224-ke Saturation signal global shutter CMOS image sensor with in-pixel pinned storage and lateral overflow integration capacitor

Abstract

The required incorporation of an additional in-pixel retention node for global shutter complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors means that achieving a large saturation signal presents a challenge. This paper reports a 3.875-μm pixel single exposure global shutter CMOS image sensor with an in-pixel pinned storage (PST) and a lateral-overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC), which extends the saturation signal to 224 ke, thereby enabling the saturation signal per unit area to reach 14.9 ke/μm. This pixel can assure a large saturation signal by using a LOFIC for accumulation without degrading the image quality under dark and low illuminance conditions owing to the PST.