Patent ID: 9741754
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: H01L,H04N

Claim:
1. An image sensor pixel, comprising: a photodiode; a first charge storage node; a first transfer gate between the photodiode and the first charge storage node and configured to transfer charge from the photodiode to the first charge storage node; a second charge storage node; a second transfer gate between the first charge storage node and the second charge storage node and configured to transfer charge from the first charge storage node to the second charge storage node; a third charge storage node; and a third transfer gate between the second charge storage node and the third charge storage node and configured to transfer charge from the second charge storage node to the third charge storage node; wherein the second transfer gate comprises a transfer circuit gate that is included in a transfer circuit, the transfer circuit comprising: a pinning layer over the second charge storage node and over a portion of the second region not under the transfer circuit gate, the pinning layer and the portion of the second region not under the transfer circuit gate forming a barrier between the second region under the transfer circuit gate and the second charge storage node, wherein the transfer circuit gate is configured to control the first and the second variable potentials based on a transfer signal provided to the transfer gate.