Summary of the invention
The shortcoming of prior art in view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide the cmos image sensor of a kind of high dynamic range and high sensitivity.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a kind of cmos image Sensing circuitry.
For achieving the above object and other relevant objects, cmos image sensor provided by the invention, it at least comprises:
Be formed at the first photovoltaic regions and second photovoltaic regions of Semiconductor substrate, be respectively used to produce corresponding electric charge based on sensed light signal;
Be formed at the floating diffusion region of described Semiconductor substrate, for collecting the electric charge from described first photovoltaic regions or the second photovoltaic regions;
Be formed at the memory block of described Semiconductor substrate, for storing the electric charge that described first photovoltaic regions produces;
Be formed at the reset transistor district of described Semiconductor substrate, it comprises gate electrode, for resetting based on floating diffusion region described in accessed reset enable signal;
Connect the first electrode of described first photovoltaic regions and memory block, for accessing the first control signal, so that the electric charge of described first photovoltaic regions moves to described memory block and described floating diffusion region based on the first control signal;
Connect the second electrode of described second photovoltaic regions and floating diffusion region, for accessing the second control signal, so that the electric charge of described second photovoltaic regions moves to described floating diffusion region based on the second control signal; And
Connect the third electrode of described memory block and floating diffusion region, for accessing the 3rd control signal, to make the electric charge of described first photovoltaic regions move to described floating diffusion region based on the 3rd control signal.
Preferably, the structure of described second photovoltaic regions is PIN structural.
Cmos image Sensing circuitry provided by the invention, it at least comprises:
Aforesaid cmos image sensor;
Signal-obtaining unit, first signal of telecommunication that the light signal sensed because of the first photovoltaic regions exported for reading described cmos image sensor generates or second signal of telecommunication that the light signal sensed because of the second photovoltaic regions reading the output of described cmos image sensor generates; And
Output unit, for judging based on second signal of telecommunication whether the photodiode of read described second photovoltaic regions is in saturation region, and when the photodiode of described second photovoltaic regions is not in saturation region, the output signal of second the read signal of telecommunication as described cmos image sensor is exported; Otherwise the output signal of first the read signal of telecommunication as described cmos image sensor is exported.
As mentioned above, the present invention has following beneficial effect: have high dynamic range and photosensitivity.
Embodiment
By particular specific embodiment, embodiments of the present invention are described below, person skilled in the art scholar the content disclosed by this specification can understand other advantages of the present invention and effect easily.
Refer to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4.Notice, structure, ratio, size etc. that this specification institute accompanying drawings illustrates, content all only in order to coordinate specification to disclose, understand for person skilled in the art scholar and read, and be not used to limit the enforceable qualifications of the present invention, therefore the not technical essential meaning of tool, the adjustment of the modification of any structure, the change of proportionate relationship or size, do not affecting under effect that the present invention can produce and the object that can reach, still all should drop on disclosed technology contents and obtain in the scope that can contain.Simultaneously, quote in this specification as " on ", D score, "left", "right", " centre " and " one " etc. term, also only for ease of understanding of describing, and be not used to limit the enforceable scope of the present invention, the change of its relativeness or adjustment, under changing technology contents without essence, when being also considered as the enforceable category of the present invention.
As shown in the figure, the invention provides a kind of cmos image sensor.Described cmos image sensor 1 comprises: the first photovoltaic regions 12, photovoltaic regions 11, second, floating diffusion region 13, memory block 14, reset transistor district 15, first electrode 16, second electrode 17 and third electrode 18.
Described first photovoltaic regions 11 (i.e. PD1) is formed at Semiconductor substrate 10, for producing corresponding electric charge based on sensed light signal, it can adopt PN junction photodiode, PIN photodiode, optical gate (Photogate) etc., and any one can produce the structure of corresponding photogenerated charge based on sensed light signal, preferably, it can adopt pinned photodiode (Pinnedphotodiode) structure.
Described second photovoltaic regions 12 (i.e. PD2) is formed at Semiconductor substrate 10, for producing corresponding photogenerated charge based on sensed light signal, preferably, it can adopt any one to produce the structure of corresponding electric charge based on sensed low light signals, more preferably, PIN structural can be adopted.Such as, P type subarea as shown in Figure 3 and N-type subarea are divided into the structure of interdigitated each other, this structure can first by producing interdigital structure groove to the etching of Semiconductor substrate 10, wherein, the interval width between groove is not more than the diffusion length of few son in Semiconductor substrate 10, preferably, groove width is between 10nm-500nm, then insert P type polysilicon every a groove, remaining groove inserts N-type polycrystalline silicon, obtains the second photovoltaic regions 12 of this PIN structural thus.
Described floating diffusion region 13 (i.e. FD) is formed at described Semiconductor substrate 10, for collecting the electric charge from described first photovoltaic regions 11 and/or the second photovoltaic regions 12, it is formed by the regional area doping in Semiconductor substrate 10, such as, the N-type region territory formed is adulterated in the partial zones of silicon substrate as floating diffusion region.Preferably, described floating diffusion region 13 is between described memory block 14 and the second photovoltaic regions 12, as shown in Figure 2.
Described memory block 14 (i.e. SD) is formed at described Semiconductor substrate 10, for storing the electric charge that described first photovoltaic regions 11 produces, it is also formed by the regional area doping in Semiconductor substrate 10, such as, the N-type region territory formed is adulterated in the partial zones of silicon substrate as memory block.
Described reset transistor district 15 is formed at described Semiconductor substrate, and it comprises gate electrode 151, for resetting based on floating diffusion region 13 described in accessed reset enable signal.
First electrode 16 connects described first photovoltaic regions 11 and memory block 14, for accessing the first control signal, so that the electric charge of described first photovoltaic regions 11 moves to described memory block 14 based on described first control signal, preferably, first electrode 16 comprises the gate electrode connecting described first photovoltaic regions 11 and memory block 14, as shown in Figure 2.
Described second electrode 17 connects described second photovoltaic regions 12 and floating diffusion region 13, for accessing the second control signal, so that the electric charge of described second photovoltaic regions 12 moves to described floating diffusion region 13 based on described second control signal, preferably, described second electrode 17 is the gate electrode connecting described second photovoltaic regions 12 and floating diffusion region 13, as shown in Figure 2.
Described third electrode 18 connects described memory block 14 and floating diffusion region 13, for accessing the 3rd control signal, to make the electric charge of described first photovoltaic regions 11 move to described floating diffusion region 13 based on the 3rd control signal by described memory block 14, preferably, described third electrode 18 comprises the gate electrode connecting described floating diffusion region 13 and memory block 14, as shown in Figure 2.
It should be noted that, those skilled in the art, based on aforementioned description, should be appreciated that the preparation process of described cmos image sensor, preferably, in the preparation, first make the second photovoltaic regions 12, namely produce PIN interdigital structure groove by etching, and groove interval is not more than the middle minority diffusion length of described Semiconductor substrate, preferably, groove width is between 10nm-500nm, and then insert P type polysilicon every a groove, remaining groove inserts N-type polycrystalline silicon; The first photovoltaic regions 11, floating diffusion region 13, memory block 14 and first grid electrode 151, first electrode 16, second electrode 17, third electrode 18 is prepared again subsequently by standard technology.
In addition, also it should be noted that, as a kind of optimal way, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that described cmos image sensor 1 also can comprise source and follow transistor area and address choice transistor area etc., be not described in detail in this.
The course of work of above-mentioned cmos image sensor 1 is as follows:
Described in the reset enable signal first accessed based on the gate electrode 151 in reset transistor district 15, floating diffusion region 13 resets, subsequently, the first electrode 16 is made to access the first control signal, when light to the first photovoltaic regions 11 and the second photovoltaic regions 12, first photovoltaic regions 11 and the second photovoltaic regions 12 produce corresponding photo-generate electron-hole pair separately, simultaneously under the effect of the first control signal, the photogenerated charge that the first photovoltaic regions 11 produces moves to described memory block 14, and is stored in described memory block 14; After having exposed, first the second electrode 18 accesses the second control signal, now, the electric charge that second photovoltaic regions 12 produces moves to described floating diffusion region 13, the electromotive force produced based on the electric charge collected by described floating diffusion region 13 subsequently exports corresponding second signal of telecommunication, and obtains respective image information based on this second signal of telecommunication; And when judging that the photodiode that the second photovoltaic regions 12 comprises is in saturation region based on this second signal of telecommunication, the gate electrode in Ze Xianshi reset transistor district 15 accesses reset signal again, so that after described floating diffusion region 13 resets, third electrode 19 is made to access the 3rd control signal again, the electric charge that first photovoltaic regions 11 produces is moved to described floating diffusion region 13 by described memory block 14, the electromotive force produced based on the electric charge collected by described floating diffusion region 13 subsequently exports corresponding first signal of telecommunication, and obtains respective image information based on this first signal of telecommunication.
Refer to Fig. 4 again, it is cmos image Sensing circuitry 2 schematic diagram provided by the invention.Wherein, described cmos image Sensing circuitry 2 comprises: cmos image sensor 21, signal-obtaining unit 22 and output unit 23.
Described cmos image sensor 21 is same or similar with the cmos image sensor shown in earlier figures 1 to Fig. 3, and is contained in this by reference, no longer describes in detail.
First signal of telecommunication that described signal-obtaining unit 22 generates for the light signal sensed because of the first photovoltaic regions reading described cmos image sensor 21 and export and second signal of telecommunication that the light signal sensed because of the second photovoltaic regions reading the output of described cmos image sensor 21 generates.Wherein, after described cmos image sensor 21 first exports second signal of telecommunication, then first signal of telecommunication is exported.
Preferably, described signal-obtaining unit 22 can adopt source follower and signal amplification circuit etc. to realize, and more preferably, described signal-obtaining unit 22 can adopt 3T or 4T type pixel readout circuit to realize.
Described output unit 23 is for judging based on second signal of telecommunication whether the photodiode of read described second photovoltaic regions is in saturation region, and when the photodiode of described second photovoltaic regions is not in saturation region, the output signal of second the read signal of telecommunication as described cmos image sensor 21 is exported; Otherwise the output signal of first the read signal of telecommunication as described cmos image sensor 21 is exported.
Preferably, described output unit 23 can adopt comparator and selector etc. to realize.
In sum, the second photovoltaic regions of cmos image sensor of the present invention adopts the interdigital structure that can sense faint light, can improve the sensitiveness of cmos image sensor; In addition, memory block is connected by gate electrode with the first photovoltaic regions, and the electric charge that the first photovoltaic regions is produced because of sensor light signal can be stored in memory block, can improve the dynamic range of cmos image sensor thus; So the present invention efficiently solves cmos image sensor dynamic range and the not high problem of sensitiveness, tool high industrial utilization.
Above-described embodiment is illustrative principle of the present invention and effect thereof only, but not for limiting the present invention.Any person skilled in the art scholar all without prejudice under spirit of the present invention and category, can modify above-described embodiment or changes.Therefore, such as have in art usually know the knowledgeable do not depart from complete under disclosed spirit and technological thought all equivalence modify or change, must be contained by claim of the present invention.