公开(公告)号：US11156700B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-26

申请号：US16097664

申请日：2017-04-19

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Akihiro Shimada ,  Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Takashi Suzuki

IPC: H01L27/14 ,  G01S7/486 ,  H04N5/369 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H01L27/144 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a distance sensor that reduces a difference in amounts of current injected into each of plural charge collection regions prepared for one photosensitive region in order to avoid saturation caused by disturbance light. A current injection circuit injecting current into each charge collection region includes a voltage generation circuit generating a control voltage for adjustment of the injected current amount, and the voltage generation circuit generates the control voltage corresponding to a large amount of charge between the charge amounts of storage nodes coupled, respectively, to the charge collection regions. Meanwhile, a cascode device is disposed between a transistor configured to adjust the amount of current according to the control voltage and the storage node, and a potential of a current output end of the transistor and a potential of the storage node are separated.

公开(公告)号：US11215698B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-04

申请号：US16322664

申请日：2017-05-30

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: H01L27/00 ,  G01S7/481 ,  H04N5/369 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: A range sensor includes a silicon substrate and a transfer electrode. The silicon substrate includes a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposing each other. The silicon substrate is provided with a charge generation region configured to generate a charge in response to incident light and a charge collection region configured to collect charges from the charge generation region, on the first principal surface side. The transfer electrode is disposed between the charge generation region and the charge collection region on the first principal surface. A region of the second principal surface corresponding at least to the charge generation region is formed with a plurality of protrusions. The plurality of protrusions includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the silicon substrate. A (111) plane of the silicon substrate is exposed as the slope at the protrusion. A height of the protrusion is 200 nm or more.

公开(公告)号：US11054522B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-06

申请号：US15316935

申请日：2015-05-28

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H01L27/146 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865

Abstract: In accordance with an irradiation position of pulsed light, a selecting unit outputs a first transfer signal to a first transfer electrodes and outputs a second transfer signal to a second transfer electrodes, to allow signal charges to flow into first and second signal charge-collecting regions of a pixel corresponding to the irradiation position, and outputs a third transfer signal to a third transfer electrodes to allow unnecessary charges to flow into an unnecessary charge-discharging regions of a pixel other than the pixel corresponding to the irradiation position. An arithmetic unit reads out signals corresponding to respective quantities of signal charges collected in the first and second signal charge-collecting regions of the pixel selected by the selecting unit, and calculates a distance to an object based on a ratio between a quantity of signal charges collected in the first signal charge-collecting regions and a quantity of signal charges collected in the second signal charge-collecting regions.

公开(公告)号：US10684371B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-16

申请号：US15502031

申请日：2015-08-04

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01C3/06 ,  G01S7/4914 ,  G01S7/4915 ,  H01L27/146 ,  G01S17/36 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H01L31/113 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H04N5/376

Abstract: A ranging method uses a light source and a range sensor. The range sensor includes a charge-generating area and first and second charge-accumulating areas. Charges generated in the charge-generating area are transferred to the first charge-accumulating area during a first period so as to be accumulated in the first charge-accumulating area and the second charge-accumulating area during a second period so as to be accumulated in the second charge-accumulating area. A distance d to an object OJ is arithmetized based on a quantity of charges accumulated in the first charge-accumulating area and a quantity of charges accumulated in the second charge-accumulating area. When pulse light is emitted from the light source, the pulse light whose light-intensity stable period within the emission period of the pulse light is set in advance to be longer than each of the first and second periods is emitted from the light source.

公开(公告)号：US11493337B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-08

申请号：US16098187

申请日：2017-04-19

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Akihiro Shimada ,  Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Takashi Suzuki

IPC: G01C3/06 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/374

Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a distance sensor configured to inject an equal amount of current into storage nodes coupled, respectively, to charge collection regions where charges of a photosensitive region is distributed by driving of first and second transfer electrodes and obtain a distance to an object based on difference information on charge amounts of the respective storage nodes. Saturation caused by disturbance light of each storage node is avoided by injecting the equal amount of current to each storage node, and the difference information on the charge amounts of the respective storage nodes, which is not easily affected by the current injection, is obtained by driving the first and second transfer electrodes according to the plurality of frames representing the electrode drive pattern, respectively.

公开(公告)号：US10436908B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15302178

申请日：2015-04-17

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/36 ,  G01S7/491 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/3745

Abstract: In a range image sensor, a plurality of range sensors are disposed in a one-dimensional direction. The plurality of range sensors include a photogate electrode, first and second signal charge accumulating regions disposed on one side of the photogate electrode, third and fourth signal charge accumulating regions disposed on the other side, first transfer electrodes for making charge flow into the first and fourth signal charge accumulating regions in response to a first transfer signal, and second transfer electrodes for making charge flow into the second and third signal charge accumulating regions in response to a second transfer signal.

公开(公告)号：US11450705B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-20

申请号：US16777291

申请日：2020-01-30

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Keiki Taguchi ,  Hajime Ishihara ,  Hiroo Yamamoto ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0304 ,  H01L31/0352 ,  H01L31/109

Abstract: A light detection element includes a semiconductor substrate, a light absorbing layer of a first conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate, a cap layer of a first conductivity type formed on the light absorbing layer, and a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed within the cap layer and forming a pn junction with the cap layer. A depletion layer formed around the semiconductor region does not reach the light absorbing layer in a case where a reverse bias is not applied to the pn junction, and exceeds a position amounting to 50% of a thickness of the light absorbing layer from the cap layer side in a case where a reverse bias of 20 V is applied to the pn junction.

公开(公告)号：US11194026B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-07

申请号：US16846823

申请日：2020-04-13

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Keiki Taguchi ,  Hajime Ishihara ,  Hiroo Yamamoto ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A light detection device includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode connected in series to the first photodiode, a first light source configured to output first pulsed light to which the first photodiode is sensitive, and a signal output unit configured to output a current as a detection signal, the current that flow through the second photodiode.

公开(公告)号：US10228463B2

公开(公告)日：2019-03-12

申请号：US15306814

申请日：2015-04-07

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01C3/06 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/12 ,  H04N5/335 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: In a ranging device, a controlling unit alternatively switches orders in time series of a first pulse-transfer-signal and a second pulse-transfer-signal per frame term and outputs the first and second pulse-transfer-signals. Furthermore, an arithmetic unit arithmetizes a distance to an object based on total quantities of charges of signal charges, in two frame term consecutive in the time series, accumulated in a first charge-accumulating region and a second charge-accumulating region in accordance with the first and second pulse-transfer-signals having an identical phase.

公开(公告)号：US10224354B2

公开(公告)日：2019-03-05

申请号：US15308668

申请日：2015-01-29

Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

Inventor： Mitsuhito Mase ,  Jun Hiramitsu ,  Akihiro Shimada

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/491 ,  G01S17/36

Abstract: In any three of three range sensors consecutively aligned in a one-dimensional direction, first signal charge-accumulating regions are adjacent to each other in the one-dimensional direction in the range sensor positioned in a center of the three range sensors and the range sensor positioned closer to one side of the one-dimensional direction than the range sensor positioned in the center of the three range sensors, and the first signal charge-accumulating region and the second signal charge-accumulating region are adjacent to each other in the one-dimensional direction in the range sensor positioned in the center of the three range sensors and the range sensor positioned closer to an another side of the one-dimensional direction than the range sensor positioned in the center of the three range sensors.