US 11,792,540 B2
Image sensor
Jaekyu Lee, Seongnam-si (KR); and Heesung Shim, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/145,460.
Application 18/145,460 is a continuation of application No. 17/476,220, filed on Sep. 15, 2021, granted, now 11,653,110.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0120524 (KR), filed on Sep. 18, 2020; and application No. 10-2021-0046094 (KR), filed on Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0122003 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 25/531 (2023.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/76 (2023.01); H04N 25/533 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/531 (2023.01) [H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14643 (2013.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of pixels comprising:
a photodiode;
a floating diffusion node configured to accumulate photocharges generated by the photodiode;
a first capacitor configured to store charges according to a voltage of the floating diffusion node which is reset;
a second capacitor configured to store charges according to a voltage of the floating diffusion node in which the photocharges are accumulated;
a first sampling transistor connected to a first output node and configured to sample charges to the first capacitor;
a second sampling transistor connected to the first output node and configured to sample charges to the second capacitor;
a first source follower configured to amplify a voltage of the floating diffusion node and output the amplified voltage to a second output node; and
a precharge transistor having one end connected to the second output node and configured to operate as a current source.