US 11,658,202 B2
Dual row select pixel for fast pixel binning
Tiejun Dai, Santa Clara, CA (US); Hiroaki Ebihara, San Jose, CA (US); Sang Joo Lee, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Rui Wang, San Jose, CA (US); and Hiroki Ui, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to OmniVision Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/66,200.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/025,883, filed on May 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0360175 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. H04N 5/232 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H01L 27/148 (2006.01); H04N 23/84 (2023.01); H04N 25/13 (2023.01); H04N 25/46 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)
CPC H01L 27/14645 (2013.01) [H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14641 (2013.01); H01L 27/14812 (2013.01); H01L 27/14831 (2013.01); H01L 27/14868 (2013.01); H04N 23/84 (2023.01); H04N 25/13 (2023.01); H04N 25/46 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H01L 27/14621 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pixel array, comprising:
a plurality of pixel cells arranged into rows and columns, wherein each of the pixel cells is configured to generate a respective image signal in response to incident light, wherein each of the pixel cells includes:
a plurality of photodiodes configured to generate image charge in response to the incident light;
a first floating diffusion coupled to receive the image charge generated by the plurality of photodiodes;
a source follower transistor coupled to the first floating diffusion to generate the respective image signal in response to the image charge in the first floating diffusion; and
a first row select transistor coupled to the source follower transistor to output the respective image signal of said each of the pixel cells; and
a plurality of column bitlines including a first column bitline and a second column bitline, wherein the first column bitline is a single bitline and the second column bitline is a single bitline, wherein the pixel cells are organized into columns of pixel cells including a first column and a second column, wherein each of the first row select transistors of the pixel cells in the first column is coupled to the first column bitline, wherein each of the first row select transistors of the pixel cells in the second column is coupled to the second column bitline, and
wherein a second pixel cell in a first row of the pixel array in the second column further comprises a second row select transistor coupled to the source follower transistor of the second pixel cell to output the respective image signal of said second pixel cell in the first row of the pixel array in the second column,
wherein a first pixel cell in the first row of the pixel array in the first column further comprises a second row select transistor coupled to the source follower transistor of the first pixel cell to output the respective image signal of said first pixel cell in the first row of the pixel array in the first column, wherein the second row select transistor of the first pixel cell in the first row of the pixel array in the first column and the second row select transistor of the second pixel cell in the first row of the pixel array in the second column are both directly coupled to a same one of the first column bitline or the second column bitline,
wherein a fourth pixel cell in a second row of the pixel array in the second column further comprises a second row select transistor coupled to a source follower transistor of the fourth pixel cell to output the respective image signal of said fourth pixel cell in the second row of the pixel array in the second column, and
wherein a third pixel cell in the second row of the pixel array in the first column further comprises a second row select transistor coupled to a source follower transistor of the third pixel cell to output the respective image signal of said third pixel cell in the second row of the pixel array in the first column, and wherein the second row select transistor of the third pixel cell in the second row of the pixel array in the first column and the second row select transistor of the fourth pixel cell in the second row of the pixel array in the second column are both directly coupled to a same other one of the first column bitline or the second column bitline.