Patent ID: 7250665

Claim:
An image sensor integrated circuit, comprising: a plurality of oxide structures isolating adjacent photodetectors from each other; a plurality of photodetectors generating electrons excited by incident photons, each of the plurality of photodetectors including: a first n-type region receiving the electrons excited by the energy of the photons, the first n-type region at a first depth range in the integrated circuit; a second n-type region at a second depth range wherein the first depth range includes depths deeper than the second depth range, the second n-type region positioned adjacent to the first n-type region and at least part of the second n-type region positioned between the first n-type region and an oxide structure of the plurality of oxide structures, and receiving the electrons from the first n-type region; a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of photodetectors has a corresponding node of the plurality of nodes; a plurality of transfer devices controlling a transfer of the electrons from the second region of said each of the plurality of photodetectors to the corresponding node, each of the plurality of transfer devices including: a first terminal coupled to the second region of one of the plurality of photodetectors; a second terminal coupled to one of the plurality of nodes; and a control terminal receiving a control signal, wherein the transfer of the electrons between the first terminal and the second terminal occurs in response to the control signal of sufficient value applied to the control terminal; a plurality of reset devices, wherein each of the plurality of nodes has a corresponding reset device of the plurality of reset devices, and said each of the plurality of nodes is reset when the corresponding reset device is active; row and column circuitry; and a plurality of signal devices coupling the plurality of nodes to the row and column circuitry.