Patent ID: 9076709
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A photo sensor, comprising: a two dimensional array of pixels, each of the pixels including a photo sensitive area including a drift field for transporting photo generated charges, and at least two pixel storage gates that alternately receive the photo generated charges from the photo sensitive area to sample at different phases; and readout chains formed from the pixel storage gates for the pixels for lines in the array, the readout chains enabling the photo generated charges to be passed between the pixel storage gate for successive pixels through the lines; and a decoder for controlling the readout chains to transport the photo generated charges generated in each of the pixels out of the array by successively shifting the photo generated charges for each of the pixels through the readout chains and laterally out of the array, wherein the decoder controls the chains to laterally move an increasing number of separate charge packets in a particular shift cycle relative to a prior shift cycle during reading out of the chains.