Abstract: A matrix-array optical sensor including individual detection cells each including at least one photodiode operating in photovoltaic mode, a first amplifier stage connected directly or indirectly to the photodiode and a capacitance connected directly or indirectly to the output of the first amplifier stage and the voltage of which varies with the illuminance on the photodiode, the sensor being arranged to a ensure a one-way flow of current to or from said capacitance in order to bring the latter to a voltage corresponding to an extremum of the illuminance during an operating cycle of the photodiode.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imager system comprising a main image sensor (1) and comprising a main matrix (2) of active pixels exhibiting a first instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity, and a main reading circuit adapted for reading the pixels of the main image sensor (1) and for acquiring a main image on the basis of said reading, an auxiliary image sensor (11) comprising a second matrix (12) of active pixels exhibiting a second instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity which is more extensive than the first instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity, and an auxiliary reading circuit adapted for reading the active pixels of the auxiliary image sensor (11) and for acquiring an auxiliary image on the basis of said reading, and a data processing unit (10) configured to determine at least one value of an acquisition parameter of the main image sensor on the basis of the auxiliary image.

Abstract: The present application concerns an optical sensor that includes one or more charge transfer pixels (10) each including a buried photodiode (11) generating a photoelectric charge when illuminated, a conversion element (12) receiving at least a portion of the photoelectric charge and tending to impose, on the photodiode, a potential satisfying a non-linear relationship with the intensity of generation of the photoelectric charge, and a charge transfer element (14) for reading the charge stored by the photodiode (11) such that the residual charge in same is zero after the reading by transfer.

Abstract: The invention concerns a structure of a readout circuit, formed on a semiconductor substrate (1) of a first type, and intended to measure the charges received from an external charge source (2) external to the substrate (1) according to successive charge integration cycles, said structure comprising: an injection diode configured to inject, into the substrate (1), the charges received from the external charge source (2), a collector diode suitable for collecting, in the substrate (1), at least a portion of the charges injected by the injection diode and for accumulating said charges during an integration cycle, a charge recovery structure (7), configured to recover the charges accumulated in said collector diode, means for initializing the charge recovery structure (7) at the end of each integration cycle, by restoring the electrical potential of said charge recovery structure to an initial potential.

Abstract: The invention concerns a C-MOS photoelectric cell with charge transfer, comprising an embedded photodiode (PPD) likely to be exposed to photons, formed by a doped area of a first type in a substrate of an opposite type, and means for transferring the charges generated by exposing the photodiode to photons to a floating diffusion (FD), and means for reading, on the floating diffusion, a voltage representative of the quantity of charges transferred. This cell is remarkable in that the depletion area of the photodiode junction under zero bias voltage extends essentially through the entire thickness of the doped area of a first type, such that the junction capacitance of said photodiode and the capacitive noise are minimized, and in that, during exposure to photons, the reading is carried out under a condition of equilibrium between the charges generated by photo-conversion and the charges lost by evaporation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imager system comprising a main image sensor (1) and comprising a main matrix (2) of active pixels exhibiting a first instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity, and a main reading circuit adapted for reading the pixels of the main image sensor (1) and for acquiring a main image on the basis of said reading, an auxiliary image sensor (11) comprising a second matrix (12) of active pixels exhibiting a second instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity which is more extensive than the first instantaneous dynamic span of luminous sensitivity, and an auxiliary reading circuit adapted for reading the active pixels of the auxiliary image sensor (11) and for acquiring an auxiliary image on the basis of said reading, and a data processing unit (10) configured to determine at least one value of an acquisition parameter of the main image sensor on the basis of the auxiliary image.

Abstract: The invention concerns a photodiode array, and the method for producing same, comprising—a cathode comprising at least one substrate layer (4) made from a material from the indium phosphide family and one active layer (5) made from a material from the gallium indium arsenide family, and characterized in that the array further comprises at least two sorts of doped regions of the same type at least partially formed in the active layer (5):—first doped regions (3) forming, with the cathode, photodiodes for forming images,—at least one second doped region (8) absorbing excess charge carriers so as to discharge them.

Abstract: The invention concerns a structure of a CMOS active pixel, comprising a semi-conductive substrate (1) of a first type, at least one first photodiode operating in photovoltaic mode comprising a photovoltaic conversion area (2) defined by a doped area of a second type forming a PN junction with the substrate, said first photodiode re-emitting photoelectric charge carriers collected by the PN junction during the exposure of said first photodiode to a light, at least one second photodiode operating in integration mode and reverse-biased, said second photodiode comprising a charge accumulation area (3) defined by a doped area of the second type forming a PN junction with the substrate, said charge accumulation area being exposed to the charge carriers from the photovoltaic conversion area (2) in order to accumulate such charge carriers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a structure of an active pixel of the CMOS type (1) that comprises: at least one photodiode (10), characterized in that it comprises means for reading any bias voltage in the evolution phase of the photodiode (10) upon exposure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an active CMOS pixel structure comprising: at least one photoelectric conversion zone (NPD) defined by n-doping of the substrate, said zone accumulating an amount of charge during an exposure to light and comprising a p-doped surface zone (PIN); and at least one MOS transfer transistor (TX), the gate of said transfer transistor (TX) being electrically insulated from the substrate and being used to control transfer of said charge from said photoelectric conversion zone (NPD) to said floating diffusion node (FD), in which the gate of said transfer transistor (TX) partially covers said p-doped surface zone (PIN), and said photoelectric conversion zone (NPD) extends under said gate of said transfer transistor (TX) at least as far as the end of the p-doped surface zone (PIN).

Abstract: The invention relates to an InGaAs photodiode army (101) and to the method for manufacturing same, wherein said array includes: a cathode including at least one indium-phosphide substrate layer (4) and an active gallium-indium arsenide layer (5); and a plurality of anodes (3) at least partially formed in the active gallium-indium arsenide layer by diffusing a P-type dopant, the interaction between an anode (3) and the cathode forming a photodiode. According to said method, an indium-phosphide passivation layer (6) is arranged on the active layer before the diffusion of the P-type dopant forming the anodes (3), and a first selective etching is performed so as to remove, over the entire thickness thereof, an area (10) of the passivation layer (6) surrounding each anode (3).

Abstract: An image matrix sensor having a plurality of individual detection structures associated with respective pixels, each individual detection structure including a photodiode having at least one solar cell mode operating range, a first amplifier stage constantly supplied with power and receiving, as an input, a voltage dependent on the voltage of the photodiode which falls within said range; and a second amplifier stage linked to the output of the first amplifier stage and supplied with power in a different manner according to whether or not the first amplifier stage is read.

Abstract: The invention relates to an InGaAs photodiode army (101) and to the method for manufacturing same, wherein said array includes: a cathode including at least one indium-phosphide substrate layer (4) and an active gallium-indium arsenide layer (5); and a plurality of anodes (3) at least partially formed in the active gallium-indium arsenide layer by diffusing a P-type dopant, the interaction between an anode (3) and the cathode forming a photodiode. According to said method, an indium-phosphide passivation layer (6) is arranged on the active layer before the diffusion of the P-type dopant forming the anodes (3), and a first selective etching is performed so as to remove, over the entire thickness thereof, an area (10) of the passivation layer (6) surrounding each anode (3).

Abstract: An image matrix sensor having a plurality of individual detection structures associated with respective pixels, each individual detection structure including a photodiode having at least one solar cell mode operating range, a first amplifier stage constantly supplied with power and receiving, as an input, a voltage dependent on the voltage of the photodiode which falls within said range; and a second amplifier stage linked to the output of the first amplifier stage and supplied with power in a different manner according to whether or not the first amplifier stage is read.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical imagery device comprising: a light source, an optical medium in which the light coming from the source can be propagated; a detection surface defined by a frontier of the optical medium; an image sensor towards which the light coming from the light source and undergoing reflection onto the detection surface is reflected. The inventive device is characterized in that it is arranged in such a way that from the sensor the source appears to be sufficiently pointed to enable an image to be formed directly on the sensor.