US 12,225,302 B2
Image sensor, image sensing system including the same, and method for sensing an image
Kyoung Hwan Moon, Suwon-si (KR); Ji Hoon Kim, Suwon-si (KR); and Young Jun Lee, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/224,611.
Application 18/224,611 is a continuation of application No. 17/579,887, filed on Jan. 20, 2022, granted, now 11,711,624.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0064095 (KR), filed on May 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0362502 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 25/46 (2023.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 25/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/46 (2023.01) [H01L 27/14621 (2013.01); H01L 27/14627 (2013.01); H01L 27/1463 (2013.01); H01L 27/14636 (2013.01); H01L 27/1464 (2013.01); H01L 27/14645 (2013.01); H04N 25/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor, comprising:
a substrate;
a pixel defining pattern disposed within the substrate and formed in a mesh form, wherein the pixel defining pattern defines each of a plurality of pixel areas along the mesh form;
a first division pattern extending along a first direction for dividing at least one pixel area among the plurality of pixel areas into two half portions;
a second division pattern extending along a second direction for dividing the at least one pixel area into two half portions, wherein the second direction intersects the first direction;
a first diagonal division pattern extending along a first diagonal direction for dividing the at least one pixel area into two half portions, wherein the first diagonal direction intersects the first direction and the second direction;
first and second photodiodes disposed in the at least one pixel area and between the first division pattern and the first diagonal division pattern, wherein the first and second photodiodes are separated from each other by the first division pattern and the first diagonal division pattern; and
third and fourth photodiodes disposed in the at least one pixel area; and between the second division pattern and the first diagonal division pattern, wherein the third and fourth photodiodes are separated from each other by the second division pattern and the first diagonal division pattern, wherein:
the first photodiode and the third photodiode are separated from each other we by the first diagonal division pattern and are disposed adjacent to each other,
the second photodiode and the fourth photodiode are separated from each other wise by the first diagonal division pattern and are disposed adjacent to each other, and
in a first operation mode, a first binning operation is performed based on a first sensed signal generated from the first photodiode and a third sensed signal generated from the third photodiode, and a second binning operation is performed based on a second sensed signal generated from the second photodiode and a fourth sensed signal generated from the fourth photodiode.