Patent ID: 8658956

Claim:
An image sensor, comprising: a first imaging pixel having a first photodiode region disposed within a substrate of the image sensor; a vertical transfer transistor disposed along a first side of the first photodiode region, the vertical transfer transistor having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the first side of the first photodiode region; a first floating diffusion region disposed along the longitudinal axis at a first end of the vertical transfer transistor, wherein the transfer transistor is arranged to form when activated a first active channel along the vertical transfer transistor, wherein the first active channel is parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first active channel couples the first photodiode region to the first floating diffusion region; and a second floating diffusion region disposed along the longitudinal axis at a second end of the vertical transfer transistor opposite the first end, wherein a second active channel is formed along the vertical transfer transistor parallel to the longitudinal axis and couples the first photodiode region to the second floating diffusion region when the vertical transfer transistor is activated, wherein charge carriers flow in opposite directions in the first and second active channels, wherein the longitudinal axis of the vertical transfer transistor intersects the first and second floating diffusion regions at the first and second ends of the vertical transfer transistor.