part reads the pixel signals with the first pixel array of the first pixels and the second pixel array of the second pixels being activated.

15. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11 ,

wherein, in a second operation, the reading part reads the pixel signals with the selection elements in the photoelectric conversion reading parts in the first and second pixels being in a non-selected state and with the first pixel array of the first pixels and the retaining part array being activated.

16. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11 comprising:

a first substrate; and

a second substrate,

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate have a stacked structure in which the first substrate and the second substrate are connected through a connection part,

wherein the first substrate includes at least the photoelectric conversion reading part of the first pixel and the first signal line formed therein, and

wherein the second substrate includes at least the signal retaining part of the first pixel, the second signal line, and at least a portion of the reading part formed therein.

17. A method for driving a solid-state imaging device, the solid-state imaging device including:

a pixel part having a pixel arranged therein, the pixel performing photoelectric conversion; and

a reading circuit having an analog-to-digital conversion function for analog-to-digital converting a pixel signal read out from the pixel to a signal line,

wherein the reading circuit includes:

an amplifying part for amplifying the pixel signal; and

an AD converting part for analog-to-digital converting, in connection with a search signal, the pixel signal amplified by the amplifying part, and

wherein the pixel signal read out from the pixel is at least either one of:

a first pixel signal including a read-out reset signal and a read-out luminance signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a first operation; and

a second pixel signal including a read-out luminance signal and a read-out reset signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a second operation, and

wherein the search signal fed to the reading circuit is configured such that a first search signal for the first pixel signal and a second search signal for the second pixel signal are configurable such that search levels thereof are inverted.

18. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device; and

an optical system for forming a subject image on the solid-state imaging device,

wherein the solid-state imaging device includes:

a pixel part having a pixel arranged therein, the pixel performing photoelectric conversion; and

a reading circuit having an analog-to-digital conversion function for analog-to-digital converting a pixel signal read out from the pixel to a signal line,

wherein the pixel signal read out from the pixel is at least either one of:

a first pixel signal including a read-out reset signal and a read-out luminance signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a first operation; and

a second pixel signal including a read-out luminance signal and a read-out reset signal that are read out in the stated order from the pixel in a second operation,

wherein the reading circuit includes:

an amplifying part for amplifying the pixel signal; and

an AD converting part for analog-to-digital converting, in connection with a search signal, the pixel signal amplified by the amplifying part, and

wherein a first search signal for the first pixel signal and a second search signal for the second pixel signal are configurable such that search levels thereof are inverted.