Patents by Inventor Fumihiko Koga

Fumihiko Koga has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10468451
    Abstract: An imaging device is provided. The imaging device may include a substrate having a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit at a light-incident side of the substrate. The second photoelectric conversion unit may include a photoelectric conversion layer, a first electrode, a second electrode above the photoelectric conversion layer, a third electrode, and an insulating material between the third electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer, wherein a portion of the insulating material is between the first electrode and the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Togashi, Fumihiko Koga, Tetsuji Yamaguchi, Shintarou Hirata, Taiichiro Watanabe, Yoshihiro Ando, Toyotaka Kataoka, Satoshi Keino, Yukio Kaneda
  • Patent number: 10462398
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device that can improve imaging quality by reducing variation in the voltage of a charge retention unit, a method of driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. A first photoelectric conversion unit generates and accumulates signal charge by receiving light that has entered a pixel, and photoelectrically converting the light. A first charge retention unit retains the generated signal charge. A first output transistor outputs the signal charge in the first charge retention unit as a pixel signal, when the pixel is selected by the first select transistor. A first voltage control transistor controls the voltage of the output end of the first output transistor. The present technology can be applied to pixels in solid-state imaging devices, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 10453898
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid state image sensor capable of reducing signal mixture due to electric capacitive coupling between adjacent pixels, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. A first pixel and a second pixel are adjacently arranged in the solid state image sensor. Each of the first pixel and the second pixel has a photoelectric conversion film for photoelectrically converting an incident light, and a lower electrode arranged below the photoelectric conversion film, and another electrode different from the lower electrodes is provided between the lower electrodes of the first pixel and the second pixel. The present disclosure is applicable to solid state image sensors and the like, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintarou Hirata, Tetsuji Yamaguchi, Fumihiko Koga, Shinpei Fukuoka, Shuji Manda
  • Patent number: 10446603
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an imaging element, a driving method of an imaging element, and an electronic device capable of preventing deterioration in image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ando, Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 10438983
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device which includes a pixel section, a peripheral circuit section, a first isolation region formed with a STI structure on a semiconductor substrate in the peripheral circuit section, and a second isolation region formed with the STI structure on the semiconductor substrate in the pixel section. The portion of the second isolation region buried into the semiconductor substrate is shallower than the portion buried into the semiconductor substrate of the first isolation region, and the height of the upper face of the second isolation region is equal to that of the first isolation region. A method of producing the solid-state imaging device and an electronic device provided with the solid-state imaging devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tatani, Takuji Matsumoto, Yasushi Tateshita, Fumihiko Koga, Takashi Nagano, Takahiro Toyoshima, Tetsuji Yamaguchi, Keiichi Nakazawa, Naoyuki Miyashita, Yoshihiko Nagahama
  • Publication number: 20190166318
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device that can improve imaging quality by reducing variation in the voltage of a charge retention unit, a method of driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. A first photoelectric conversion unit generates and accumulates signal charge by receiving light that has entered a pixel, and photoelectrically converting the light. A first charge retention unit retains the generated signal charge. A first output transistor outputs the signal charge in the first charge retention unit as a pixel signal, when the pixel is selected by the first select transistor. A first voltage control transistor controls the voltage of the output end of the first output transistor. The present technology can be applied to pixels in solid-state imaging devices, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fumihiko KOGA
  • Patent number: 10306166
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided, which includes a photodiode having a first conductivity type semiconductor area that is dividedly formed for each pixel; a first conductivity type transfer gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating layer in an area neighboring the photodiode, and transmitting signal charges generated and accumulated in the photodiode; a signal reading unit reading a voltage which corresponds to the signal charge or the signal charge; and an inversion layer induction electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate via the gate insulating layer in an area covering a portion or the whole of the photodiode, and composed of a conductor or a semiconductor having a work function. An inversion layer is induced, which is formed by accumulating a second conductivity type carrier on a surface of the inversion layer induction electrode side of the semiconductor area through the inversion layer induction electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yorito Sakano, Takashi Abe, Keiji Mabuchi, Ryoji Suzuki, Hiroyuki Mori, Yoshiharu Kudoh, Fumihiko Koga, Takeshi Yanagita, Kazunobu Ota
  • Publication number: 20190132536
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that can reduce the influence on an OPB pixel in a case where blooming has occurred in an aperture pixel. A solid-state imaging device that is one aspect of the present disclosure has a first photoelectric conversion portion, an upper electrode, and a lower electrode formed outside a substrate, the first photoelectric conversion portion performing photoelectric conversion in accordance with incident light, the upper electrode and the lower electrode being formed to sandwich the first photoelectric conversion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: TAIICHIRO WATANABE, FUMIHIKO KOGA
  • Publication number: 20190098239
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic device capable of improving auto-focusing accuracy by using a phase difference signal obtained by using a photoelectric conversion film. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion portion having a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed by an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film. The upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke HATANO, Fumihiko KOGA, Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI, Shinichiro IZAWA
  • Patent number: 10237500
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device that can improve imaging quality by reducing variation in the voltage of a charge retention unit, a method of driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. A first photoelectric conversion unit generates and accumulates signal charge by receiving light that has entered a pixel, and photoelectrically converting the light. A first charge retention unit retains the generated signal charge. A first output transistor outputs the signal charge in the first charge retention unit as a pixel signal, when the pixel is selected by the first select transistor. A first voltage control transistor controls the voltage of the output end of the first output transistor. The present technology can be applied to pixels in solid-state imaging devices, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 10178332
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic device capable of improving auto-focusing accuracy by using a phase difference signal obtained by using a photoelectric conversion film. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion portion having a structure where a photoelectric conversion film is interposed by an upper electrode on the photoelectric conversion film and a lower electrode under the photoelectric conversion film. The upper electrode is divided into a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Hatano, Fumihiko Koga, Tetsuji Yamaguchi, Shinichiro Izawa
  • Publication number: 20190006412
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an imaging element, a driving method of an imaging element, and an electronic device capable of preventing deterioration in image quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: YOSHIHIRO ANDO, FUMIHIKO KOGA
  • Publication number: 20190006411
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that perform a stable overflow from a photodiode and prevent Qs from decreasing and color mixing from occurring. A solid-state imaging device according to an aspect of the present technology includes, at a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate, a charge retention part that generates and retains a charge in response to incident light, an OFD into which the charge saturated at the charge retention part is discharged, and a potential barrier that becomes a barrier of the charge that flows from the charge retention part to the OFD, the OFD including a low concentration OFD and a high concentration OFD having different impurity concentrations of the same type, and the high concentration OFD and the potential barrier being formed at a distance. For example, the present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taiichiro WATANABE, Ryosuke NAKAMURA, Yusuke SATO, Fumihiko KOGA
  • Publication number: 20180366502
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor well region, a plurality of pixels each of which is formed on the semiconductor well region and is composed of a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel transistor, an element isolation region provided between the pixels and in the pixels, and an element isolation region being free from an insulation film and being provided between desired pixel transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tatani, Fumihiko Koga, Takashi Nagano
  • Publication number: 20180342558
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid state image sensor capable of reducing signal mixture due to electric capacitive coupling between adjacent pixels, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. A first pixel and a second pixel are adjacently arranged in the solid state image sensor. Each of the first pixel and the second pixel has a photoelectric conversion film for photoelectrically converting an incident light, and a lower electrode arranged below the photoelectric conversion film, and another electrode different from the lower electrodes is provided between the lower electrodes of the first pixel and the second pixel. The present disclosure is applicable to solid state image sensors and the like, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Inventors: SHINTAROU HIRATA, TETSUJI YAMAGUCHI, FUMIHIKO KOGA, SHINPEI FUKUOKA, SHUJI MANDA
  • Patent number: 10121807
    Abstract: Provided is a solid state imaging device including: a pixel portion where pixel sharing units are disposed in an array shape and where another one pixel transistor group excluding transfer transistors is shared by a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; transfer wiring lines which are connected to the transfer gate electrodes of the transfer transistors of the pixel sharing unit and which are disposed to extend in a horizontal direction and to be in parallel in a vertical direction as seen from the top plane; and parallel wiring lines which are disposed to be adjacent to the necessary transfer wiring lines in the pixel sharing unit and which are disposed to be in parallel to the transfer wiring lines as seen from the top plane, wherein voltages which are used to suppress potential change of the transfer gate electrodes are supplied to the parallel wiring lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Wakano, Fumihiko Koga
  • Publication number: 20180309947
    Abstract: Imaging devices and electronic apparatuses incorporating imaging devices are provided. An imaging device as dis closed can include a first pixel (2PA, 2PB) and a second pixel (2X). The first and second pixels each have a first electrode (51A, 51B, 51C), a portion of a photoelectric conversion film (81), and a portion of a second electrode (82), where the photoelectric conversion film is between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode (51A, 51B) of the first pixel has a first area, while the first electrode (51C) of the second pixel has a second area that is smaller than the first area. The first pixel can include a light shielding film (52A, 52B). Alternatively or in addition, the first pixel can be divided into first and second portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke HATANO, Ryosuke NAKAMURA, Yuji UESUGI, Fumihiko KOGA, Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10109669
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that perform a stable overflow from a photodiode and prevent Qs from decreasing and color mixing from occurring. A solid-state imaging device according to an aspect of the present technology includes, at a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate, a charge retention part that generates and retains a charge in response to incident light, an OFD into which the charge saturated at the charge retention part is discharged, and a potential barrier that becomes a barrier of the charge that flows from the charge retention part to the OFD, the OFD including a low concentration OFD and a high concentration OFD having different impurity concentrations of the same type, and the high concentration OFD and the potential barrier being formed at a distance. For example, the present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Taiichiro Watanabe, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yusuke Sato, Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 10090343
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor well region, a plurality of pixels each of which is formed on the semiconductor well region and is composed of a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel transistor, an element isolation region provided between the pixels and in the pixels, and an element isolation region being free from an insulation film and being provided between desired pixel transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tatani, Fumihiko Koga, Takashi Nagano
  • Publication number: 20180227517
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device that can improve imaging quality by reducing variation in the voltage of a charge retention unit, a method of driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. A first photoelectric conversion unit generates and accumulates signal charge by receiving light that has entered a pixel, and photoelectrically converting the light. A first charge retention unit retains the generated signal charge. A first output transistor outputs the signal charge in the first charge retention unit as a pixel signal, when the pixel is selected by the first select transistor. A first voltage control transistor controls the voltage of the output end of the first output transistor. The present technology can be applied to pixels in solid-state imaging devices, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Fumihiko KOGA