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.
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.
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.
Abstract:
In a composite sensor, an arrangement region of thermal image sensors and an arrangement region of range image sensors are arranged so as to overlap each other as seen in the mounting direction. This makes it possible to acquire thermal and range images coaxially, thereby suppressing image misalignment between the thermal and range images. In the composite sensor, a seal body formed by mounting the first and second substrates on top of each other seals a space about the thermal image sensors in a vacuum state. This can prevent the heat occurring about the range image sensors from affecting the thermal image sensor side. In addition, the substrate arranged with the thermal image sensors and the substrate arranged with the range image sensors are separate from each other, which can secure a degree of freedom in designing.
Abstract:
The photosensitive region includes a first impurity region and a second impurity region having a higher impurity concentration than that of the first impurity region. The photosensitive region includes one end positioned away from the transfer section in the second direction and another end positioned closer to the transfer section in the second direction. A shape of the second impurity region in plan view is line-symmetric with respect to a center line of the photosensitive region along the second direction. A width of the second impurity region in the first direction increases in a transfer direction from the one end to the other end. An increase rate of the width of the second impurity region in each of sections, obtained by dividing the photosensitive region into n sections in the second direction, becomes gradually higher in the transfer direction. Here, n is an integer of two or more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Abstract:
In a composite sensor, an arrangement region of thermal image sensors and an arrangement region of range image sensors are arranged so as to overlap each other as seen in the mounting direction. This makes it possible to acquire thermal and range images coaxially, thereby suppressing image misalignment between the thermal and range images. In the composite sensor, a seal body formed by mounting the first and second substrates on top of each other seals a space about the thermal image sensors in a vacuum state. This can prevent the heat occurring about the range image sensors from affecting the thermal image sensor side. In addition, the substrate arranged with the thermal image sensors and the substrate arranged with the range image sensors are separate from each other, which can secure a degree of freedom in designing.