Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Image pixels with in-column comparators
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Application No.: US15287568Application Date: 2016-10-06
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Publication No.: US09967489B2Publication Date: 2018-05-08
- Inventor: Hai Yan
- Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Applicant Address: US AZ Phoenix
- Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Current Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US AZ Phoenix
- Agency: Treyz Law Group, P.C.
- Agent Joseph F. Guihan
- Main IPC: H04N5/369
- IPC: H04N5/369 ; H01L27/146 ; H04N5/374 ; H04N5/378

Abstract:
Image sensors may include imaging pixels that have comparators to read out image pixel signals. An imaging pixel may include a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, and a transfer transistor that transfers charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion region. The floating diffusion region may be coupled to a source follower transistor. The source follower transistor may be coupled to a current source. A row select transistor may be interposed between the source follower transistor and the current source. To form an in-column comparator stage and reduce power consumption, an additional transistor may be interposed between the row select transistor and the current source. The additional transistor may be a pMOS transistor and the source follower transistor may be an nMOS transistor. The additional transistor may have a gate that receives a searching voltage that is ramped from a maximum value to a minimum value.
Public/Granted literature
- US20180103222A1 IMAGE PIXELS WITH IN-COLUMN COMPARATORS Public/Granted day:2018-04-12
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