Sony patents camera sensor design that places power pins over image area
Sony describes an imaging device where the power supply terminals for the processing circuits are positioned directly above the light-sensitive pixel area. This layout allows the power connections to overlap the image sensor in the thickness direction, rather than being placed only in the surrounding border regions.
In the filing’s own words
An imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration of device characteristics are provided. An imaging device includes a sensor board having a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels that performs photoelectric conversion is arranged side by side, a circuit board bonded to one surface side of the sensor substrate, the circuit board including circuits that process signals input to the sensor board or signals output from the sensor board, and a voltage supply terminal that is provided on an opposite side of a surface of the circuit board facing the sensor board and that supplies a power supply voltage or a reference voltage to the circuits. At least a subset of the voltage supply terminal is arranged at a position overlapping the pixel region in a thickness direction of the multilayer board including the sensor board and the circuit board.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An imaging device, comprising: a sensor board including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels that performs photoelectric conversion is arranged side by side; a circuit board bonded to one surface side of the sensor board, the circuit board including circuits that process signals input to the sensor board or signals output from the sensor board; and a voltage supply terminal that is provided on an opposite side of a surface of the circuit board facing the sensor board and that supplies a power supply voltage or a reference voltage to the circuits, wherein at least a subset of the voltage supply terminal is arranged at a position overlapping the pixel region in a thickness direction of a multilayer board including the sensor board and the circuit board.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
- Official title
- IMAGING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
- Publication number
- US20260261783A1
- Application number
- 18994539
- Filed
- Jul 18, 2023
- Published
- Sep 3, 2026
- Inventors
- 1
- Claims
- 17
Classified under
H04N 25/79 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/709 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/182 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/809 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/811 Electricity & electronicsH10F 39/8063 Electricity & electronicsMore from Sony in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.