JP3030944B2 - Multi-plate color camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a multi-plate color camera .
More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical block used in a multi-plate color camera .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 6A to 6C show various structural examples of an optical block used in a multi-plate color camera. In the figure,
(A) is an example of a three-plate optical block;
(D) shows three examples of a two-plate optical block, respectively.

The color separation prism 10a in the three-plate optical block (A) is formed by bonding three prisms, and the first prism reflects blue (B) and transmits red (R) and green (G). , The second prism reflects red and transmits green, and the third prism transmits green. Then, three solid-state imaging devices 9R, 9G, and 9B are arranged on the emission surface side of each split light, respectively.

The color separation prisms 10b to 10d in the two-plate optical blocks (B) to (D) are formed by laminating two prisms. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the first prism reflects green and transmits red and blue, and the second prism transmits red and blue as it is. , 9R / B are arranged.

[0005] In both of the examples shown in FIGS.
The prism reflects the chroma (C) component (R / G / B) and transmits the luminance (Y) component, and the second prism transmits the luminance (Y) component as it is. The image pickup devices 9C and 9Y are provided respectively.

However, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 1C, the chroma component is reflected again in the first prism and is emitted, so that it enters the solid-state imaging device as a normal image, whereas the image shown in FIG. In the case of the example, since the chroma component is directly emitted, it enters the solid-state imaging device 9C as a mirror image.

[0007]

By the way, in the future, the demand for downsizing a color camera and further increasing the image quality tends to increase, and accordingly, the downsizing of a multi-plate optical block is required. However, as a solid-state imaging device,
Since what was included in the package was used,
Even if the solid-state image sensor chip itself can be downsized to 2/3 inch, 1/2 inch, 1/3 inch, 1/4 inch,
Since the size of the package is limited due to the need for a seal margin or the like, the size of the optical block is also limited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, multi-disc collar which enables the size of the entire optical block corresponding to the miniaturization of the solid-state image pickup device chip itself
-To provide a camera .

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A multi-plate collar according to the present invention.
-The camera has a color separation prism that splits incident light into a plurality of primary color lights, a plurality of solid-state imaging device chips that are directly attached to the emission surface of the split light of the color separation prism, and a side surface of the color separation prism. And a drive circuit for a plurality of arranged solid-state imaging device chips.

[0010]

In the multi-panel color camera according to the present invention, the solid-state image sensor chip is directly attached to the emission surface of the primary color light of the color separation prism without incorporating the solid-state image sensor chip into a package, thereby enabling the solid-state image sensor chip itself to be downsized. Thus, the size of the entire optical block can be reduced. A drive circuit for a plurality of solid-state imaging device chips is arranged on the side surface of the color separation prism, so that pins (terminals) for a plurality of chips are provided.
Can be combined into one chip.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a multi-panel color camera according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a three-plate optical block used in the present invention. In the figure, a color separation prism 10 that separates incident light into three primary color lights is formed by bonding three blocks of first to third prisms 1 to 3, as is particularly apparent from FIG. Dichroic layers 4 and 5 made of a non-metallic material are provided at the boundary portion, and selectively reflect a part of the visible light using the interference of light and pass the rest.

In the color separation prism 10, the first prism 1 reflects blue and transmits red and green, the second prism 2 reflects red and transmits green, and the third prism 3 transmits green. As a result, the incident light is split into light of three primary colors. Then, CCD chips 6R, 6G, and 6B, which are solid-state imaging device chips, are directly attached to the emission surfaces of the respective divided light beams. For attaching the CCD chips 6R, 6G, 6B to the color separation prism 10, a known optical adhesive having no light absorption can be used.

As described above, each of the CCD chips 6R, 6G,
Since the color separation prism 10 is directly attached to the emission surface of the color separation prism 10 without being incorporated in the package, the color separation prism 10 can be reduced in size according to the chip size with the reduction in the size of the CCD chips 6R, 6G, and 6B. Thus, the size of the entire optical block can be reduced.

Here, a so-called interline transfer type CCD solid-state imaging device will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, a plurality of photosensors 11 that are two-dimensionally arranged in pixel units and perform photoelectric conversion, and signal charges that are arranged for each vertical column of the photosensors 11 and that are read through a read gate 12 are read in a vertical direction. The imaging area 14 is constituted by the vertical transfer register 13 that transfers the data to the imaging area 14. The vertical transfer register 13 stores the vertical transfer clock φ _V1 to
Four-phase drive by φ _V4 .

The signal charges transferred to the vertical transfer register 13 are sequentially transferred to the horizontal transfer register 15 by portions corresponding to one scanning line. The horizontal transfer register 15 is driven in two phases by horizontal transfer clocks φ _H1 and φ _H2 . The signal charges for one scanning line transferred to the horizontal transfer register 15 are sequentially transferred in the horizontal direction and supplied to a floating diffusion (FD) 16 which is an output unit.

A source follower amplifier 17 for detecting signal charges is connected to the floating diffusion 16. The source follower amplifier 17 detects the signal charges transferred to the floating diffusion 16 and converts the signal charges into an electric signal. It is derived as a John signal. As the source follower amplifier 17, for example, a two-stage configuration is used.

The CCD solid-state image pickup device having the above-mentioned configuration is a CCD solid-state image pickup device.
Driven by the D drive circuit 7. That is, CC
The D drive circuit 7 includes four-phase vertical transfer clocks φ _{V1 to} φ _{V4 of} the vertical transfer unit, two-phase horizontal transfer clocks φ _H1 and φ _H2 of the horizontal transfer unit, a reset gate pulse φ _RG of the output unit, and a reset drain voltage. V _RD and various power supply voltages V _DD , V _GG , V
Drive control is performed by supplying _SS , GND, and the like.

The CCD drive circuit 7 is unique to each of the CCD chips 6R, 6G, and 6B, and is formed into an IC and mounted on a printed circuit board 8 as shown in FIG. It is attached. And C
Each pin (terminal) of the CD drive circuit 7 is electrically connected to each pad of the CCD chip 6R, 6G, 6B having the above-described configuration, for example, by wire bonding.

The electrical connection does not necessarily need to be made by wire bonding, but can be made, for example, by bending a flexible substrate. Further, the CCD drive circuit 7 is connected to the color separation prism 1.
However, it may be mounted on a prism support plate (not shown).

The CCD chips 6R, 6G, 6B
Each has the following number of pads (terminals) in the case of an interline transfer type CCD. Φ _{V1 to} φ _V4 (for 4-phase drive) for vertical transfer unit φ _H1 , φ _H2 (for 2-phase drive) for horizontal transfer unit φ _RG , V _RD , V _DD , for output unit V _out , V _GG ,
V _SS , GND Others, V _sub (voltage applied to the substrate), V
_L (voltage applied to the protection transistor provided at each pin for electrostatic withstand voltage)

On the other hand, in the CCD drive circuit 7, for example, in the case of a three-plate type, if pins are separately prepared for each of the CCD chips 6R, 6G, 6B, the total number of pins becomes extremely large. Therefore, if pins are grouped for three chips, the number of pins can be considerably reduced. However, it goes without saying that the output _Vout pin is 3
They cannot be grouped between chips.

If each pin except the output _Vout pin is grouped into three chips, the substrate voltage _Vsub and the reset gate pulse _φRG are unique to each of the CCD chips 6R, 6G, and 6B. As shown, it is composed of a certain DC bias (φ _L ) component and a certain peak value pulse (φ _A ) component. Here, φ _L is a value unique to each chip, and φ _L
A is common to each chip.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the eigenvalues φ _L for three chips are stored in the memory 20 in advance, the eigen values φ _L corresponding to the respective chips are read out, and the D / A converter 21
Then, if a circuit configured to provide a φ _L level by a clamp circuit 22R, 22G, 22B composed of a diode D and a resistor R connected in parallel is added to the CCD drive circuit 7, three chips are combined into φ. since it is sufficient to input only the pulse of the _a, so that can be summarized pins 3 chips, including the pins V _sub and phi _RG.

The present invention is not limited to the CCD solid-state imaging device, but can be applied to all solid-state imaging devices such as MOS type and amplification type. In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a three-plate optical block has been described.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a two-plate optical block as shown in (B) to (D).

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Without incorporating the solid-state image sensor chip into the package,
Since the color separation prism is directly attached to the light-emitting surface of the divided light, the size of the prism can be reduced in accordance with the chip size in accordance with the reduction in the size of the element chip. Therefore, the size of the entire optical block can be reduced. Also, by disposing a drive circuit for a plurality of solid-state imaging device chips on the side surface of the color separation prism, it is possible to combine pins for a plurality of chips into one chip.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a three-plate optical block according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a three-color separation prism.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an interline transfer type CCD solid-state imaging device.

FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of a substrate voltage V _sub / reset gate pulse φ _RG .

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a circuit added to share the substrate voltage V _sub / reset gate pulse φ _RG with three chips.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing various examples of an optical block for a multi-plate type color camera.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4,5 Dichroic layer 6R, 6G, 6B CCD chip 7 CCD drive circuit 10 Color separation prism 11 Photo sensor 13 Vertical transfer register 14 Imaging area 15 Horizontal transfer register 16 Floating diffusion 17 Source follower amplifier

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A color separation prism for splitting incident light into a plurality of primary color lights, a plurality of solid-state imaging device chips directly attached to an emission surface of a split light of the color separation prism; And a drive circuit for the plurality of solid-state imaging device chips arranged on the side surface .