17837534. IMAGE SENSOR simplified abstract (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)

IMAGE SENSOR

Organization Name

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor(s)

Chun-Hao Chuang of Hsinchu City 300 (TW)

Keng-Yu Chou of Kaohsiung City 807 (TW)

Cheng Yu Huang of Hsinchu (TW)

Wen-Hau Wu of New Taipei City (TW)

Wei-Chieh Chiang of Changhua County 510 (TW)

Chih-Kung Chang of Hsinchu County 310 (TW)

Tzu-Hsuan Hsu of Kaohsiung City 806 (TW)

IMAGE SENSOR - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17837534 titled 'IMAGE SENSOR

Simplified Explanation

The present disclosure describes a three-chip complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a method for forming the image sensor. The image sensor consists of three chips bonded together to form a complete system.

• The first chip includes image sensing elements, transfer transistors, and diffusion wells. These components are responsible for capturing and transferring the image data.
• The first chip also includes a shared ground node and deep trench isolation (DTI) structures. The shared ground node helps in maintaining a common reference point for all the image sensing elements, while the DTI structures provide isolation between adjacent image sensing elements.
• The second chip is bonded to the first chip and includes a source follower, a reset transistor, a row select transistor, and an in-pixel circuit. The source follower is connected to the diffusion wells and helps in amplifying the signal from the image sensing elements. The reset transistor and row select transistor control the readout process, and the in-pixel circuit performs additional processing on the image data.
• The third chip is bonded to the second chip and includes an application-specific circuit. This circuit is connected to the in-pixel circuit and can be customized for specific applications or functionalities.

Potential applications of this technology:

• Digital cameras and camcorders: The three-chip image sensor can be used in consumer electronic devices for capturing high-quality images and videos.
• Medical imaging: The image sensor can be utilized in medical devices such as endoscopes or ultrasound machines to capture detailed images for diagnostic purposes.
• Surveillance systems: The three-chip image sensor can be integrated into security cameras to provide enhanced image quality and advanced features like object recognition.

Problems solved by this technology:

• Improved image quality: The three-chip image sensor design allows for better control over the image capture process, resulting in higher resolution and reduced noise.
• Enhanced functionality: The inclusion of an application-specific circuit enables the image sensor to be customized for specific applications, providing additional features and capabilities.
• Efficient signal processing: The in-pixel circuit performs processing on the image data within each pixel, reducing the need for external processing and improving overall system efficiency.

Benefits of this technology:

• Higher image quality: The three-chip image sensor design, along with the inclusion of DTI structures, helps in reducing crosstalk between adjacent image sensing elements, resulting in sharper and more accurate images.
• Customizability: The presence of an application-specific circuit allows for the image sensor to be tailored to specific applications, providing flexibility and versatility.
• Improved efficiency: The in-pixel circuitry reduces the need for external processing, leading to faster image capture and reduced power consumption.

Original Abstract Submitted

The present disclosure describes a three-chip complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a method for forming the image sensor. The image sensor a first chip including a plurality of image sensing elements, transfer transistors and diffusion wells corresponding to the plurality of image sensing elements, a ground node shared by the plurality of image sensing elements, and deep trench isolation (DTI) structures extending from the shared ground node and between adjacent image sensing elements of the plurality of image sensing elements. The image sensor further includes a second chip bonded to the first chip and including a source follower, a reset transistor, a row select transistor, and an in-pixel circuit, where the source follower is electrically coupled to the diffusion wells. The image sensor further includes a third chip bonded to the second chip and including an application-specific circuit, where the application-specific circuit is electrically coupled to the in-pixel circuit.