IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,075,173
Granted Patent B2
US 12,075,173 · App. 17/782,872 · Granted Aug 27, 2024

Imaging element and electronic device with light shielding portion between pixels

Inventors: Tomohiko Asatsuma (Kanagawa, JP); Ryosuke Nakamura (Kanagawa, JP); Satoko Iida (Kanagawa, JP); Koshi Okita (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
H04N25/621H04N25/702H04N25/77
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,075,173
App. No.
17/782,872
Granted
Aug 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging element according to an embodiment includes: a unit pixel including a first pixel having a first photoelectric conversion element and including a second pixel having a second photoelectric conversion element, the second pixel being arranged adjacent to the first pixel; and an accumulation portion that accumulates a charge generated by the second photoelectric conversion element and converts the accumulated charge into a voltage. The accumulation portion is disposed at a boundary between the unit pixel and another unit pixel adjacent to the unit pixel.

Claims (79)

1. An imaging element, comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; and

a light-shielding portion provided between each of the plurality of pixels included in the pixel array,

wherein the light-shielding portion is formed to have a width of a portion narrowest between two pixels arranged adjacent to each other among the plurality of pixels such that the width is defined according to a difference in sensitivity between the two pixels.

2. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of pixels is arranged such that a unit pixel is arranged in a matrix array, the unit pixel including a first pixel and a second pixel, the second pixel having lower sensitivity compared to the first pixel and arranged adjacent to the first pixel, and

the light-shielding portion is formed to have a width of a narrowest portion between the first pixel and the second pixel such that the width is wider than a width between first pixels among the plurality of pixels and wider than a width between second pixels among the plurality of pixels.

3. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light-shielding portion has a width of a portion between two adjacent pixels, the width being defined such that a width of a narrowest portion on a side of a pixel having higher sensitivity among the two pixels as a width wider than a width of a narrowest portion on a side of a pixel having lower sensitivity among the two pixels, with a boundary between the two pixels as a base point.

4. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sensitivity is sensitivity defined according to an area of a light receiving surface of each of the plurality of pixels.

5. An electronic device comprising:

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels arranged adjacent to each other and including a light-shielding portion provided between each of the plurality of pixels,

the light-shielding portion being formed to have a width of a narrowest portion between two pixels arranged adjacent to each other among the plurality of pixels such that the width is defined according to a difference in sensitivity between the two pixels;

a signal processing unit that executes signal processing on a pixel signal read from the imaging element and generates image data by the signal processing; and

a storage unit that stores the image data generated by the signal processing unit.

6. An imaging element comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; and

a trench light-shielding portion provided around each of the plurality of pixels included in the pixel array,

wherein the trench light-shielding portion is provided without a gap around a first pixel among the plurality of pixels,

wherein the trench light-shielding portion is provided around a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel such that the trench light-shielding portion provided around the second pixel is spaced apart from the trench light-shielding portion provided around the first pixel,

wherein at least some of the trench light-shielding portion is formed in a boundary between the first pixel and the second pixel, and

wherein the at least some of the trench light-shielding portion in the boundary between the first pixel and the second pixel is thicker than the trench light-shielding portion provided at a boundary between adjacent first pixels among the plurality of pixels.

7. The imaging element according to claim 6 ,

wherein the second pixel is higher in sensitivity than the first pixel.

8. The imaging element according to claim 7 ,

wherein the sensitivity is sensitivity defined according to an area of a light receiving surface of each of the plurality of pixels.

9. The imaging element according to claim 7 ,

wherein the sensitivity is a sensitivity defined according to a wavelength component of light transmitted through a color filter provided for each of the plurality of pixels.

10. The imaging element according to claim 7 ,

wherein the trench light-shielding portion provided between adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels has a width defined according to a difference in sensitivity between the adjacent pixels.

11. An imaging element comprising:

a first pixel;

a second pixel arranged adjacent to the first pixel;

a trench light-shielding portion provided around each of the first pixel and the second pixel; and

a light-shielding wall embedded in a depth direction of a trench at least at a first boundary between the first pixel and the second pixel of the trench light-shielding portion,

wherein the light-shielding wall is formed to be embedded in the first boundary at a position closer to a direction of the second pixel.

12. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

wherein the first pixel is a pixel having higher sensitivity compared to the second pixel.

13. The imaging element according to claim 12 ,

wherein an area of a light receiving surface of the first pixel is larger than an area of a light receiving surface of the second pixel, and

the sensitivity is sensitivity defined according to a size of an area of a light receiving surface of each of the first pixel and the second pixel.

14. The imaging element according to claim 12 ,

wherein the light-shielding wall includes overlaps over a position of a second portion, the position being at an extension of a second pixel-side outer edge of the second portion.

15. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

wherein the trench light-shielding portion is formed such that a thickness of a first portion in which the light-shielding wall is embedded is thicker than a thickness of a second portion in which the light-shielding wall is not embedded and such that the first portion protrudes less on a side of the first pixel than the second portion.

16. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

wherein the light-shielding wall does not protrude to a side of the first pixel at the first boundary and does not protrude from the trench light-shielding portion.

17. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

wherein the light-shielding wall is provided on an entire circumference of the second pixel.

18. The imaging element according to claim 17 ,

wherein the light-shielding wall is further provided on a second boundary between the first pixel and another first pixel adjacent to the first pixel, the light-shielding wall being provided with a space from another light-shielding wall.

19. The imaging element according to claim 17 ,

wherein the light-shielding wall is further provided on an entire circumference of the first pixel.

20. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

further comprising an inter-pixel light-shielding portion provided around a light receiving surface of each of the first pixel and the second pixel.

21. The imaging element according to claim 20 ,

wherein the inter-pixel light-shielding portion is provided symmetrically with respect to a pixel boundary related to at least one of the first pixel or the second pixel.

22. The imaging element according to claim 20 ,

wherein the inter-pixel light-shielding portion is provided asymmetrically with respect to a pixel boundary related to at least one of the first pixel or the second pixel.

23. The imaging element according to claim 11 ,

further comprising a waveguide provided between an optical filter provided on a light receiving surface of each of the first pixel and the second pixel and another optical filter.

24. The imaging element according to claim 23 ,

further comprising an inter-pixel light-shielding portion provided at least in a part of a circumference of a light receiving surface of each of the first pixel and the second pixel,

wherein the inter-pixel light-shielding portion and the waveguide are provided in combination in at least a part of a circumference of each of the first pixel and the second pixel.

25. The imaging element according to claim 24 ,

wherein the waveguide is provided around the second pixel,

wherein the imaging element includes a plurality of first pixels, and

wherein the inter-pixel light-shielding portion is provided at a boundary where two of the first pixels are adjacent to each other.

26. An electronic device comprising:

an imaging element;

the imaging element including:

a first pixel;

a second pixel disposed adjacent to the first pixel;

a trench light-shielding portion provided around each of the first pixel and the second pixel; and

a light-shielding wall embedded in at least a first boundary between the first pixel and the second pixel of the trench light-shielding portion in a depth direction of a trench,

wherein the light-shielding wall embedded in the first boundary at a position closer to a direction of the second pixel;

a signal processing unit that executes signal processing on a pixel signal read from the imaging element and generates image data by the signal processing; and

a storage unit that stores the image data generated by the signal processing unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2022
From: ASATSUMA, TOMOHIKO; NAKAMURA, RYOSUKE; IIDA, SATOKO; OKITA, KOSHI
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060111/0949 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2019-227660 · Dec 17, 2019 · national
JP 2020-112161 · Jun 29, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230018370A1 · Jan 19, 2023