Patents Assigned to SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20210258519
    Abstract: Stability of a current-voltage conversion circuit is increased in a solid-state imaging element that converts photocurrent to a voltage signal. A photodiode photoelectrically converts incident light and generates photocurrent. A conversion transistor converts photocurrent to a voltage signal and outputs the voltage signal from a gate. A current source transistor supplies predetermined constant current to an output signal line connected to the gate. A voltage supply transistor supplies a certain voltage corresponding to the predetermined constant current from the output signal line to a source of the conversion transistor. A capacitance is connected between the gate and the source of the conversion transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Atsumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20210257541
    Abstract: Provided is a magnetic tunnel junction element including: a magnetization pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction; a first insulating layer which is provided on the magnetization pinned layer and is formed of an insulating material; a magnetization free layer provided on the first insulating layer; an adjacent layer which is provided adjacent to the magnetization free layer and is formed of a non-magnetic transition metal; and a cap layer which is formed to have a multilayer structure including at least one barrier layer formed of a non-magnetic transition metal and is provided on the adjacent layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji KARIYADA, Hironobu TANIGAWA, Tetsuhiro SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20210257415
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a first electrode, a charge accumulating electrode arranged with a space from the first electrode, an isolation electrode arranged with a space from the first electrode and the charge accumulating electrode and surrounding the charge accumulating electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer formed in contact with the first electrode and above the charge accumulating electrode with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, and a second electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion layer. The isolation electrode includes a first isolation electrode and a second isolation electrode arranged with a space from the first isolation electrode, and the first isolation electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the second isolation electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio KANEDA, Fumihiko KOGA
  • Publication number: 20210257561
    Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion film including a quinacridone derivative represented by the following General formula and a subphthalocyanine derivative represented by the following General formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki OBANA, Yuki NEGISHI, Yuta HASEGAWA, Ichiro TAKEMURA, Osamu ENOKI, Hideaki MOGI, Nobuyuki MATSUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20210255282
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a light receiving element, a distance measurement module, and an electronic device that enable signal degradation during charge transfer to be reduced. The light receiving element includes a pixel at least including: a first charge holding unit and a second charge holding unit each of which holds an electric charge generated by a photodiode; a first transfer transistor that transfers the electric charge to the first charge holding unit; and a second transfer transistor that transfers the electric charge to the second charge holding unit, in which the first and second transfer transistors each include a vertical transistor including a vertical gate electrode portion. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a light receiving element that performs distance measurement by an indirect ToF method, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KATAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210257472
    Abstract: The wiring length of MOS transistors is shortened. A source region has both ends made smaller in width than a central part. A first channel region and a second channel region are adjacent to corresponding outer peripheral parts. A first drain region and a second drain region are adjacent to the first channel region and the second channel region, respectively. Gate electrodes are on respective surfaces of the first channel region and the second channel region through an insulating film, joined to each other, and connected to a gate wire. Drain electrodes are placed on the respective surfaces of the first drain region and the second drain region and joined to each other near a second end and connected to a drain wire. At least one of the gate wire or the drain wire is smaller in width than the central part of the source region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro SATO, Takashi KAWAMURA
  • Publication number: 20210257414
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: an effective pixel region that includes a plurality of imaging elements-A, amplifies signal charges generated by photoelectric conversion, and reads the signal charges into a drive circuit; and an optical black region that includes a plurality of imaging elements-B, surrounds the effective pixel region, and outputs optical black that serves as the reference for black level. In the imaging device, the photoelectric conversion layer forming the plurality of imaging elements-A and the plurality of imaging elements-B is a common photoelectric conversion layer, the common photoelectric conversion layer is located on an outer side of the optical black region, and extends toward an outer edge region surrounding the optical black region, and an outer edge electrode is disposed in the outer edge region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuro TAKADA, Taiichiro WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20210258523
    Abstract: [Subject] To generate a value unique to a solid-state imaging apparatus utilizing a physical feature of the solid-state imaging apparatus. [Solving Means] An information processing apparatus including a specification section specifying, from among a plurality of blocks that are set by dividing pixels included in at least a partial region of a pixel region having a plurality of pixels arrayed therein and each of which includes at least one or more of the pixels, at least one or more of the blocks, and a generation section generating a unique value based on pixel values of the pixels included in the specified blocks and a dispersion of the pixel values of the pixels among the plurality of blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Minagawa, Toru Akishita
  • Patent number: 11092677
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a time measurement device that facilitates a circuit layout. A time measurement device (20) of the present invention includes: a plurality of pixels (30) provided side by side in a first direction, and each including a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) disposed on a first semiconductor substrate, and each generating a first logic signal (S35) depending on detection timing in the single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD); and a time measurement section (24) that is disposed on a second semiconductor substrate attached to the first semiconductor substrate and measures the detection timing in each of the plurality of pixels (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11095840
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a voltage control unit. The acquisition unit acquires imaging-related information relating to imaging to be executed by an imaging apparatus including a plurality of pixel units that converts incident light into charges and accumulate the charges. The voltage control unit controls, on the basis of the acquired imaging-related information, a drive voltage for driving each of the plurality of pixel units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidetaka Kaji
  • Patent number: 11094553
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method that make it possible to reduce PID. The semiconductor device includes a first layer, a second layer laminated with the first layer, a conductive member that comes into contact with a lateral surface of a groove part formed in the first layer and the second layer, and first wiring that is formed in the second layer and comes into contact with a bottom surface of the groove part. The conductive member is connected to a protecting element for discharging charges accumulated inside the groove part. The present technology is applicable to, for example, the formation of a via in a silicon substrate and an interlayer film laminated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Miyake
  • Patent number: 11095843
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion region disposed in a first substrate and that converts incident light into first electric charges, and a first readout circuit including a first converter that converts the first electric charges into a first logarithmic voltage signal. The first converter includes a first transistor coupled to the first photoelectric conversion region and a second transistor coupled to the first transistor. The imaging device includes a wiring layer on the first substrate and includes a first level of wirings arranged in a first arrangement overlapping the first photoelectric conversion region and in a second arrangement overlapping the first and second transistors, the second arrangement being different than the first arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Pooria Mostafalu, Sungin Hwang, Frederick Brady
  • Patent number: 11095860
    Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes a pixel array unit in which color filters of a plurality of colors are arrayed with four pixels of vertical 2 pixels×horizontal 2 pixels as a same color unit that receives light of the same color, shared pixel transistors that are commonly used by a plurality of pixels are intensively arranged in one predetermined pixel in a unit of sharing, and a color of the color filter of a pixel where the shared pixel transistors are intensively arranged is a predetermined color among the plurality of colors. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a solid state imaging device such as a back-surface irradiation type CMOS image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Masagaki
  • Patent number: 11095816
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image pickup element, an image pickup method, and an electronic device that achieve a better image stabilization effect. A pixel array unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in an array outputs a plurality of frames by EIS imaging that continuously performs short-time exposure imaging at high speed. Then, the exposure control unit determines whether or not a blur of the pixel array unit exceeds a prescribed value on the basis of blur information indicating a physical blur in a case where the pixel array unit is shaken, and causes the pixel array unit to perform EIS imaging until it is determined that the blur of the pixel array unit exceeds the prescribed value. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a CMOS image sensor having an electronic image stabilization function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiichi Senda
  • Publication number: 20210249456
    Abstract: An imaging device having a superior light-shielding property for a charge-holding section is provided. The imaging device includes: an Si {111} substrate extending along a horizontal plane; a photoelectric conversion section provided in the Si {111} substrate and generating charges corresponding to a light reception amount by photoelectric conversion; a charge-holding section provided in the Si {111} substrate and holding charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion section; and a light-shielding section including a horizontal light-shielding part positioned between the photoelectric conversion section and the charge-holding section in a thickness direction and extending along the horizontal plane and a vertical light-shielding part orthogonal thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki MIYANAMI, Atsushi OKUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210249474
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image sensor, a solid-state imaging device, an electronic apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor capable of improving characteristics. There is provided a solid-state image sensor including a stacked structure that includes a semiconductor substrate, a first photoelectric converter provided above the semiconductor substrate and converting light into charges, and a second photoelectric converter provided above the first photoelectric converter and converting light into charges, where the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter include a photoelectric conversion stacked structure in which a common electrode, a photoelectric conversion film, and a readout electrode are stacked so that the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter are in a line-symmetrical relationship with each other with a vertical plane perpendicular to a stacking direction of the stacked structure as an axis of symmetry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideaki TOGASHI, Iwao YAGI, Masahiro JOEI, Fumihiko KOGA, Kenichi MURATA, Shintarou HIRATA, Yosuke SAITO, Akira FURUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20210249463
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a photoelectric converter; a protection member provided on a light incidence side of the photoelectric converter; a substrate opposed to the protection member with the photoelectric converter interposed therebetween and having a first surface on the photoelectric converter side and a second surface opposed to the first surface; a rewiring layer provided in a selective region of the second surface of the substrate; and a protective resin layer provided on the second surface of the substrate, the second surface of the substrate having an external terminal coupling region exposed from the protective resin layer, and a stress relaxation region exposed from the protective resin layer and disposed at a position different from the external terminal coupling region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki MASUDA, Tokihisa KANEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210250533
    Abstract: An imaging device having first and second pixels is described. The first pixel comprises a first transfer transistor, a first reset transistor, a first amplifier transistor and a first select transistor. The first transfer transistor has a first terminal coupled to a reference signal generation circuit. The first reset transistor has a first terminal coupled to the reference signal generation circuit. The first amplifier transistor has a gate coupled to a second terminal of the first reset transistor and a second terminal of the first transfer transistor. The first select transistor is coupled to the first amplifier transistor. The second pixel comprises a first photoelectric conversion element, a second transfer transistor, a second reset transistor, a second amplifier transistor and a second select transistor. The second transfer transistor is coupled to the first photoelectric conversion element. The second reset transistor is configured to receive a first predetermined voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kawazu, Motonobu Torii, Motohashi Yuichi, Atsushi Suzuki, Junichiro Azami
  • Publication number: 20210250909
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a transmission device, a transmission method, a reception device, a reception method, and a communication method capable of shortening a pause time of data transmission. According to an aspect of the present technology, a transmission device classifies channels usable for data transmission into a plurality of groups, selects the channels that are used in transmission units and that continue on a time axis from the channels of the different groups in accordance with an identifier, and performs the data transmission of the transmission units by using the selected channels. It is possible to make application to a communication system transmitting data through one-way communication from a transmission device to a reception device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji KOBAYASHI, Toshihiro FUJIKI, Nobuo KATO, Yusuke YONEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210249458
    Abstract: An imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure including a first chip; a support substrate; and a second chip. The support substrate includes an excavated portion in a region opposed to the first chip. The excavated portion has a shape of a recess or a shape of a hole. The second chip is disposed in the excavated portion of the support substrate. The second chip is electrically coupled to the first chip. At least one of the first chip or the second chip has a photoelectric conversion function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenobu TSUGAWA, Ryoichi NAKAMURA, Kiichi ISHIKAWA, Hiroshi TAKAHASHI