IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,660,341
Granted Patent B2
US 12,660,341 · App. 18/138,874 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Image sensor and image capture device

Inventors: Shigeru Matsumoto (Sagamihara, JP); Toru Takagi (Fujisawa, JP)
Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
H10F39/18H04N25/76H04N25/771H04N25/78H04N25/79H10F39/026H10F39/12H10F39/199H10F39/802H10F39/8063H10F39/811
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,660,341
App. No.
18/138,874
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first circuit layer including a first semiconductor substrate with photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light and generates charge, and a first wiring layer with wiring that reads out signal based upon charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit; second circuit layer including a second wiring layer with wiring connected to the wiring of the first wiring layer, and a second semiconductor substrate with a through electrode connected to the wiring of the second wiring layer; third circuit layer including a third semiconductor substrate with a through electrode connected to the through electrode of the second circuit layer, and third wiring layer with wiring connected to the through electrode of the third semiconductor substrate; and a fourth circuit layer including a fourth wiring layer with wiring connected to the wiring of the third wiring layer, and fourth semiconductor substrate connected to the wiring of the fourth wiring layer.

Claims (65)

1 . An image sensor comprising:

a first semiconductor substrate including:

a first pixel that includes a first photoelectric conversion unit that converts light into a charge and outputs a first signal that is based on the charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit; and

a second pixel that includes a second photoelectric conversion unit that converts light into a charge and outputs a second signal that is based on the charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit; and

a second semiconductor substrate including:

a first conversion unit that converts the first signal output from the first pixel into a first digital signal, the first conversion unit having a first comparison unit electrically connected to the first pixel and a first storage unit electrically connected to the first comparison unit;

a second conversion unit that converts the second signal output from the second pixel into a second digital signal, the second conversion unit having a second comparison unit electrically connected to the second pixel and a second storage unit electrically connected to the second comparison unit;

a first through electrode to which the first digital signal converted from the first signal by the first conversion unit is output; and

a second through electrode to which the second digital signal converted from the second signal by the second conversion unit is output, wherein:

the second semiconductor substrate is laminated together with the first semiconductor substrate.

2 . The image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a third semiconductor substrate including:

a third through electrode electrically connected to the first through electrode; and

a fourth through electrode electrically connected to the second through electrode, wherein:

the third semiconductor substrate is laminated together with the first and second semiconductor substrates.

3 . The image sensor according to claim 2 , wherein:

the third semiconductor substrate includes:

a first control unit that controls a first calculation unit that performs calculation processing using the first digital signal output to the third through electrode, and

a second control unit that controls a second calculation unit that performs calculation processing using the second digital signal output to the fourth through electrode.

4 . The image sensor according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a fourth semiconductor substrate including the first calculation unit and the second calculation unit, the fourth semiconductor substrate being laminated together with the first, second and third semiconductor substrates.

5 . The image sensor according to claim 4 , wherein:

the first calculation unit performs correlated double sampling to remove noise contained in the first digital signal; and

the second calculation unit performs correlated double sampling to remove noise contained in the second digital signal.

6 . The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:

the second photoelectric conversion unit and the first photoelectric conversion unit are arranged along a row direction.

7 . The image sensor according to claim 6 , wherein:

the second photoelectric conversion unit is arranged adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion unit in the row direction.

8 . The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first semiconductor substrate includes a third pixel that (i) includes a third photoelectric conversion unit that converts light into a charge and (ii) outputs a third signal that is based on the charge converted by the third photoelectric conversion unit; and

the second semiconductor substrate includes a third conversion unit that converts the third signal output from the third pixel into a third digital signal, the third conversion unit having a third comparison unit electrically connected to the third pixel and a third storage unit electrically connected to the third comparison unit.

9 . The image sensor according to claim 8 , wherein:

the second semiconductor substrate includes a third through electrode to which the third digital signal converted from the third signal by the third conversion unit is output.

10 . The image sensor according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a third semiconductor substrate including:

a fourth through electrode electrically connected to the first through electrode;

a fifth through electrode electrically connected to the second through electrode; and

a sixth through electrode electrically connected to the third through electrode, wherein:

the third semiconductor substrate is laminated together with the first and second semiconductor substrates.

11 . The image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein:

the third semiconductor substrate includes:

a first control unit that controls a first calculation unit that performs calculation processing using the first digital signal output to the fourth through electrode,

a second control unit that controls a second calculation unit that performs calculation processing using the second digital signal output to the fifth through electrode, and

a third control unit that controls a third calculation unit that performs calculation processing using the third digital signal output to the sixth through electrode.

12 . The image sensor according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a fourth semiconductor substrate including the first calculation unit, the second calculation unit, and the third calculation unit, the fourth semiconductor substrate being laminated together with the first, second and third semiconductor substrates.

13 . The image sensor according to claim 12 , wherein:

the first calculation unit performs correlated double sampling to remove noise contained in the first digital signal;

the second calculation unit performs correlated double sampling to remove noise contained in the second digital signal; and

the third calculation unit performs correlated double sampling to remove noise contained in the third digital signal.

14 . An image capture device comprising:

the image sensor according to claim 9 .

15 . The image sensor according to claim 8 , wherein:

the first photoelectric conversion unit, the second photoelectric conversion unit and the third photoelectric conversion unit are arranged along a row direction.

16 . The image sensor according to claim 15 , wherein:

the second photoelectric conversion unit is arranged adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion unit in the row direction; and

the third photoelectric conversion unit is arranged adjacent to the second photoelectric conversion unit in the row direction.

17 . An image capture device comprising:

the image sensor according to claim 8 .

18 . The image capture device according to claim 17 , further comprising:

an optical system that emits light to the image sensor.

19 . An image capture device comprising:

the image sensor according to claim 1 .

20 . The image capture device according to claim 19 , further comprising:

an optical system that emits light to the image sensor.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-070960 · Mar 31, 2016 · national
Continuity (4)
Division 17484535 · Sep 24, 2021
Division 16861592 · Apr 29, 2020
Continuation 16084908
Related Publication 20230268373A1 · Aug 24, 2023
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