PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND PHOTODETECTION SYSTEM

• Main Authors: MORIMOTO KAZUHIRO, ENDO KO, INUI FUMIHIRO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 20.07.2022
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

To provide a photoelectric conversion device capable of performing a specific pulse signal control in a case where there are a plurality of modes to be driven.SOLUTION: A photoelectric conversion device includes: an avalanche photodiode that includes an anode and a cathode; a switch that is connected to a node of one of the anode and the cathode and a power supply line via which a drive voltage is applied, the switch functioning to switch a resistance value between the node and the power supply line; and a signal generation unit configured to generate pulse signals for controlling the switching of the switch. The photoelectric conversion device is operable in one of two modes including a first mode and a second mode, the second mode being usable in a lower luminance condition than a luminance condition in the first mode. In an exposure period for acquiring one frame of signals, the number of pulse signals in the second mode is smaller than that of pulse signals in the first mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10 【課題】 駆動させるモードが複数ある場合の具体的なパルス信号の制御することができる光電変換装置を提供することができる。【解決手段】 光電変換装置は、アノードとカソードとを含むアバランシェフォトダイオードと、前記アノードおよび前記カソードのうちの一方のノードと駆動電圧が印加される電源線とに接続され、前記一方のノードと前記電源線との間の抵抗値を切り替えるスイッチと、前記スイッチの切り替えを制御するためのパルス信号を生成する信号生成部と、を備え、第１のモードと、前記第１のモードよりも低い照度での撮影モードである第２のモードとを切り替え可能であり、１フレーム分の信号を取得する露光期間において、前記第２のモードの前記パルス信号の数は、前記第１のモードの前記パルス信号の数よりも少ない。【選択図】 図１０