US 12,013,489 B2
Light receiving device
Nobuo Nakamura, Kanagawa (JP); Yoshiki Ebiko, Kanagawa (JP); Suzunori Endo, Kanagawa (JP); Nobuhiro Kawai, Kanagawa (JP); Fumihiko Koga, Kanagawa (JP); Sozo Yokogawa, Kanagawa (JP); Yuhi Yorikado, Kanagawa (JP); and Hayato Wakabayashi, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 17/782,882
Filed by SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 11, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/046436
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/125116, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-227817 (JP), filed on Dec. 18, 2019; and application No. 2020-166686 (JP), filed on Oct. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0373653 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/08 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 23/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/79 (2023.01)
CPC G01S 7/4816 (2013.01) [G01S 17/08 (2013.01); H01L 27/14607 (2013.01); H01L 27/14614 (2013.01); H01L 27/14645 (2013.01); H01L 27/14649 (2013.01); H04N 23/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/79 (2023.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light receiving device comprising a light receiving unit that includes a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a row direction and a column direction on a semiconductor substrate, wherein
each of the light receiving elements includes:
a first photoelectric conversion unit that converts light into electric charges;
a first electric charge storage unit to which the electric charges are transferred from the first photoelectric conversion unit;
a first distribution gate that distributes the electric charges from the first photoelectric conversion unit to the first electric charge storage unit;
a second electric charge storage unit to which the electric charges are transferred from the first photoelectric conversion unit; and
a second distribution gate that distributes the electric charges from the first photoelectric conversion unit to the second electric charge storage unit, and
the first and second distribution gates are provided at positions axially symmetric to each other with respect to a first center axis extending so as to pass through the center of the first photoelectric conversion unit, in a direction intersecting the column direction at a predetermined angle, when viewed from above the semiconductor substrate,
wherein each of the light receiving elements further includes first and second discharge gates that discharge the electric charges in the first photoelectric conversion unit, and
the first and second discharge gates are provided at positions axially symmetric to each other with respect to a second center axis orthogonal to the first center axis so as to pass through the center of the first photoelectric conversion unit, when viewed from above the semiconductor substrate.