PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND SYSTEM HAVING PHOTODIODES TO PERFORM AVALANCHE MULTIPLICATION

• Main Author: TOJIMA, KENZO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.11.2023
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first pixel and a second pixel, each of which includes a photodiode, and a signal processing circuit including a control circuit and a counter. The control circuit is connected to the photodiode and a circuit configured to generate a pulse signal, and performs control, based on the pulse signal, so as to be in a standby state or a recharge state. The counter counts the number of periods in which avalanche multiplication has occurred in the standby state. A third pulse of the pulse signal for the second pixel is input to the control circuit in a period from when a first pulse of the pulse signal for the first pixel is input to the control circuit to when a second pulse of the pulse signal for the first pixel subsequent to the first pulse is input to the control circuit.