Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Field effect device – Having insulated electrode
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-23
2003-09-23
Flynn, Nathan J. (Department: 2826)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Field effect device
Having insulated electrode
C257S223000, C257S291000, C257S294000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06624456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
CMOS active pixel image sensors may be operated using a “rolling” shutter. Such a shutter operates by reading out each row of pixels, and then resetting that individual row, and then rolling to read and then reset the next row of pixels. Each pixel hence gets read and then reset at slightly different times. Hence, each pixel has a slightly different time of integration. Some applications, such as high-speed photography, may require more time consistency than is possible using this approach. Therefore, in these other applications, a frame shutter may be used. In the frame shutter mode, all pixels in the array have substantially identical integration start times and integration stop times.
A frame shutter technique, using a photogate pixel with two transfer gates, is shown in
FIG. 1. A
bridge diffusion isolates the photogate PG from the floating diffusion sense node (FD). Hence the charge in the photogate may be integrated and reset independently. The charge is stored in a storage node
110
, which may also be independently reset. Bridge diffusion BD
2
isolates the photogate from the storage node. A second bridge diffusion BD
1
isolates the photogate collection area from a reset level Vaa. The charge level in the photogate collection area
100
may be transferred to a storage node
110
via transfer gate
105
.
This isolation allows the integration regions of all the photogates in the entire array to be clocked globally. The same timing therefore exists for each of the plurality of pixels in the array. Moreover, the charge is preserved until the desired time of readout. This enables the active pixel sensor can be read out row by row, thereby allowing the same readout structure as is currently used.
SUMMARY
The present application teaches a new structure which isolates the storage node in order to provide a better image quality in the resultant structure.
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Barna Sandor L.
Fossum Eric R.
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
Flynn Nathan J.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Sefer Ahmed N.
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