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US006847070B2
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: us 6,847,070 B2
Fox (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 25,2005
(54) FIVE TRANSISTOR CMOS PIXEL
(75) Inventor: Eric Charles Fox, Waterloo (CA)
(73) Assignee: DALSA, Inc., Waterloo (CA)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 76 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 10/338,738
(22) Filed: Jan. 9, 2003
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2003/0227018 Al Dec. 11, 2003
Related U.S. Application Data
(62) Division of application No. 09/722,609, filed on Nov. 28,
2000, now abandoned. (60) Provisional application No. 60/223,966, filed on Aug. 9,
2000.
(51) Int. CI.7 H01L 31/062
(52) U.S. CI 257/291; 257/292; 250/208.1;
348/294; 348/308
(58) Field of Search 257/291
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
5,146,480 A 9/1992 Sankaranarayanan et al.
5,760,723 A 6/1998 McGrath et al.
5,867,215 A 2/1999 Kaplan
5,881,184 A 3/1999 Guidash
A method of sensing radiation in a pixel includes applying a transfer clock signal, applying a pixel reset clock signal, and applying a pixel reset voltage. The applying a transfer clock signal applies the transfer clock signal to a gate electrode of a transfer gate transistor. The applying a pixel reset clock signal applies the pixel reset clock signal to a gate electrode of the pixel reset transistor. The applying a pixel reset voltage applies the pixel reset voltage to a drain of the pixel reset transistor. The method further includes switching the transfer clock signal to a high state, switching the pixel reset clock signal to a high state, switching the pixel reset voltage to a low state, switching the pixel reset voltage to a high state, and switching the pixel reset clock signal to a low state at a beginning of an integration cycle.
18 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
