Abstract: The present technique relates to an imaging element and a distance measurement module capable of reducing parasitic capacity. A distance measurement module includes: a first wiring that connects predetermined transistors in first adjacent pixels to a via formed in one of first adjacent pixels and connected to a wiring formed in another layer; and a second wiring that connects predetermined transistors in second adjacent pixels to a via formed in a pixel that is adjacent to one of second adjacent pixels and connected to a wiring formed in another layer, in which the first wiring is connected to a redundant wiring. The present technique can be applied to a distance measurement sensor that performs distance measurement, for example.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor structure including a first substrate comprising a first semiconductor material. A first light sensor is disposed within the first substrate. The first light sensor is configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation within a first wavelength range. A second light sensor is disposed within an absorption structure underlying the first substrate. The second light sensor is configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation within a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range. The absorption structure underlies the first light sensor and comprises a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material.

Abstract: An electromagnetic wave measuring apparatus includes: a light source unit configured to output a first laser beam whose frequency is settable, and a second laser beam; an electro-optic probe configured to receive the first laser beam of a frequency that is set in the frequency range, the second laser beam, and a detection-target electromagnetic wave; an optical filter; and a light-receiving element configured to convert a light beam that has passed through the optical filter into an electrical signal. The electro-optic probe outputs the first laser beam, the second laser beam, a first sideband beam, and a second sideband beam. The optical filter attenuates at least one of a frequency component of the first laser beam and a frequency component of the second sideband beam, or at least one of a frequency component of the second laser beam and a frequency component of the first sideband beam.

Abstract: A three-dimensional measurement device includes: a light emitter; an optical system that splits an incident light, irradiates a measurement object with an object light and irradiates a reference plane with a reference light, and recombines the object and reference lights and emits a combined light; an imaging device that takes an image of a light emitted from the optical system; a storage device that stores transmission axis absolute angle data each obtained by a previous actual measurement of an absolute angle of a transmission axis of each polarizer; and a control device that calculates a phase difference between the reference and object lights based on luminance data of each pixel in luminance image data and the transmission axis absolute angle data of each polarizer corresponding to the pixel, and measures a height of the measurement object at the measurement position.

Abstract: A dynamic photodiode detector or detector array having a light absorbing region of doped semiconductor material for absorbing photons. Electrons or holes generated by photon absorption are detected with a construction of oppositely heavily doped anode and cathode regions and a heavily doped ground region of the same doping type as the anode region. Photon detection involves switching the device from reverse bias to forward bias to create a depletion region enclosing the anode region. When a photon is then absorbed the electron or hole thereby generated drifts under the electric field induced by the biasing to the depletion region where it causes the anode-to-ground current to increase. Furthermore, the detector is configured such that anode-to-cathode current starts to flow once a threshold number of electrons or holes reaches the depletion region, where the threshold may be one to provide single photon detection.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a transfer gate electrode provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, readout circuit transistors spaced apart from the transfer gate electrode and provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a photoelectric conversion layer provided in the semiconductor substrate at a side of the transfer gate electrode and including dopants of a first conductivity type. The photoelectric conversion layer includes a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The second region overlaps with at least a portion of the readout circuit transistors in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes a photoreceptor module. The photoreceptor module includes a photoelectric conversion element. The photoreceptor module outputs a photoreceptor signal with a voltage level depending on a detector current generated by the photoelectric conversion element. A voltage memory capacitor receives the detector signal at a first electrode. A latch comparator circuit receives a latch input signal based on a shifted voltage signal tapped from a second electrode of the voltage memory capacitor.

Abstract: A pixel array uses two sets of pixels to provide accurate exposure control. One set of pixels provide continuous output signals for automatic light control (ALC) as the other set integrates and captures an image. ALC pixels allow monitoring of multiple pixels of an array to obtain sample data indicating the amount of light reaching the array, while allowing the other pixels to provide proper image data. A small percentage of the pixels in an array is replaced with ALC pixels and the array has two reset lines for each row; one line controls the reset for the image capture pixels while the other line controls the reset for the ALC pixels. In the columns, at least one extra control signal is used for the sampling of the reset level for the ALC pixels, which happens later than the sampling of the reset level for the image capture pixels.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photodiode, a generation circuit, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The photodiode is configured to perform avalanche multiplication. The generation circuit is configured to generate a control signal. The first control circuit is configured to be controlled by the control signal to be in a standby state where the avalanche multiplication by the photodiode is possible and in a recharging state for returning the photodiode having performed the avalanche multiplication to the standby state. The second control circuit is configured to count a number of periods in which the avalanche multiplication has occurred among a plurality of periods of the standby state by using the control signal and a signal corresponding to an output of the photodiode.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards a safety system that can be used with a high-flux power beam, such as in wireless power transmission. The system includes a transmitter that generates and transmits a power beam and a receiver that receives the power beam. A plurality of sensors is configured to independently detect if an object is near, impeding, or about to impede (i.e., impinging) the power beam. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect the object at different distances between the transmitter and the receiver. A controller triggers the transmitter to stop generating the power beam when any one or more of the plurality of sensors detects the object or a combination of the plurality of sensors detects the object. The controller triggers the transmitter to re-generate and transmit the power beam when each of the plurality of sensors fails to detect the object.

Abstract: An image sensor including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface; a pixel device isolation film extending from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel device isolation film defines pixels in the semiconductor substrate, and includes a conductive layer; and a device isolation structure located inside a device isolation trench that extends from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the device isolation structure includes a conductive liner electrically connected to the conductive layer, wherein a negative bias is applied to the conductive layer and the conductive liner.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel array including first to third pixel groups, including first to third color pixels having first to third colors and outputting first to third pixel signal for the first to third colors, and an image signal processor receiving the first to third pixel signals, wherein the image signal processor, when the first pixel signal is a bad pixel signal, performs bad pixel correction on the first pixel signal based on the second pixel signal and the third pixel signal and generates a remosaiced pixel signal for the first through third colors by remosaicing the second and third pixel signals based on each other, and the corrected pixel signal and the remosaiced pixel signal represent information in which the first through third color pixels are rearranged in a second pattern having a higher frequency than a frequency of a first pattern.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first pixel isolation structure disposed in a first trench which vertically extends from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and defines a plurality of pixel regions, and a second pixel isolation structure disposed in a second trench vertically extending from the second surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second pixel isolation structure overlaps the first pixel isolation structure. The first pixel isolation structure includes a liner semiconductor pattern defining a gap region in the first trench, the liner semiconductor pattern including sidewall portions and a bottom portion connecting the sidewall portions, a liner insulating pattern disposed between the liner semiconductor pattern and the semiconductor substrate, and a capping insulating pattern disposed in the gap region of the liner semiconductor pattern.

Abstract: A system for controlling the activation/deactivation of an electromagnetic shielding screen of a porthole or a protective window of an optoelectronic equipment, which includes, a radiofrequency electromagnetic sensor, with a bandwidth adapted to a cut-off band of said shielding screen corresponding to a range of electromagnetic fields to be blocked, connected to a detector-rectifier with a sensitivity higher than a minimum value of the power of an electromagnetic field to be blocked by means of said shielding screen and a device for activating/deactivating said electromagnetic shielding screen, said detector-rectifier being configured, in the presence of the electromagnetic field with a power exceeding said minimum value, to activate said device for activating/deactivating the electromagnetic shielding screen by capturing the electromagnetic energy supplied by said electromagnetic fields with a power exceeding said minimum value.

Abstract: A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes a detector having a first pixel and a second pixel configured to output respective detection signals responsive to light incident thereon, and receiver optics configured to collect the light over a field of view and direct first and second portions of the light to the first and second pixels, respectively. The first pixel includes one or more time of flight (ToF) sensors, and the second pixel includes one or more image sensors. At least one of the receiver optics or arrangement of the first and second pixels in the detector is configured to correlate the first and second pixels such that depth information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the first pixel is correlated with image information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the second pixel. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.

Abstract: A sensing device includes a light source to emit light, a light sensor to detect reflection of the emitted light and distance determination circuitry responsive to reflected-light detection within the light sensor. The light sensor includes a photodetector having a photocharge storage capacity in excess of one electron and an output circuit that generates an output signal responsive to light detection within the photodetector with sub-hundred nanosecond latency. The distance determination circuitry measures an elapsed time based on transition of the output signal in response to photonic detection within the photodetector and determines, based on the elapsed time, a distance between the sensing device and a surface that yielded the reflection of the emitted light.

Abstract: An avalanche photodiode array for detecting electromagnetic radiation comprises: a semiconductor substrate (100) having a first main surface (101) and a second main surface (102), which are opposite one another, a plurality of n-doped anode regions (1) formed at the first main surface (101) and separated from one another by pixel isolation regions (7), a p-doped cathode region (3) arranged at the second main surface (102) opposite the anode regions, a drift region (4) between the plurality of anode regions (1) and the cathode region (3), and a p-doped multiplication layer (2) arranged below the plurality of anode regions (1) and below the pixel isolation regions (7), and is characterized by an n-doped field reduction layer (9) arranged below the plurality of anode regions (1) and the pixel isolation regions (7) and above the multiplication layer (2).

Abstract: A sunshine recorder has: a lens that emits, as projection light, natural light incident from half of the celestial sphere; a sensor that photoelectrically converts the projection light projected onto a light receiving surface, and outputs the photoelectrically converted projection light; and a determination circuit that determines the presence or absence of sunshine on the basis of an output of the sensor, wherein the sensor has a plurality of detection areas on the light receiving surface and is configured to output a signal corresponding to the intensity of the projection light incident on each of the detection areas, and the determination circuit removes a scattered light component included in the projection light on the basis of a difference operation of the signal output from each of the detection areas to extract only a direct light component to be included in the projection light at the time of incidence of sunlight.

Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion unit that converts incident light into an electric charge, the incident light being incident from one side of a substrate, and an output unit that outputs a signal caused by the electric charge, the plurality of pixels being arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; and an accumulation unit provided to be stacked on the photoelectric conversion unit on a side opposite to the one side of the substrate, the accumulation unit accumulating the signal.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a first substrate. A photoelectric conversion region is in the first substrate. A first interlayer insulating layer is on the first substrate. A transistor includes a bonding insulating layer on the first interlayer insulating layer, a semiconductor layer on the bonding insulating layer, and a first gate on the semiconductor layer. A bias pad is spaced apart from the semiconductor layer by the bonding insulating layer. The bias pad overlaps the first gate in a planar view. A second interlayer insulating layer covers the transistor.