Solid-state imaging apparatus and driving method thereof
The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and a driving method that can perform imaging at lower power consumption. By providing the solid-state imaging apparatus including a pixel array section on which a plurality of SPAD pixels is two-dimensionally arranged, in which in a case where illuminance becomes first illuminance higher than reference illuminance, a part of the SPAD pixels of the plurality of pixels arranged on the pixel array section is thinned, it is possible to image at lower power consumption. The present technology can be applied to an image sensor, for example.
1. A light detecting device, comprising:
a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode; and
a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch between the first mode and the second mode according to an amount of incident light.
2. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode in a case where the amount of incident light exceeds a predetermined threshold.
3. A light detecting device comprising:
a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode; and
a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein, in a third mode, the first transistor is in an OFF state and the second transistor is in the OFF state,
wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode in a case where the amount of incident light exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and
wherein the light detecting device is configured to switch from the second mode to the third mode in a case where the amount of incident light exceeds a second predetermined threshold larger than the first predetermined threshold.
4. The light detecting device, comprising:
a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged in a two-dimensional array, including a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode;
a first transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the first avalanche photodiode; and
a second transistor coupled to an anode or a cathode of the second avalanche photodiode,
wherein, in a first mode, the first transistor is in an ON state and the second transistor is in an ON state,
wherein, in a second mode, the first transistor is in the ON state and the second transistor is in an OFF state,
wherein the plurality of avalanche photodiodes are disposed at a side of a first surface of a semiconductor substrate that is a light incident surface, and the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are disposed at a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein the two-dimensional array includes a first block having an n=n subset of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes including the first avalanche photodiode, and a second block having an m=m subset of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes including the second avalanche photodiode, and
wherein n and m are integers greater than one.
5. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the anode or the cathode of the first avalanche photodiode and the anode or the cathode of the second avalanche photodiode are constituted by a shared electrode.
6. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to output a signal to a gate of the second transistor, thereby to switch the second transistor between the ON state and the OFF state.
7. The light detecting device according to claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether an amount of incident light exceeds a predetermined threshold.
8. The light detecting device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an illuminance sensor configured to detect the amount of incident light,
wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether the amount of incident light exceeds the predetermined threshold based on an output of the illuminance sensor.
9. The light detecting device according to claim 7 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether the amount of incident light exceeds the predetermined threshold based on an output image of the light detecting device.
10. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a color filter array disposed over the plurality of avalanche photodiodes.
11. The light detecting device according to claim 10 , wherein the color filter array includes red color filters, blue color filters, and green color filters arranged in a Bayer arrangement pattern.
12. A distance sensor comprising the light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance based on a time of flight method.
13. A distance sensor comprising the light detecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance based on a time of flight method.
14. A distance sensor comprising the light detecting device according to claim 4 , wherein the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance based on a time of flight method.