Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager

Details Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager

2007-04-03

2007-04-03

Louie, Wai-Sing (Department: 2814)

Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode

Heterojunction device

Light responsive structure

C257S187000, C257S218000, C257S222000, C257S257000, C257S291000, C257S462000

Reexamination Certificate

active

10968289

ABSTRACT:
A pixel sensor cell for use in a CMOS imager exhibiting improved storage capacitance. The source follower transistor is formed with a large gate that has an area from about 0.3 μm2to about 10 μm2. The large size of the source follower gate enables the photocharge collector area to be kept small, thereby permitting use of the pixel cell in dense arrays, and maintaining low leakage levels. Methods for forming the source follower transistor and pixel cell are also disclosed.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3983395 (1976-09-01), Kim
patent: 4374700 (1983-02-01), Scott et al.
patent: 4636829 (1987-01-01), Greenwood et al.
patent: 4737852 (1988-04-01), Dohkoshi et al.
patent: 5151385 (1992-09-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5319604 (1994-06-01), Imondi et al.
patent: 5457433 (1995-10-01), Westwick
patent: 5461425 (1995-10-01), Fowler et al.
patent: 5471515 (1995-11-01), Fossum et al.
patent: 5541402 (1996-07-01), Ackland et al.
patent: 5546205 (1996-08-01), Sukegawa et al.
patent: 5556916 (1996-09-01), Matoba et al.
patent: 5569616 (1996-10-01), Ohki et al.
patent: 5576763 (1996-11-01), Ackland et al.
patent: 5606295 (1997-02-01), Ohara et al.
patent: 5608243 (1997-03-01), Chi et al.
patent: 5614744 (1997-03-01), Merrill
patent: 5625210 (1997-04-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5668613 (1997-09-01), Kim et al.
patent: 5705846 (1998-01-01), Merrill
patent: 5708263 (1998-01-01), Wong
patent: 5747840 (1998-05-01), Merrill
patent: 5757045 (1998-05-01), Tsai et al.
patent: 5757453 (1998-05-01), Shin et al.
patent: 5777701 (1998-07-01), Zhang
patent: 6359320 (2002-03-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 6372603 (2002-04-01), Yaung et al.
patent: 6512544 (2003-01-01), Merrill et al.
patent: 6630701 (2003-10-01), Rhodes
patent: A-04357873 (1992-12-01), None
patent: A-05063177 (1993-03-01), None
Dickinson, A., et al.,A 256×256 CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor with Motion Detection, 1995 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, pp. 226-227.
Dickinson, A., et al.,Standard CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensors for Multimedia Applications, Proceedings of Sixteenth Conference on Advanced Research in VLSI, Mar. 27-29, 1995, pp. 214-224.
Eid, E.S., et al.,A 256×256 CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor, Proc. SPIE vol. 2415, Apr. 1995, pp. 265-275.
Fossum, E.,CMOS Image Sensors; Electronic Camera On a Chip, 1995 IEEE, pp. 17-25.
Fossum, E.,Low Power Camera-on-a-Chip Using CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Technology, 1995 IEEE, pp. 74-77.
Fossum, E.,Architectures for focal plane image processing, Optical Engineering, vol. 28, No. 8, Aug. 1989, pp. 865-871.
Janesick, J., et al.,New advancements in charge-coupled device technology—sub-electron noise and 4096×4096 pixel CCDs, Proc. SPIE vol. 1242, 1990, pp. 223-237.
Kemeny, S.E., et al.,Update on focal-plane image processing research, Proc. SPIE vol. 1447, 1991, pp. 243-250.
*Mendis, S., et al.,CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 41, No. 3, Mar. 1994, pp. 452-453.
Mendis, S.K., et al.,A 128×128 CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor for Highly Integrated Imaging Systems, 1993 IEEE, pp. 583-586.
Mendis, S.K., et al.,CMOS Active Pixel Sensors for Highly Integrated Imaging Systems, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 32, No. 2, Feb. 1997, pp. 187-197.
Mendis, S.K., et al.,Low-Light-Level Image Sensor with On-Chip Signal Processing, Proc. SPIE vol. 1952, Nov. 1993, pp. 23-33.
*Mendis, S.K., et al.,Progress in CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensors, Proc. SPIE vol. 2172, May 1994, pp. 19-29.
Nakamura, J., et al.,CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor with Simple Floating Gate Pixels, IEEE Transactions on Election Devices, vol. 42, No. 9, Sep. 1995, pp. 1693-1694.
Nixon, R.H., et al.,256×256 CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 31, No. 12, Dec. 1996, pp. 2046-2050.
Nixon, R.H., et al.,256×256 CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip, 1996 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, pp. 178-179.
Panicacci, R., et al.,Programmable multiresolution CMOS active pixel sensor, Proc. SPIE vol. 2654, Mar. 1996, pp. 72-79.
Panicacci, R.A., et al.128Mb/s Multiport CMOS Binary Active-Pixel Image Sensor, 1996 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits, vol. 32, No. 2, Feb. 1997, pp. 285-288.
Yadid-Pecht, O., et al.,CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Star Tracker with Regional Electronic Shutter, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 32, No. 2, Feb. 1997, pp. 285-288.
Yadid-Pecht, O., et al.,Wide dynamic range APD star tracker, Proc. SPIE vol. 2654, Mar. 1996, pp. 82-92.
Zarnowski, J., et al.,Imaging options expand with CMOS technology, Laser Focus World, Jun. 1997, pp. 125-130.
Zhou, Z., et al.,A CMOS Imager with On-Chip Variable Resolution for Light-Adaptive Imaging, 1998 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, pp. 174-175.
Zhou, Z., et al.,A Digital CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor For Multimedia Applications, Proc. SPIE vol. 2894, Sep. 1996, pp. 282-288.
Fossum, E., et al.,IEDM A 37×28 mm2600 k-Pixel CMOS APS Dental X-Ray Camera-on-a-Chip with Self-Triggered Readout, 1998 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, pp. 172-173.
Mendis, S., et al.,Design of a Low-Light Image Sensor with On-Chip Sigma-Delta Analog-to-Digital Conversion, SPIE vol. 1900, pp. 31-39.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pixel cell with high storage capacitance for a CMOS imager will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3728697