US 12,255,212 B2
Image sensor
Taeyoung Song, Hwaseong-si (KR); Eun Sub Shim, Hwaseong-si (KR); and Changhyun Park, Hwaseong-si (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/845,547.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0159834 (KR), filed on Nov. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0154945 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 27/146 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 27/14605 (2013.01) [H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14621 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array comprising pixels arranged in a row direction and a column direction; and
a plurality of metal lines, the plurality of metal lines comprising a first metal line, a second metal line, a third metal line and a fourth metal line,
wherein a first pixel provided in a first row of the pixel array comprises a first sub-pixel connected with the first metal line, a second sub-pixel connected with the second metal line, a third sub-pixel connected with the third metal line, and a fourth sub-pixel connected with the fourth metal line,
wherein, when a read-out operation is performed on the first pixel, signals applied to the first metal line, the second metal line, the third metal line and the fourth metal line are sequentially enabled,
wherein, based on the signals applied to the first metal line, the second metal line, the third metal line and the fourth metal line, at least a part of charges accumulated in the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, the third sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel is diffused to a first floating diffusion node,
wherein the first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are adjacent in the column direction, and
wherein the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel are adjacent in the row direction.