KR-20260064259-A - Image sensing device

KR20260064259AKR 20260064259 AKR20260064259 AKR 20260064259AKR-20260064259-A

Abstract

An image sensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a transmission transistor connecting a photoelectric conversion region and a floating diffusion region and a boosting transistor connected to the floating diffusion region, and after the voltage of a transmission signal provided to the transmission transistor is switched from an ON state to an OFF state, the voltage of a boosting signal provided to the boosting transistor may be lowered.

Inventors

한승민

Assignees

에스케이하이닉스 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241031

Claims (19)

Transfer transistors connected to the photoelectric conversion region and the floating diffusion region, respectively; and It includes a boosting transistor connected to the above-mentioned floating diffusion region, and An image sensing device in which, after the transmission transistor is transitioned from the ON state to the OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal provided to the boosting transistor is lowered to a negative voltage.
In Article 1, An image sensing device further comprising a reset transistor connected in series with the boosting transistor.
In Article 1, An image sensing device including a reset transistor connected in parallel with the boosting transistor.
In Article 2, An image sensing device in which, after the voltage of the transmission signal changes from the ON state to the OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a positive voltage to a negative voltage.
In Paragraph 3, An image sensing device in which, after the voltage of the transmission signal is switched from the ON state to the OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal becomes a lower negative voltage from a negative voltage.
In Article 2, The above reset transistor is an image sensing device that connects the above boosting transistor and the pixel voltage terminal.
In Paragraph 3, The above reset transistor is an image sensing device that connects the floating diffusion region and the pixel voltage.
In Paragraph 3, An image sensing device in which the voltage of the boosting signal is lowered when the voltage of the reset signal provided to the reset transistor is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.
In Article 8, When the voltage of the above reset signal changes from the ON state to the OFF state, An image sensing device in which the voltage of the above-mentioned boosting signal changes from a positive voltage to a negative voltage.
In Article 2, An image sensing device in which the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a negative voltage to a positive voltage before the voltage of the reset signal provided to the reset transistor changes from an off state to an on state.
In Paragraph 3, An image sensing device in which, when the voltage of the reset signal provided to the above reset transistor changes from an off state to an on state, the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a negative voltage to a positive voltage.
A photoelectric conversion region that converts incident light into a corresponding photocharge; A transfer transistor, one side of which is connected to the above photoelectric conversion region; A floating diffusion region connected to the other side of the transmission transistor and receiving the photocharge; and An image sensing device comprising a boosting transistor connected to the above floating diffusion region.
In Article 12, An image sensing device in which, after the voltage of the transmission signal provided to the transmission transistor is switched from an ON state to an OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal provided to the boosting transistor is lowered to a negative voltage.
In Article 13, The image sensing device further includes a reset transistor with one side connected to a pixel voltage terminal, and The other side of the above reset transistor is an image sensing device in contact with the above boosting transistor.
In Article 13, The image sensing device further includes a reset transistor with one side connected to a pixel voltage terminal, and The other side of the above reset transistor is an image sensing device in contact with the above floating diffusion region.
In Article 14, An image sensing device in which, after the voltage of the transmission signal changes from the ON state to the OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a positive voltage to a negative voltage.
In Article 15 An image sensing device in which, after the voltage of the transmission signal is switched from the ON state to the OFF state, the voltage of the boosting signal becomes a lower negative voltage from a negative voltage.
In Article 16, An image sensing device in which the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a negative voltage to a positive voltage before the voltage of the reset signal provided to the reset transistor changes from an off state to an on state.
In Article 17, An image sensing device in which, when the voltage of the reset signal provided to the above reset transistor changes from an off state to an on state, the voltage of the boosting signal changes from a negative voltage to a positive voltage.

Description

Image sensing device The present invention relates to an image sensing device, and more specifically, to an image sensing device that prevents voltage transition delay in a floating diffusion region by including a boosting transistor. An image sensing device is a device that captures optical images by utilizing the properties of light-sensitive semiconductor materials that react to light. With the advancement of industries such as automotive, medical, computer, and telecommunications, the demand for high-performance image sensing devices is increasing in various fields, including smartphones, digital cameras, gaming devices, the Internet of Things, robots, security cameras, and medical micro-cameras. Image sensing devices can be broadly classified into Charge Coupled Device (CCD) image sensing devices and Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensing devices. While CCD image sensing devices provide better image quality compared to CMOS image sensing devices, they tend to be implemented in larger sizes and consume more power. On the other hand, CMOS image sensing devices can be implemented in smaller sizes and consume less power than CCD devices. Furthermore, since CMOS image sensing devices are manufactured using CMOS manufacturing technology, light-sensing elements and signal processing circuits can be integrated onto a single chip, enabling the production of compact image sensing devices at a lower cost. For these reasons, CMOS image sensing devices are being developed for many applications, including mobile devices. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image sensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a unit pixel included in an image sensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is intended to explain the operation method of a boosting transistor included in an image sensing device according to the embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a unit pixel included in an image sensing device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is intended to explain the operation method of a boosting transistor included in an image sensing device according to the embodiment of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is intended to explain another method of operation of a boosting transistor included in an image sensing device according to the embodiment of FIG. 4. Various embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific embodiments and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide various effects that can be recognized directly or indirectly through the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image sensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, an image sensing device (100) may be implemented as part of an imaging device. An imaging device may refer to a device such as a digital still camera that captures still images or a digital video camera that captures videos. For example, the imaging device may be implemented as a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR), a mirrorless camera, or a smartphone, but is not limited thereto. The image sensing device (100) may be a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensor (CIS) that converts light into an electrical signal. In the present disclosure, light may include photons capable of causing a photoelectric effect. Additionally, light may refer to electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic waves corresponding to a specific wavelength band belonging to the electromagnetic spectrum. The image sensing device (100) may include a pixel array (110), a drive block (120), a readout block (130), and a control block (140). The pixel array (110) may include a plurality of pixels (PX) arranged continuously in a matrix structure (e.g., arranged continuously in a column direction and/or a row direction). Each of the plurality of pixels (PX) may detect incident light and generate a pixel signal under the control of the driving block (120). The pixel signal may be a signal indicating the number of photocharges generated according to the intensity of the incident light. The structure of each pixel (PX) will be described later with reference to FIG. 2 and below. Pixels (PX) belonging to one row can receive the same pixel control signal from the driving block (120). Pixels (PX) belonging to one column can be connected to one column line (column) to output pixel signals to the readout block (130). The driving block (120) can drive pixels (PX) of the pixel array (110) in response to a timing signal output from the control block (140). For example, the driving block (120) can generate a control signal that can select and control pixels (PX) included in at least one row line among a plurality of row lines of