Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes and a floating diffusion disposed in a semiconductor material. The image sensor also includes a plurality of transfer gates coupled between the plurality of photodiodes and the floating diffusion to transfer the image charge generated in the plurality of photodiodes into the floating diffusion. Peripheral circuitry is disposed proximate to the plurality of photodiodes and coupled to receive the image charge from the plurality of photodiodes. A shallow trench isolation structure is laterally disposed, at least in part, between the plurality of photodiodes and the peripheral circuitry to prevent electrical crosstalk between the plurality of photodiodes and the peripheral circuitry. The peripheral circuitry includes one or more transistors including a source electrode and a drain electrode that are raised above a surface of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: An ultra-small camera module with wide field of view includes (a) a wafer-level lens system for forming, on an image plane, an image of a wide field-of-view scene, wherein the wafer-level lens system includes (i) a distal planar surface positioned closest to the scene and no more than 2.5 millimeters away from the image plane in direction along optical axis of the wafer-level lens system, and (ii) a plurality of lens elements optically coupled in series along the optical axis, each of the lens elements having a curved surface, and (b) an image sensor mechanically coupled to the wafer-level lens system and including a rectangular array of photosensitive pixels, positioned at the image plane, for capturing the image, wherein cross section of the ultra-small camera module, orthogonal to the optical axis, is rectangular with side lengths no greater than 1.5 millimeters.

Abstract: A phase detection autofocus image sensor includes a first photodiode in a plurality of photodiodes disposed in a semiconductor material and a second photodiode in the plurality of photodiodes. A first pinning well is disposed between the first photodiode and the second photodiode, and the first pinning well includes a first trench isolation structure that extends from a first surface of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material a first depth. A second trench isolation structure is disposed in the semiconductor material and surrounds the first photodiode and the second photodiode. The second trench isolation structure extends from the first surface of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material a second depth, and the second depth is greater than the first depth.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate, a first set of sensor pixels formed on the substrate, and a second set of sensor pixels formed on the substrate. The sensor pixels of the first set are arranged in rows and columns and are configured to detect light within a first range of wavelengths (e.g., white light). The sensor pixels of the second set are arranged in rows and columns and are each configured to detect light within one of a set of ranges of wavelengths (e.g., red, green, and blue). Each range of wavelengths of the set of ranges of wavelengths is a subrange of said first range of wavelengths, and each pixel of the second set of pixels is smaller than each pixel of the first set of pixels.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel array having plurality of pixel cells arranged into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of pixel cells in a first semiconductor die. A plurality of pixel support circuits are arranged in a second semiconductor die that is stacked and coupled together with the first semiconductor die. A plurality of interconnect lines are coupled between the first and second semiconductor dies, and each one of the plurality of pixel cells is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of pixel support circuits through a corresponding one plurality of interconnect lines. A plurality of shield bumps are disposed proximate to corners of the pixel cells in the pixel array and between the first and second semiconductor dies such that each one of the plurality of shield bumps is disposed between adjacent interconnect lines along a diagonal of the pixel array.

Abstract: An example method for fast ramp start-up during analog to digital conversion (ADC) includes opening a feedback bypass switch coupled to an amplifier to initiate an ADC operation, providing an injection current pulse to an inverting input of the amplifier, where the non-inverting input is coupled to a feedback bypass switch, integrating a first reference current coupled to the inverting input of the amplifier, where the integrating of the first reference current occurs due to the opening of the feedback bypass switch, and providing a reference voltage in response to the injection current pulse, the integrating of the first reference current, and a reference voltage coupled to a non-inverting input of the amplifier, where a level of the reference voltage is increased at least at initiation of the ADC operation in response to the injection current pulse.

Abstract: An image sensor for capturing both visible light images and infrared light images includes a semiconductor substrate having length, width, and height, a plurality of visible light photodetectors disposed in the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of combination light photodetectors disposed in the semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of visible light photodetectors has a respective depth in the height direction, and each of the plurality of combination light photodetectors has a respective depth in the height direction that is greater than the respective depth of each of the plurality of visible light photodetectors.

Abstract: An imaging sensor system includes a pixel array having a plurality of pixel cells disposed in a first semiconductor layer, where each one of the plurality of pixel cells has a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) disposed proximate to a front side of a first semiconductor layer. Each of the plurality of pixel cells includes a guard ring disposed in the first semiconductor layer in a guard ring region proximate to the SPAD, and also includes a guard ring region reflecting structure disposed in the guard ring region proximate to the guard ring and proximate to the front side of the first semiconductor layer. The imaging sensor system also includes control circuitry coupled to the pixel array to control operation of the pixel array, and readout circuitry coupled to the pixel array to readout image data from the plurality of pixel cells.

Abstract: A noise-level estimator for a noise suppressor includes a power smoother filter providing smoothed power estimates in timeslices, a minimum follower that represents the lowest smoothed input power, and a maximum follower that represents the highest smoothed input power, the followers subject to leakage factors. The estimator has a speech probability detector receiving outputs of the power smoother and minimum follower; a nonstationary noise detector receiving outputs of both followers; and an estimator receiving outputs of the nonstationary noise detector, power smoother, and speech probability detector and providing a noise estimate.

Abstract: A noise suppressor has a band extractor to separate signal by frequency band; and per-band units for each of band including noise estimator and SNR computation units. The per-band unit has a histogrammer to give histograms of current and past SNRs, and a gain-curve updater computes gain curves from the histogram. Gain curves are used to determine raw gains from current SNRs, raw gain is filtered and controls a variable gain unit to provide band-specific gain-adjusted, signals that are recombined into a noise-reduced frequency-domain output. Raw gain filtering may include finite-impulse-response filtering and weighted averaging of intermediate gains of a current and adjacent-band per-band unit. The method includes separating an input into frequency bands, estimating in-band noise, and deriving a band SNR. Then, histogramming the SNR and updating a gain curve from the histogram, and finding a raw gain using the gain curve and current SNR.

Abstract: An image sensor for detecting light-emitting diode (LED) without flickering includes a pixel array with pixels. Each pixel including subpixels including a first and a second subpixel, dual floating diffusion (DFD) transistor, and a capacitor coupled to the DFD transistor. First subpixel includes a first photosensitive element to acquire a first image charge, and a first transfer gate transistor to selectively transfer the first image charge from the first photosensitive element to a first floating diffusion (FD) node. Second subpixel includes a second photosensitive element to acquire a second image charge, and a second transfer gate transistor to selectively transfer the second image charge from the second photosensitive element to a second FD node. DFD transistor coupled to the first and the second FD nodes. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A pixel cell includes a photodiode to accumulate image charge. A global shutter transistor is coupled to the photodiode to reset the image charge in the photodiode in response to a global shutter control signal. A global shutter control signal generator circuit generates the global shutter control signal to have a first value signal or a second value signal. The first value signal is coupled to turn on the global shutter transistor to reset the photodiode. The second value signal controls the global shutter transistor to be in a low leakage off mode. A supply circuit is coupled to provide the second value signal to the global shutter control signal generator circuit. The supply circuit includes a variable filter circuit coupled to an output of the supply circuit to selectively vary a bandwidth of the second value signal in response to a bandwidth select signal.

Abstract: A short-resistant CSP includes an isolation layer, an electrically conductive RDL, and an insulating layer. The electrically conductive RDL is on the isolation layer and includes a first and a second RDL segment. The insulating layer includes a first insulator portion between the isolation layer and the first RDL segment to improve electrical isolation between the first and second RDL segments. A method for preventing short-circuiting between conductors of CSP includes (1) depositing a first insulating layer on a first substrate region, (2) depositing a RDL segment on the substrate above the first substrate region, at least a portion of the first insulating layer being between the first RDL segment and the first substrate region, and (3) depositing a second RDL segment on the substrate above a second substrate region, such that the first insulating layer interrupts a leakage current path between the first and second RDL segments.

Abstract: A method of reducing noise in an image sensor using a parallel multi-ramps merged comparator analog-to-digital converter (ADC) starts with a pixel array capturing image data. The pixel array includes pixels to generate pixel data signals, respectively. An ADC circuitry acquires the pixel data signals. The ADC circuitry includes ADC circuits. Each of the ADC circuits includes a comparator and latches. The comparator includes a multi-input first stage. The comparator in each ADC circuit compares one of the pixel data signals to ramp signals received from a logic circuitry to generate comparator output signals. The latches in each ADC circuit latches the counter based on the comparator output signals, respectively, to generate ADC outputs. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.

Abstract: A PDAF imaging system includes an image sensor and an image data processing unit. The image sensor has an asymmetric-microlens PDAF detector that includes: (a) a plurality of pixels forming a sub-array having at least two rows and two columns, and (b) a microlens located above each of the plurality of pixels and being rotationally asymmetric about an axis perpendicular to the sub-array. The axis intersects a local extremum of a top surface of the microlens. The image data processing unit is capable of receiving electrical signals from each of the plurality of pixels and generating a PDAF signal from the received electrical signals. A method for forming a gull-wing microlens includes forming, on a substrate, a plate having a hole therein. The method also includes reflowing the plate.

Abstract: Arrayed imaging systems include an array of detectors formed with a common base and a first array of layered optical elements, each one of the layered optical elements being optically connected with a detector in the array of detectors.

Abstract: A display system includes a pixel array, a data buffer and a display driver. In a particular embodiment the data buffer receives and stores frames of image data and provides the frames of image data to the pixel array. The display driver overwrites an entire frame of image data on the data buffer during some frame times and selectively overwrites a portion of a frame of image data, leaving another portion of the frame of image data in the data buffer, during other frame times.

Abstract: A shared pixel includes a plurality of transfer gates coupled between respective photodiodes and a shared floating diffusion. Each transfer gate is coupled to receive a transfer control signal to independently control a transfer of the image charge from the corresponding photodiodes to the shared floating diffusion. Each transfer control signal is set to one of an ON value, a first OFF value, and a second OFF value. One of the control signals that is coupled to an active transfer gate is set to the ON value during a transfer operation. The control signals coupled to idle transfer gates are set to the first OFF value during a reset period prior to the transfer operation, and are set to the second OFF value during the transfer operation.

Abstract: A hybrid bonded image sensor has a photodiode die with macrocells having at least one photodiode and a bond contact; a supporting circuitry die with multiple supercells, each supercell having at least one macrocell unit bonded to the bond contact of a macrocell of the photodiode die. Each macrocell unit has a reset transistor adapted to reset photodiodes of the photodiode die macrocell. Each supercell has a differential amplifier configurable to receive a noninverting input from a photodiode and an inverting input, the differential amplifier providing an output, each differential amplifier has an amplifier reset transistor coupled to the differential amplifier output and the inverting input; a first capacitor coupled between the differential amplifier output and the inverting input, and a second capacitor coupled between the inverting input and a signal ground. The first and second capacitor of embodiments has controllable capacitance to adjust gain.