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).

  • Publication number: 20180197902
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging device, a manufacturing method, a semiconductor device, and an electronic device that can further improve image quality. An imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion unit that receives and photoelectrically converts light, a floating diffusion layer that accumulates charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a diffusion layer that serves as a source or a drain of a transistor. Then, the floating diffusion layer is formed to have an impurity concentration lower than an impurity concentration of the diffusion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: RYOSUKE NAKAMURA, FUMIHIKO KOGA
  • Publication number: 20180175102
    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: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Hideaki TOGASHI, Fumihiko KOGA, Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI, Shintarou HIRATA, Taiichiro WATANABE, Yoshihiro ANDO, Toyotaka KATAOKA, Satoshi KEINO, Yukio KANEDA
  • Patent number: 9985068
    Abstract: There is provided a solid state imaging device including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit that generates and accumulates a charge according to a received light amount, a charge accumulation unit that accumulates the generated charge, a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge of the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge accumulation unit, a charge holding unit that holds the charge to read out as a signal, and a second transfer transistor that transfers the charge of the charge accumulation unit to the charge holding unit, in which a gate electrode of the first transfer transistor is formed to be buried up to a predetermined depth from a semiconductor substrate interface, and the charge accumulation unit is formed in a longitudinally long shape to be extended in a depth direction along a side wall of the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor to be buried therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Taiichiro Watanabe, Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 9961284
    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 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiko Koga
  • Publication number: 20180076252
    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: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hideaki TOGASHI, Fumihiko KOGA, Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI, Shintarou HIRATA, Taiichiro WATANABE, Yoshihiro ANDO, Toyotaka KATAOKA, Satoshi KEINO, Yukio KANEDA
  • Publication number: 20170373107
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state image sensing device capable of restricting a deterioration in photoelectric conversion characteristic of a photoelectric conversion unit, and an electronic device. A solid-state image sensing device includes: a photoelectric conversion unit formed outside a semiconductor substrate; a charge holding unit for holding signal charges generated by the photoelectric conversion unit; a reset transistor for resetting the potential of the charge holding unit; a capacitance switching transistor connected to the charge holding unit and directed for switching the capacitance of the charge holding unit; and an additional capacitance device connected to the capacitance switching transistor. The present technology is applicable to solid-state image sensing devices and the like, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Fumihiko KOGA
  • Publication number: 20170338272
    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: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taiichiro WATANABE, Ryosuke NAKAMURA, Yusuke SATO, Fumihiko KOGA
  • Publication number: 20170287957
    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: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Wakano, Fumihiko Koga
  • Publication number: 20170257587
    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: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Keisuke HATANO, Fumihiko KOGA, Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI, Shinichiro IZAWA
  • Publication number: 20170243906
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate; a photodiode formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor having a gate electrode part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Ryosuke NAKAMURA, Fumihiko KOGA, Taiichiro WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170237916
    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: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Yorito Sakano, Takashi Abe, Keiji Mabuchi, Ryoji Suzuki, Hiroyuki Mori, Yoshiharu Kudoh, Fumihiko Koga, Takeshi Yanagita, Kazunobu Ota
  • Patent number: 9716122
    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: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Wakano, Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 9661194
    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: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yorito Sakano, Takashi Abe, Keiji Mabuchi, Ryoji Suzuki, Hiroyuki Mori, Yoshiharu Kudoh, Fumihiko Koga, Takeshi Yanagita, Kazunobu Ota
  • Patent number: 9634047
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate (21); a photodiode (11A, 11B) formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor (10) having a gate electrode (14) part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer (13) provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Nakamura, Fumihiko Koga, Taiichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9620539
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate (21); a photodiode (11A, 11B) formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor (10) having a gate electrode (14) part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer (13) provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Nakamura, Fumihiko Koga, Taiichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9590007
    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: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Wakano, Fumihiko Koga
  • Publication number: 20170047365
    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: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tatani, Fumihiko Koga, Takashi Nagano
  • Publication number: 20170040363
    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: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Wakano, Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 9559131
    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: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tatani, Fumihiko Koga, Takashi Nagano
  • Publication number: 20170019618
    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 27, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventor: Fumihiko KOGA