Patent · US Active

Image sensor pixel structure employing a shared floating diffusion

US8405751B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 2009
Grant dateMar 26, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 24, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10F39/18
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A pixel structure for an image sensor includes a semiconductor material portion having a coplanar and contiguous semiconductor surface and including four photodiodes, four channel regions, and a common floating diffusion region. Each of the four channel regions is directly adjoined to one of the four photodiodes and the common floating diffusion region. The four photodiodes are located within four different quadrants as defined employing a vertical line passing through a point within the common floating diffusion region as a center axis. The common floating diffusion region, a reset gate transistor, a source follower transistor, and a row select transistor are located within four different quadrants as defined employing a vertical line passing through a point within one of the photodiodes as an axis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.