Patent ID: 7948535

Claim:
A non-transitory machine-readable medium having encoded thereon a design structure program including a pixel cell comprising a set of instructions when executed by a computer to implement a design process for producing the design structure, the design structure comprising: a photosensitive element for receiving incident light for a pixel and producing corresponding charge carriers in response to receipt of incident light; a capacitor device for storing said charge carriers, said capacitor device having first and second terminals, wherein said capacitor device enables global shutter operation, whereby said charge carriers produced by said photosensitive element is fully depleted onto the capacitor device after a period of shutter operation; a capacitor coupling transistor device including a first terminal connected to said first terminal of said capacitor device and a second terminal connected to said photosensitive element, said capacitor coupling transistor device being biased so as to enable additional charge carriers to leak to said capacitor device via said capacitor coupling transistor device when a sufficient number of charge carriers have accumulated at said photosensitive element, thereby increasing a dynamic range of operation of said sensor cell, and, a voltage supply for providing a voltage Vp to said second terminal of said capacitor device, said voltage Vp initially at a bias voltage level suitable for biasing said capacitor device during said global shutter operation to facilitate charges being transferred thereto via said capacitor coupling transistor device, and, while transferring, a voltage across said photosensitive element drops as charge accumulates at said capacitor device, and, prior to completing said global shutter operation, after sufficient charge accumulation at said capacitor device, said voltage Vp bias voltage level being increased at said second terminal of said capacitor device to transfer said additional charge carriers from said photosensitive element to said capacitor device.