Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Ishiwata

Hiroaki Ishiwata 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: 20130341748
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, includes: plural unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion portion converting incident light into an electrical signal, and a waveguide having a quadratic curve surface at an inner surface and introducing the incident light to the photoelectric conversion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Kumagai, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 8570412
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes a pixel array, as well as charge-to-voltage converters, reset gates, and amplifiers each shared by a plurality of pixels in the array. The voltage level of the reset gate power supply is set higher than the voltage level of the amplifier power supply. Additionally, charge overflowing from photodetectors in the pixels may be discarded into the charge-to-voltage converters. The image sensor may also include a row scanner configured such that, while scanning a row in the pixel array to read out signals therefrom, the row scanner resets the charge in the photodetectors of the pixels sharing a charge-to-voltage converter with pixels on the readout row. The charge reset is conducted simultaneously with or prior to reading out the signals from the pixels on the readout row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yanagita, Keiji Mabuchi, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 8547459
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, includes: plural unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion portion converting incident light into an electrical signal, and a waveguide having a quadratic curve surface at an inner surface and introducing the incident light to the photoelectric conversion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Kumagai, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20130250153
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: photodiodes formed for pixels arranged on a light sensing surface of a semiconductor substrate; a signal reading unit formed on the semiconductor substrate to read a signal charge or a voltage; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and including optical waveguides; color filters formed on the insulating film; and on-chip lenses formed on the color filters. The first and second pixel combinations are alternately arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, the first pixel combination having a layout in which two green pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions and a total of four pixels are arranged, the second pixel combination having a layout in which two pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, a total of four pixels are arranged, and two red pixels and two blue pixels are arranged cater cornered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Patent number: 8446498
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: photodiodes formed for pixels arranged on a light sensing surface of a semiconductor substrate; a signal reading unit formed on the semiconductor substrate to read a signal charge or a voltage; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and including optical waveguides; color filters formed on the insulating film; and on-chip lenses formed on the color filters. The first and second pixel combinations are alternately arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, the first pixel combination having a layout in which two green pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions and a total of four pixels are arranged, the second pixel combination having a layout in which two pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, a total of four pixels are arranged, and two red pixels and two blue pixels are arranged cater cornered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Publication number: 20130049081
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solid-state image sensing device including: a first photoelectric conversion element having a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type formed inside a semiconductor substrate; a second photoelectric conversion element having a second semiconductor region of a first conductivity type formed at a deeper position of the semiconductor substrate than the first photoelectric conversion element; a gate electrode laminated on the semiconductor substrate and to which a predetermined voltage is applied at a charge transfer time; a floating diffusion region to which the charges accumulated in the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element are transferred at the charge transfer time; and a third semiconductor region of a first conductivity type arranged between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region in a depth direction of the semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Moriya, Hiroaki Ishiwata, Kazuyoshi Yamashita, Hiroyuki Mori
  • Patent number: 8288770
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed. In the solid-state imaging device, plural unit areas, each having a photoelectric conversion region converting incident light into electric signals are provided adjacently, in which each photoelectric conversion region is provided being deviated from the central position of each unit area to a boundary position between the plural unit areas, a high refractive index material layer is arranged over the deviated photoelectric conversion region, and a low refractive index material layer is provided over the photoelectric conversion regions at the inverse side of the deviated direction being adjacent to the high refractive index material layer, and optical paths of the incident light are changed by the high refractive index material layer and the low refractive index material layer, and the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Kido, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 8134620
    Abstract: A solid-state image device including a pixel-array section forming an image pick-up region and a wiring layer including wiring lines and contact units. In one embodiment, each of the contact units and wiring lines is provided for a respective pixel in the pixel-array section, and the image-pickup region is divided into a first region and a second region with respect to a central portion of the image-pickup region. Further, positions of contact units and wiring lines arranged in the first region are opposite to positions of corresponding contact units and wiring lines arranged in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20110304000
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device of a type wherein a pixel is configured to include a sensor unit capable of photoelectric conversion, the image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate; a charge storage region of a first conduction type, which is formed in the semiconductor substrate and constitutes a sensor unit; a charge storage sub-region made of an impurity region of the first conduction type, which is formed, in plural layers, in the semiconductor substrate below the charge storage region serving as a main charge storage region and wherein at least one or more of the plural layers are formed entirely across a pixel; and a device isolation region that is formed in the semiconductor substrate, isolates pixels from one another, and is made of an impurity region of a second conduction type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiro Kubo, Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Publication number: 20110298078
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for producing a solid-state imaging element which has pixels, each including a sensor section that performs photoelectric conversion and a charge transfer section that transfers charges generated by the sensor section. The method includes: forming an impurity region of the first conduction type and a second impurity region of the second conduction type on the impurity region of the first conduction type by ion implantation by using the same mask; forming on the surface of the semiconductor substrate a transfer gate constituting the charge transfer section which extends over the second impurity region of the second conduction type; forming a charge accumulating region of the first conduction type constituting the sensor section by ion implantation; and forming a first impurity region of the second conduction type, which has a higher impurity concentration than the second impurity region of the second conduction type, by ion implantation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sanghoon Ha, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20110298022
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device and method for manufacturing the same. The solid-state image pickup device includes a substrate, a first charge accumulation region formed within the substrate, a first impurity region formed within the substrate and located above the charge accumulation region, and a gate electrode disposed on a surface of the substrate which is closer to the first impurity region. Further, a portion of the first impurity region and the charge accumulation region extend underneath a portion of the gate electrode, and edges of the charge accumulation region and first impurity region which lie underneath the gate electrode are in registry with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: SANGHOOM HA, HIROAKI ISHIWATA
  • Publication number: 20110273597
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20110019041
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: photodiodes formed for pixels arranged on a light sensing surface of a semiconductor substrate; a signal reading unit formed on the semiconductor substrate to read a signal charge or a voltage; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and including optical waveguides; color filters formed on the insulating film; and on-chip lenses formed on the color filters. The first and second pixel combinations are alternately arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, the first pixel combination having a layout in which two green pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions and a total of four pixels are arranged, the second pixel combination having a layout in which two pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, a total of four pixels are arranged, and two red pixels and two blue pixels are arranged cater cornered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki ISHIWATA, Sanghoon HA
  • Publication number: 20100321616
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: first green pixels; and second green pixels adjacent to the respective first green pixels in a first direction, which is the direction in which electric charge accumulated in the pixels is read, wherein the dimension of the first and second green pixels in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is twice the dimension of the first and second green pixels in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sanghoon Ha, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20100225792
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, includes: plural unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion portion converting incident light into an electrical signal, and a waveguide having a quadratic curve surface at an inner surface and introducing the incident light to the photoelectric conversion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Kumagai, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20100097508
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes a pixel array, as well as charge-to-voltage converters, reset gates, and amplifiers each shared by a plurality of pixels in the array. The voltage level of the reset gate power supply is set higher than the voltage level of the amplifier power supply. Additionally, charge overflowing from photodetectors in the pixels may be discarded into the charge-to-voltage converters. The image sensor may also include a row scanner configured such that, while scanning a row in the pixel array to read out signals therefrom, the row scanner resets the charge in the photodetectors of the pixels sharing a charge-to-voltage converter with pixels on the readout row. The charge reset is conducted simultaneously with or prior to reading out the signals from the pixels on the readout row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yanagita, Keiji Mabuchi, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20100091156
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed. In the solid-state imaging device, plural unit areas, each having a photoelectric conversion region converting incident light into electric signals are provided adjacently, in which each photoelectric conversion region is provided being deviated from the central position of each unit area to a boundary position between the plural unit areas, a high refractive index material layer is arranged over the deviated photoelectric conversion region, and a low refractive index material layer is provided over the photoelectric conversion regions at the inverse side of the deviated direction being adjacent to the high refractive index material layer, and optical paths of the incident light are changed by the high refractive index material layer and the low refractive index material layer, and the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo KIDO, Hiroaki ISHIWATA
  • Publication number: 20100039545
    Abstract: Pupil correction is performed on wiring lines with a high flexibility by improving an arrangement structure of wiring layers. An image-pickup region is divided in two, the left and right sides. Regarding wiring lines at the position of a pixel that is arranged on the left side (the ?X side) with respect to the center of the image-pickup region, a contact unit 31 and a wiring line 32 are arranged on the left side, and a vertical signal line 28 is arranged on the right side. Additionally, regarding wiring lines at the position of a pixel that is arranged on the right side (the +X side) with respect to the center of the image-pickup region, a contact unit 31 and a wiring line 32 are arranged on the right side, and a vertical signal line 28 is arranged on the left side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 7638804
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed. In the solid-state imaging device, plural unit areas, each having a photoelectric conversion region converting incident light into electric signals are provided adjacently, in which each photoelectric conversion region is provided being deviated from the central position of each unit area to a boundary position between the plural unit areas, a high refractive index material layer is arranged over the deviated photoelectric conversion region, and a low refractive index material layer is provided over the photoelectric conversion regions at the inverse side of the deviated direction being adjacent to the high refractive index material layer, and optical paths of the incident light are changed by the high refractive index material layer and the low refractive index material layer, and the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Kido, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20070215912
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed. In the solid-state imaging device, plural unit areas, each having a photoelectric conversion region converting incident light into electric signals are provided adjacently, in which each photoelectric conversion region is provided being deviated from the central position of each unit area to a boundary position between the plural unit areas, a high refractive index material layer is arranged over the deviated photoelectric conversion region, and a low refractive index material layer is provided over the photoelectric conversion regions at the inverse side of the deviated direction being adjacent to the high refractive index material layer, and optical paths of the incident light are changed by the high refractive index material layer and the low refractive index material layer, and the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Hideo Kido, Hiroaki Ishiwata