US Patent 7432540 Dual conversion gain gate and capacitor combination

Patent 7432540 was granted and assigned to Micron Technology on October, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Is a

Patent

Patent attributes

Current Assignee

Micron Technology

Patent Jurisdiction

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Patent Number

74325400

Patent Inventor Names

Jeffrey A. McKee0

Date of Patent

October 7, 2008

Patent Application Number

111933220

Date Filed

August 1, 2005

Patent Primary Examiner

‌

Edward Wojciechowicz

Patent abstract

A pixel cell array architecture having a dual conversion gain. A dual conversion gain element is coupled between a floating diffusion region and a respective storage capacitor. The dual conversion gain element having a control gate switches in the capacitance of the capacitor to change the conversion gain of the floating diffusion region from a first conversion gain to a second conversion gain. In order to increase the efficient use of space, the dual conversion gain element gate also functions as the bottom plate of the capacitor. In one particular embodiment of the invention, a high dynamic range transistor is used in conjunction with a pixel cell having a capacitor-DCG gate combination; in another embodiment, adjacent pixels share pixel components, including the capacitor-DCG combination.