Patents by Inventor Takeshi Ichikawa

Takeshi Ichikawa 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: 9344653
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9293493
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus at least includes an insulating film, a plurality of high-refractive-index members provided so as to correspond respectively to individual photoelectric conversion portions, being surrounded by the insulating film and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and a high-refractive-index film provided on the insulating film so as to connect the plurality of high-refractive-index members to one another and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and lens portions lying next to each other from among a plurality of lens portions border each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Masaki Kurihara, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine, Mahito Shinohara, Taro Kato, Genzo Momma
  • Patent number: 9263487
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taro Kato, Mineo Shimotsusa, Hiroaki Sano, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine, Mahito Shinohara, Genzo Momma
  • Publication number: 20160027825
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type provided on a substrate by an epitaxial growth method, a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type provided on the first semiconductor region, and a third semiconductor region of a second conductivity type provided in the second semiconductor region so as to form a pn junction with the second semiconductor region, wherein the first semiconductor region is formed such that an impurity concentration decreases from a side of the substrate to a side of the third semiconductor region, and an impurity concentration distribution in the second semiconductor region is formed by an ion implantation method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Takashi Moriyama, Masaaki Minowa, Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20160013236
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9178081
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9143247
    Abstract: A wireless communication method and apparatus that produce only a small amount of transmission delay even when carrier sensing is performed. Intensity indication data indicating the radio wave intensity of a received wireless signal is generated. The intensity indication data is intermittently captured and retained. An average of the retained intensity indication data is calculated. If the average is less than or equal to a threshold, a wireless transmission operation is enabled. The average is calculated with a frequency according to the frequency of capturing of the intensity indication data. The average and the threshold are compared at a frequency corresponding to the frequency of calculation of the average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20150264243
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus performs a global electronic shutter operation in which exposure periods of a plurality of pixels coincide with one another. In a first period in which a photoelectric conversion unit of at least one of the pixels stores charge, signals based on charges stored in holding units of the pixels are successively output to output lines. In a second period after the output of the signals from the pixels is terminated, the holding units of the pixels hold charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20150264287
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20150264244
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs a global electronic shutter operation in which a plurality of pixels are exposed during the same exposure period. In a first period, charge is accumulated by a photoelectric conversion unit. In a second period, accumulation units of a plurality of pixels accumulate charge. A ratio of saturation charge quantity of the photoelectric conversion unit to saturation charge quantity of the accumulation unit has a certain relationship with a ratio of a length of the first period to the sum of the length of the first period and the length of the second period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20150264283
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion portion, a charge holding portion accumulating a signal charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion portion, and a floating diffusion region to which the signal charge of the charge holding portion is transferred, wherein the photoelectric conversion portion includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed under the first semiconductor region, the charge holding portion includes a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, and a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type formed under the third semiconductor region, and a p-n junction between the third semiconductor region and the fourth semiconductor region is positioned deeper than a p-n junction between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Takeshi Ichikawa, Hirofumi Totsuka, Yusuke Onuki
  • Publication number: 20150221687
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal charge in accordance with an incident light, and a second semiconductor substrate including a signal processing unit for processing an electrical signal on the basis of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is situated in an orthogonal projection area from the photoelectric conversion unit to the second semiconductor substrate. A multilayer film including a plurality of insulator layers is provided between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is smaller than 500 micrometers. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is greater than the distance from the second semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving surface of the first semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Patent number: 9091993
    Abstract: Provided is a post-processing device including a transport path that includes a first transport path which is bent in one direction and a second transport path which is continuous from the first transport path and is bent in the other direction, and that is directed vertically downward while being bent, a first processing unit that is disposed in the first transport path, a second processing unit that is disposed in the second transport path, and a third transport path that is continuous from the second transport path and that is directed vertically upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Sakuma, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9083908
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus including a plurality of pixels each including: a first holding portion for holding signal carriers from a photoelectric conversion portion; an amplifying portion for amplifying and reading a signal based on the signal carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion portion; and a carrier discharging control portion for discharging charge carriers in the photoelectric conversion portion to an OFD region, and having a carrier path between the photoelectric conversion portion and the first carrier holding portion, in which the solid-state imaging apparatus further includes a second carrier holding portion electrically connected with the first carrier portion in parallel through a first transfer unit, when viewed from an output node of the photoelectric conversion portion, thereby smoothing an movie imaging without causing discontinuous frame while suppressing generation of noise mixing into the charge carrier holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichiro Yamashita, Masahiro Kobayashi, Takanori Watanabe, Shinsuke Kojima, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yusuke Onuki
  • Publication number: 20150179694
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus including a first substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a second substrate having a plurality of readout circuits. The first substrate is provided with a plurality of first conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another and the second substrate is provided with a plurality of second conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another. The first conductive patterns each include a first partial pattern extending in a first direction. The second conductive patterns each include a partial pattern extending in a second direction different from the first direction. The first partial pattern has a length extending in the first direction longer than a length thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Mineo Shimotsusa, Genzo Momma
  • Publication number: 20150138388
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device. The device includes a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer gate electrode configured to transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion element, a second substrate having a peripheral circuit portion including a circuit configured to read a signal based charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element, the first and second substrates being laminated. The device further includes a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the first substrate, including an aluminum interconnect and a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the second substrate, including a copper interconnect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20150138404
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a signal processing unit configured to process signals read out from the pixels. In a first mode, a charge accumulation is controlled by an electronic shutter. In a second mode, the charge accumulation is controlled by a mechanical shutter. The signal processing unit corrects image data obtained from the plurality of pixels based on a signal obtained by the charge accumulation in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Michiko Johnson, Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideyuki Itoh, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9029241
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal charge in accordance with an incident light, and a second semiconductor substrate including a signal processing unit for processing an electrical signal on the basis of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is situated in an orthogonal projection area from the photoelectric conversion unit to the second semiconductor substrate. A multilayer film including a plurality of insulator layers is provided between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is smaller than 500 micrometers. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is greater than the distance from the second semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving surface of the first semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Patent number: 9020081
    Abstract: A diversity control method and a wireless communication apparatus which are capable of saving time and electricity consumed for diversity control if an approximation pattern approximating to a synchronization pattern appears in a reception signal during acquisition of the reception strength of every antenna by selecting any one of a plurality of antennas as a receiving antenna in every selection cycle, detection operation of a synchronization signal is continued regardless of the above described selection cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Lapis Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9000343
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus including a first substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a second substrate having a plurality of readout circuits. The first substrate is provided with a plurality of first conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another and the second substrate is provided with a plurality of second conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another. The first conductive patterns each include a first partial pattern extending in a first direction. The second conductive patterns each include a partial pattern extending in a second direction different from the first direction. The first partial pattern has a length extending in the first direction longer than a length thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Mineo Shimotsusa, Genzo Momma