A Rollingshutter Distortionfree 3D Stacked Image Sensor With 160Db Parasitic Light Sensitivity Inpixel Storage Node

doi: 10.1109/ISSCC.2013.6487824
title: A rolling-shutter distortion-free 3D stacked image sensor with −160dB parasitic light sensitivity in-pixel storage node
publisher: IEEE
isbn: 978-1-4673-4514-9
issn: 2376-8606
partnum: 13CH39026
rank: 1266
access_type: LOCKED
content_type: Conferences
abstract: Conventional CMOS image sensors widely used in products currently on the market are mainly equipped with a rolling exposure function. This rolling exposure causes so-called “Jell-o effect” distortion when capturing a moving target. CMOS image sensors with a global-shutter function are one of the solutions to avoid this distortion. An in-pixel storage node is required to create a global-shutter CMOS image sensor. A floating diffusion and an additional capacitor can be used as an in-pixel storage node [1,2]. The light sensitivity of the in-pixel storage node is specified by the parasitic light sensitivity (PLS), which is the ratio of the light sensitivity of an in-pixel storage node and the light sensitivity of a photodiode. The PLS should be small enough so that the in-pixel storage is not light-sensitive. Artifacts are captured in an image from bright moving objects during read-out if the PLS is not small enough. The PLS of reported global-shutter CMOS image sensors is around -100dB. That would be small enough to use those image sensors in fields where the light source can be controlled. However, for DSC usage, users can easily encounter scenes with bright objects (e.g. sunlight or car headlights). Even if the in-pixel storage node is light-shielded, it is difficult to perfectly protect the in-pixel storage node from photo-generated carriers, as long as the in-pixel storage node and a photodiode are on the same silicon substrate. Meanwhile, 3D stacking technologies have been introduced for image sensors to give them more functionality and improved performance [3,4]. The reported minimum interconnection pitches for image sensors are over 20μm. These technologies do not fit the smaller pixel pitches of the image sensors in recent DSCs. In this paper, we report a rolling-shutter distortion-free 3D stacked image sensor with an in-pixel storage node of -160dB parasitic light sensitivity. The image sensor virtually achieves a global-shutter function using a 4-times frame-shutter operation. The image sensor has 2 semiconductor substrates, where 1 substrate has a backside-illuminated photodiode array and the other a storage-node array. The image sensor achieves a PLS level of -160dB. The image sensor has 8.6μm pitched interconnections, and an interconnection yield of over 99.9% is achieved.
article_number: 6487824
pdf_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6487824
html_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6487824/
abstract_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6487824/
publication_title: 2013 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference Digest of Technical Papers
conference_location: San Francisco, CA, USA
conference_dates: 17-21 Feb. 2013
publication_number: 6480926
is_number: 6487590
publication_year: 2013
publication_date: 17-21 Feb. 2013
start_page: 482
end_page: 483
citing_paper_count: 25
citing_patent_count: 40
download_count: 1951
insert_date: 20130328
index_terms:
- ieee_terms:
  - Image sensors
  - Transistors
  - Substrates
  - Capacitors
  - Photodiodes
  - Sensitivity
  - Arrays
- dynamic_index_terms:
  - Image Sensor
  - Camera Sensor
  - Light Sensitivity
  - Photophobic
  - 3D Stacks
  - Storage Nodes
  - Parasitic Light Sensitivity
  - Light Source
  - Photodiode
  - Silicon Substrate
  - Sensitivity Ratio
  - Photo-generated Carriers
  - Bottom Substrate
  - Pixel Pitch
  - Additional Capacitance
  - Bright Objects
  - Top Substrate
  - Constant Current Source
  - Semiconductor Substrate
  - Rolling Shutter
isbn_formats:
- format: CD, value: 978-1-4673-4514-9, isbnType: New-2005
- format: Print ISBN, value: 978-1-4673-4515-6, isbnType: New-2005
- format: Electronic ISBN, value: 978-1-4673-4516-3, isbnType: New-2005
authors:
- Author Name: Jun Aoki
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580604600
  ID: 38580604600
  Order: 1
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Yoshiaki Takemoto
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580405800
  ID: 38580405800
  Order: 2
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Kenji Kobayashi
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580394400
  ID: 38580394400
  Order: 3
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Naofumi Sakaguchi
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37088697132
  ID: 37088697132
  Order: 4
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Mitsuhiro Tsukimura
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580642400
  ID: 38580642400
  Order: 5
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Naohiro Takazawa
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580817300
  ID: 38580817300
  Order: 6
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Hideki Kato
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580817000
  ID: 38580817000
  Order: 7
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Toru Kondo
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580503300
  ID: 38580503300
  Order: 8
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Haruhisa Saito
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580946000
  ID: 38580946000
  Order: 9
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Yuichi Gomi
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/38580547200
  ID: 38580547200
  Order: 10
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
- Author Name: Yoshitaka Tadaki
  Affiliation: Olympus, Hachioji, Japan
  Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37352870600
  ID: 37352870600
  Order: 11
  Author Affiliations:
  - Olympus, Hachioji, Japan

Image Sensor

sensor_type: CMOS
resolution: 704(H) x 512(V)
dynamic_range: Not explicitly stated, but indicated as having high dynamic range due to PLS of -160dB
pixel_size: 4.3μm
dark_current: Not specified in the text.

Optical Data

focal_length: Not specified in the text.
aperture: Not specified in the text.
field_of_view: Not specified in the text.
distortion: Rolling shutter distortion is avoided by the sensor design.

Performance Metrics

frame_rate: Not specified, but operates in less than 100μs for the 4-times frame-shutter operation
signal_to_noise_ratio: Not explicitly mentioned
sensitivity: Peak QE of 70% achieved
shutter_speed: Managed through a 4-times frame-shutter operation
power_consumption: Not specified in the text.
noise: Noise level specifics not stated, but a noise-cancelled signal level is achieved.

Applications & Benefits

cell_imaging: Not explicitly mentioned but applies to general imaging applications including DSC usage.
benefits: Achieves rolling shutter distortion-free imaging with a global shutter function.

Supporting Organizations

supported_by: Olympus

Manuscript Details

publication_date: 17-21 Feb. 2013

Relevancy Score

score: 9
missing_fields:
- power_consumption
- dark_current
- focal_length
- aperture
- field_of_view
- noise_sources

Processed JSON Filename

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