Abstract: An air conditioning system can improve the cooling/heating performance of the system because the injection of refrigerant into the compressor is achieved. The air conditioning system can further improve the cooling/heating performance in a low temperature region by injecting refrigerant as a two-phase refrigerant or a superheated vapor state into the compressor. The air conditioning system can prevent damage of the compressor and further improve reliability by controlling such that the ratio of a liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant injected into the compressor may be less than a set value.

Abstract: An image sensor may include a plurality of photodiodes for performing a photo-electric conversion and a plurality of microlenses. Each of the microlenses is formed over one of the photodiodes. The image sensor may further include a vertical light generating portion formed over the microlenses and configured to refract each of plurality of incident light rays such that the light rays are vertically incident on the microlenses.

Abstract: In an air conditioning system, a first expansion device and a second expansion device playing a different role from each other are controlled in a different control method suitable for each role, thereby improving the performance and stability of the system. Furthermore, the control method for the first expansion device is differentiated according to the operation state of the air conditioning system, thereby improving the stability of the system. Furthermore, the intermediate pressure can be adjusted more rapidly and precisely according to the state of the air conditioning system by differentiating the control method for the first expansion device for adjusting the intermediate pressure depending on the degree of superheat of the refrigerant, thereby improving the stability and performance of the system.

Abstract: It is possible to prevent that a liquid refrigerant is included in a refrigerant injected into a compressor. Accordingly, the risk of liquid compression of the compressor is greatly reduced, thereby decreasing the possibility of damage to the compressor and improving reliability and performance.

Abstract: An air conditioning system is able to decrease the amount of refrigerant between a first expansion device and an injection valve and thus adjust the pressure of an injected refrigerant by decreasing the opening degree of the first expansion device and maintaining the opening degree of a second expansion device upon opening of the injection valve, thereby making the system stable upon opening of the injection valve. Furthermore, upon starting up a compressor, the opening degrees of the first and second expansion devices are partly decreased based on the start-up of the compressor and then gradually opened again, and upon completion of the start-up of the compressor, the opening amounts of the first and second expansion devices and the injection valve are controlled, thereby making the cycle more stable.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor with improved sensitivity includes a main pixel array region of an active pixel array region formed on a semiconductor substrate. A passivation layer is formed over the sensor, and it is at least partially removed from the main pixel array region, such that incident light being detected by the main pixel array does not pass through the passivation layer. Optical absorption and refraction caused by the material of the passivation layer are eliminated, resulting in an image sensor with improved optical sensitivity.

Abstract: A CMOS image device comprises a semiconductor substrate having a photo diode region formed therein, an inner lens formed at a position corresponding to the photo diode region on the semiconductor substrate, and an auxiliary lens formed on the inner lens along a surface of the inner lens, wherein the auxiliary lens has a same index of refraction as the inner lens.

Abstract: Provided is a layout of a CMOS image sensor having an asymmetrical pixel structure in which a plurality of photodiodes may share a transistor block. The layout may include a first region in which a plurality of photodiodes are arranged asymmetrically on a semiconductor substrate, a second region including a metal shield layer arranged on an upper surface of the first region, and a third region arranged on an upper surface of the second region. The metal shield layer may be arranged asymmetrically according to the layout of the photodiodes.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of photo diodes are formed. A plurality of interlayer dielectrics are formed above the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of metal lines are formed on each of the interlayer dielectrics. A plurality of micro lenses are formed above the uppermost one of the interlayer dielectrics. The light passing through the zoom lenses is incident on the respective micro lenses. The plurality metal lines formed on at least one of the plurality of interlayer dielectrics have the same width.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor includes digital signal processing on-chip within the CMOS image sensor before being transmitted to an ISP (image signal processor) within an image sensor system. An on-chip digital processing unit is formed on a same one integrated circuit die with a pixel array and performs the steps of: performing a first set of at least one correction operation on the original digital signal to generate a corrected digital signal; formatting the corrected digital signal for the standard interface to generate a processed digital signal; and sending the processed digital signal to the ISP (image signal processor) via the standard interface.

Abstract: An image sensor may include a plurality of photodiodes for performing a photo-electric conversion and a plurality of microlenses. Each of the microlenses is formed over one of the photodiodes. The image sensor may further include a vertical light generating portion formed over the microlenses and configured to refract each of plurality of incident light rays such that the light rays are vertically incident on the microlenses.

Abstract: For color correction in an image sensor, an image sensor processing block generates a plurality of color correction parameters corresponding to a plurality of selected pixels of the image sensor for defining a plurality of areas of a sample image. In addition, a color correction value calculation block generates a respective color correction value corresponding to a given pixel from bilinear interpolation of a respective subset of the color correction parameters corresponding to a respective one of the areas including a respective location of the given pixel.

Abstract: An image sensor applying a power voltage to a backside of a semiconductor substrate includes a first type semiconductor substrate, a first type semiconductor layer formed on the first type semiconductor substrate, a second type semiconductor layer formed on the first type semiconductor layer, and a power voltage receiver formed on a backside of the first type semiconductor substrate opposite the first type semiconductor layer with respect to the first type semiconductor substrate, wherein the power voltage receiver receives a power voltage from outside and applies the power voltage to the first type semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a first type semiconductor layer, a second type semiconductor layer and a first type well. The first type semiconductor layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate and includes a plurality of pixels which receive external light and convert optical charges into an electrical signal. The second type semiconductor layer is supplied with a drain voltage to have a potential different from that of the first semiconductor layer, and the first type well controls a power source voltage (VDD) using the drain voltage.

Abstract: An image sensor coated with an anti-reflection material having a microlens provided on a semiconductor substrate, the microlens corresponding to a light receiving device formed in the semiconductor substrate wherein the image sensor includes a first layer coated on a surface of the microlens, and a second layer coated on the first layer, wherein the second layer has a smaller refractive index than the first layer.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device including an anti-reflection structure that uses polysilicon and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the solid-state image sensing device includes a photodiode region and a transistor region. The photodiode region includes a semiconductor substrate, a first anti-refection layer, a second anti-reflection layer, and a top layer. The first anti-reflection layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and the second anti-reflection layer is formed on the first anti-reflection layer. The top layer is formed on the second anti-reflection layer. Each of the semiconductor substrate and the second anti-reflection layer is formed of a first material, and each of the first anti-reflection layer and the top layer is formed of a second material different from the first material.

Abstract: A color filter layer for use in an image sensing device includes first inorganic layers, each first inorganic layer having a first refractive index, and second inorganic layers, each second inorganic layer having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is higher than the first refractive index, wherein the first and second inorganic layers are stacked on an optical sensor provided in the image sensing device to form a multi-layer, and the multi-layer includes fixed thickness layers each having a fixed thickness and a color decision layer having a thickness determined according to a wavelength band of light to be passed.

Abstract: A CMOS image device comprises a semiconductor substrate having a photo diode region formed therein, an inner lens formed at a position corresponding to the photo diode region on the semiconductor substrate, and an auxiliary lens formed on the inner lens along a surface of the inner lens, wherein the auxiliary lens has a same index of refraction as the inner lens.