Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion element that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate and generates signal charges by photoelectric conversion; a first diffusion layer that holds signal charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion element; a capacitive element that holds signal charges overflowing from the photoelectric conversion element; an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal according to the signal charges in the first diffusion layer; a first contact that is connected to the first diffusion layer; a second contact that is connected to a gate of the amplifier transistor; and a first wire that connects the first contact and the second contact. A shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the first wire is less than a shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the capacitive element.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes pixel cells arranged in a matrix. Each pixel cell includes: a first photodiode that accumulates a signal charge generated by photoelectric conversion; a second photodiode that functions as a first holder that holds a signal charge that overflows from the first photodiode; a second holder; and a first transfer transistor that transfers the signal charge held in the second photodiode to the second holder.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first photoelectric converter which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second photoelectric converter different from the first photoelectric converter, which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate; and a capacitor which is disposed in the wiring layer and surrounds the first photoelectric converter in plan view. The capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is connected to one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion element that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate and generates signal charges by photoelectric conversion; a first diffusion layer that holds signal charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion element; a capacitive element that holds signal charges overflowing from the photoelectric conversion element; an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal according to the signal charges in the first diffusion layer; a first contact that is connected to the first diffusion layer; a second contact that is connected to a gate of the amplifier transistor; and a first wire that connects the first contact and the second contact. A shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the first wire is less than a shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the capacitive element.

Abstract: An imaging device having a semiconductor substrate including: a semiconductor region including an impurity of a first conductivity type, a first diffusion region that is in contact with the semiconductor region, that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, and that converts incident light into charges, and a second diffusion region that includes an impurity of the second conductivity type and that directly accumulates at least a part of the charges generated in the first diffusion region. The imaging device further includes a contact plug in contact with the second diffusion region, and a capacitive element electrically connected to the second diffusion region through the contact plug.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor region including an impurity of a first conductivity type, a first diffusion region that is in contact with the semiconductor region, that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type, and that converts incident light into charges, and a second diffusion region that includes an impurity of the second conductivity type and that accumulates at least a part of the charges flowing from the first diffusion region, a first transistor that includes a first gate electrode and that includes the second diffusion region as one of a source and a drain, a contact plug electrically connected to the second diffusion region, a capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the contact plug, and a second transistor that includes a second gate electrode, the second gate electrode being electrically connected to the one end of the capacitive element.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes pixel cells arranged in a matrix. Each pixel cell includes: a first photodiode that accumulates a signal charge generated by photoelectric conversion; a second photodiode that functions as a first holder that holds a signal charge that overflows from the first photodiode; a second holder; and a first transfer transistor that transfers the signal charge held in the second photodiode to the second holder.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: an overflow element group that accumulates a signal charge that overflows from a photodiode; and a floating diffusion layer that selectively holds a signal charge transferred from the photodiode and a signal charge transferred from the overflow element group. The overflow element group includes m groups (m?2) connected in series in stages, each group including an overflow element and a storage capacitive element. An overflow element among the groups transfers, to the storage capacitive element included in the same group as the overflow element, a signal charge that overflows from the photodiode or a signal charge from an upstream storage capacitive element among the groups.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first photoelectric converter which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second photoelectric converter different from the first photoelectric converter, which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate; and a capacitor which is disposed in the wiring layer and surrounds the first photoelectric converter in plan view. The capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is connected to one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of high-sensitivity pixels that are arranged in a matrix, and perform a photoelectric conversion at a predetermined sensitivity; a plurality of low-sensitivity pixels that are arranged in a matrix in gaps between the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels, and perform a photoelectric conversion at a lower sensitivity than the predetermined sensitivity; and a signal processor that generates a pixel signal by (i) detecting a difference signal between a signal from the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels and a signal from the plurality of low-sensitivity pixels, and (ii) correcting the signal from the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels using the difference signal.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first photoelectric converter which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second photoelectric converter different from the first photoelectric converter, which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate; and a capacitor which is disposed in the wiring layer and surrounds the first photoelectric converter in plan view. The capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is connected to one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel including a photoelectric converter that generates a charge and a charge accumulator that converts the charge into a voltage; a controller that causes the pixel to perform exposure in a first exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a first gain to output a first pixel signal, and causes the pixel to perform exposure in a second exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a second gain to output a second pixel signal, the second exposure mode being shorter in exposure time than the first exposure mode, and the second gain being lower than the first gain; and a signal processor that synthesizes the second pixel signal after amplification and the first pixel signal.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor region including an impurity of a first conductivity type, a first diffusion region that is in contact with the semiconductor region, that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type, and that converts incident light into charges, and a second diffusion region that includes an impurity of the second conductivity type and that accumulates at least a part of the charges flowing from the first diffusion region, a first transistor that includes a first gate electrode and that includes the second diffusion region as one of a source and a drain, a contact plug electrically connected to the second diffusion region, a capacitive element one end of which is electrically connected to the contact plug, and a second transistor that includes a second gate electrode, the second gate electrode being electrically connected to the one end of the capacitive element.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in rows and columns; a plurality of column signal lines which are provided in one-to-one correspondence with pixel columns; a column processor including a plurality of column AD circuits provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of column signal lines; a power supply variation detector which is connected to a power supply wire through which a power supply voltage is transmitted to each of the pixels, and which detects, in correspondence with pixel rows, power supply variation components attributed to variations in the power supply voltage; and a power supply variation corrector which corrects, for each of the pixel rows, a pixel signal detected by the column processor, using the power supply variation components detected by the power supply variation detector.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array, a column processor, and a test signal generating circuit that generates a first digital signal for testing purposes. The test signal generating circuit generates the first digital signal within one horizontal scanning period. The column processor converts a first analog signal, that is converted from the first digital signal, to a second digital signal within the one horizontal scanning period.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of high-sensitivity pixels that are arranged in a matrix, and perform a photoelectric conversion at a predetermined sensitivity; a plurality of low-sensitivity pixels that are arranged in a matrix in gaps between the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels, and perform a photoelectric conversion at a lower sensitivity than the predetermined sensitivity; and a signal processor that generates a pixel signal by (i) detecting a difference signal between a signal from the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels and a signal from the plurality of low-sensitivity pixels, and (ii) correcting the signal from the plurality of high-sensitivity pixels using the difference signal.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array, a column processor, and a test signal generating circuit that generates a first digital signal for testing purposes. The test signal generating circuit generates the first digital signal within one horizontal scanning period. The column processor converts a first analog signal, that is converted from the first digital signal, to a second digital signal within the one horizontal scanning period.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; photoelectric converters which are disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate; and at least one capacitor disposed in the wiring layer. The at least one capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. At least part of the dielectric layer has a trench shape disposed between two adjacent photoelectric converters out of the photoelectric converters in plan view. At least one electrode selected from the group consisting of the first electrode and the second electrode has light-shielding properties.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first photoelectric converter which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a second photoelectric converter different from the first photoelectric converter, which is disposed in the semiconductor substrate; a wiring layer disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate; and a capacitor which is disposed in the wiring layer and surrounds the first photoelectric converter in plan view. The capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is connected to one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel including a photoelectric converter that generates a charge and a charge accumulator that converts the charge into a voltage; a controller that causes the pixel to perform exposure in a first exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a first gain to output a first pixel signal, and causes the pixel to perform exposure in a second exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a second gain to output a second pixel signal, the second exposure mode being shorter in exposure time than the first exposure mode, and the second gain being lower than the first gain; and a signal processor that synthesizes the second pixel signal after amplification and the first pixel signal.