US 11,985,438 B2
Pixel array including dark pixel sensors
Feng-Chien Hsieh, Pingtung (TW); Yun-Wei Cheng, Taipei (TW); and Kuo-Cheng Lee, Tainan (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/249,915.
Prior Publication US 2022/0303481 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 25/633 (2023.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 17/00 (2006.01); H04N 25/63 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/633 (2023.01) [H01L 27/14623 (2013.01); H01L 27/14685 (2013.01); H04N 17/002 (2013.01); H04N 25/63 (2023.01); H01L 27/14627 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pixel array, comprising:
a plurality of visible light pixel sensors configured to generate visible light information; and
a plurality of dark pixel sensors configured to generate dark current calibration information,
wherein each dark pixel sensor, of the plurality of dark pixel sensors, is configured to generate a subset of the dark current calibration information to be used for individually calibrating a single respective visible light pixel sensor of the plurality of visible light pixel sensors,
wherein the plurality of visible light pixel sensors comprise a two-dimensional array of non-contiguous groups of visible light pixel sensors, and
wherein each of the non-contiguous groups of visible light pixel sensors are surrounded by a border of dark pixel sensors of the plurality of dark pixel sensors.