Sub-sampled color channel readout wiring for vertical detector pixel sensors
In an array of multi-color vertical detector color pixel sensors, a readout wiring architecture includes a transfer transistor for each individual color detector. In first and second rows in a first column, the first, second, and third color transfer transistor gates are coupled, respectively, to the first, second, and third row-select lines. In a first row in a second column, the first color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the second row-select line, the second color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the first row-select line, and the third color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the third row-select line. In a second row in the second column, the first color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the first row-select line, the second color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the third row-select line, and t the third color transfer transistor gate is coupled to the second row-select line.
1. In an array including rows and columns of vertical detector color pixel sensors, each vertical detector color pixel sensor disposed in a row and column of the array and having a first color detector for a first color, a second color detector for a second color, and a third color detector for a third color, a readout wiring architecture comprising:
a plurality of row-select lines for each row of the array, a first row-select line for the first color, a second row-select line for the second color, and a third row-select line for the third color;
an individual column line for each column of the array;
a transfer transistor for each individual color detector in each vertical detector color pixel sensor in the array, each transfer transistor coupled between a color detector disposed in a column of the array and a column line associated with the column of the array in which the color detector is disposed, each transfer transistor having a gate coupled to one of the plurality of row-select lines in a row of the array in which the vertical detector color pixel sensor is disposed; wherein
in first and second rows of vertical color pixel sensors in a first consecutive column of the array, the gate of the transfer transistor for the first color detector is coupled to the first row-select line, the gate of the transfer transistor for the second color detector is coupled to the second row-select line, and the gate of the transfer transistor for the third color detector is coupled to the third row-select line;
in a first row of vertical color pixel sensors in a second consecutive column of the array, the gate of the transfer transistor for the first color detector is coupled to the second row-select line, the gate of the transfer transistor for the second color detector is coupled to the first row-select line, and the gate of the transfer transistor for the third color detector is coupled to the third row-select line; and
in a second row of vertical color pixel sensors in the second consecutive column of the array, the gate of the transfer transistor for the first color detector is coupled to the first row-select line, the gate of the transfer transistor for the second color detector is coupled to the third row-select line, and the gate of the transfer transistor for the third color detector is coupled to the second row-select line.
2. The readout wiring architecture of claim 1 wherein the first color detector is a red detector, the second color detector is a green detector, and the third color detector is a blue detector.
3. The readout wiring architecture of claim 1 wherein gate connections of all of the transfer transistors in the first and second rows in columns of the array are repeated in consecutive pairs of the rows of the array following the first and second consecutive rows of the array.
4. The readout wiring architecture of claim 1 wherein for each row in the array, the coupling of gates of transfer transistors to row-select lines for the first, second, and third color detectors repeats in groups of two consecutive columns.
5. In an array including rows and columns of vertical detector color pixel sensors, each vertical detector color pixel sensor disposed in a row and column of the array and having a first color detector for a first color, a second color detector for a second color, and a third color detector for a third color, a readout wiring architecture comprising:
a plurality of row-select lines for each row of the array, a first row-select line for the first color, a second row-select line for the second color, and a third row-select line for the third color;
an individual column line for each column of the array;
a transfer transistor for each individual color detector in each vertical detector color pixel sensor in the array, each transfer transistor coupled between a color detector disposed in a column of the array and a column line associated with a column of the array, each transfer transistor having a gate coupled to one of the plurality of row-select lines in a row of the array in which the vertical detector color pixel sensor is disposed; wherein
in a first column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the first, second, and third color detectors are coupled together to a first row-select line;
in a second column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the first, second, and third color detectors are coupled together to a second row-select line;
in a third column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the first, second, and third color detectors are coupled together to a third row-select line;
in each column j of the array, the transfer transistor for the first color detector is coupled between the first color detector and a column line for a column (j−1), the transfer transistor for the second color detector is coupled between the second color detector and a column line for the column j, and the transfer transistor for the third color detector is coupled between the third color detector and a column line for a column (j+1).
6. The readout wiring architecture of claim 5 wherein wherein the first color detector is a red detector, the second color detector is a green detector, and the third color detector is a blue detector.
7. A method for capturing a still shot in an array containing rows and columns of vertical detector color pixel sensors, each vertical detector color pixel sensor having individual red, green, and blue color detectors, each red color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a red transfer transistor, each green color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a green transfer transistor, each blue color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a blue transfer transistor, in a first column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a first row-select line, in a second column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a second row-select line, in a third column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a third row-select line, in each column j of the array, the transfer transistor for the red color detector is coupled between the first color detector and a column line for a column (j−1), the transfer transistor for the green color detector is coupled between the second color detector and a column line for the column j, and the transfer transistor for the blue color detector is coupled between the third color detector and a column line for a column (j+1), the method comprising for each row in the array:
activating then deactivating the first row-select line;
activating then deactivating the second row-select line; and
activating then deactivating the third row-select line.
8. A method for performing a video readout in an array containing rows and columns of vertical detector color pixel sensors, each vertical detector color pixel sensor having individual red, green, and blue color detectors, each red color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a red transfer transistor, each green color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a green transfer transistor, each blue color detector in a vertical detector color pixel sensor in a column of the array coupled to a column output line through a blue transfer transistor, in a first column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a first row-select line, in a second column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a second row-select line, in a third column of the array, the gates of the transfer transistors for the red, green, and blue color detectors are coupled together to a third row-select line, in each column j of the array, the transfer transistor for the red color detector is coupled between the first color detector and a column line for a column (j−1), the transfer transistor for the green color detector is coupled between the second color detector and a column line for the column j, and the transfer transistor for the blue color detector is coupled between the third color detector and a column line for a column (j+1), the method comprising:
for row i activating then deactivating the second row-select line;
for every row (i+n8), where n is an integer, activating then deactivating the second row-select line; and
activating then deactivating the third row-select line.