OSCILLATOR, OSCILLATING METHOD, IMAGE SENSOR, AND IMAGING APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oscillator with low power consumption and highly tolerant of variation of elements.SOLUTION: An oscillator includes: inverters that are connected in a loop shape and of which the number is an odd number greater than or equal to three; and a delay section that delays change in a voltage which is input to one inverter of the odd number of inverters. The one inverter is a Schmitt trigger inverter. The Schmitt trigger inverter includes a current source, and a resistor in which current supplied by the current source flows. A hysteresis width of the Schmitt trigger inverter depends on the current which flows in the resistor. This technique is applicable, e.g., to an oscillator that generates a clock for operating a device.