Photodiode architectures and image capture methods having a plurality of photodiode with a shared electrode

摘要

A photodiode architecture comprises first, second, and third independent photodiodes, and a shared electrode. The first, second, and third photodiodes are each connected to respective sources of bias voltage and to a common shared electrode, whereby the photodiode architecture comprises at least one of a shared anode and shared cathode photodiode architecture. The photodiode architecture selectively reverse biases the first, second, and third photodiodes so that, during operation, at least one of the first, second and third photodiodes is always operating in a photoconducting mode, to enable capture and storage of charge from any photodiode in the architecture operating in photoconducting mode. Advantageously, the first photodiode can be configured to respond to a first wavelength of light and at least one of the second and third photodiodes can be configured to be responsive to a respective second or third wavelength of light shorter than the first wavelength of light.

主权项

1. A photodiode architecture, comprising:
a first photodiode comprising first and second electrodes, the first electrode being coupled to a shared electrode; a second photodiode operably connected in series with the first photodiode, the second photodiode being independent of the first photodiode, comprising third and fourth electrodes, the third electrode being coupled to the shared electrode; and a third photodiode operably connected in series with the first photodiode, the third photodiode being independent of the first photodiode and comprising fifth and sixth electrodes, and the fifth electrode being coupled to the shared electrode; wherein the shared electrode is in operable communication with the first electrode, third electrode, and fifth electrode; wherein the shared electrode is configured to operate, respectively, as either a shared anode or a shared cathode for the respective first, second, and third photodiodes, wherein the photodiode architecture comprises at least one of a shared anode photodiode architecture and a shared cathode photodiode architecture; and wherein the first photodiode, second photodiode, third photodiode and shared electrode are constructed and arranged to selectively reverse bias the first, second, and third photodiodes so that, during operation, at least one of the first, second and third photodiodes is operating in a photoconducting mode, to enable capture and storage of charge from any photodiode in the photodiode architecture that is operating in photoconducting mode.