Method and apparatus for shielding correction pixels from spurious charges in an imager

US7830412B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Aptina Imaging Corporation · KY

Inventors

• Kalairaja Chinnaveerappan · Boise, US
• Sungkuk Hong · Cerritos, US
• Ji Soo Lee · Daejeon, KR
• Sungkwon Hong · Dongjak-gu, KR

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 22, 2005
• Grant date: Nov 9, 2010
• Expiry date: Apr 14, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F39/807

Abstract

A barrier for isolating the dark correction pixels from spurious charges within an image sensor. The barrier comprises a charge absorbing region in a substrate electrically connected to a voltage source terminal. The charge absorbing region completely surrounds the dark correction region of a pixel array. The charge absorbing region absorbs carriers generated by lateral diffusion, near-infrared and infrared light reflected from the bottom of the silicon substrate, and other sources. This absorbing region prevents carriers from being absorbed into the dark correction pixel cells and causing image correction distorting effects.