Image sensors have become ubiquitous. They are widely used in digital still cameras, cellular phones, security cameras, medical, automobiles, and other applications. The technology used to manufacture image sensors, and in particular CMOS image sensors, has continued to advance at great pace. For example, the demands of higher resolution and lower power consumption have encouraged the further miniaturization and integration of the image sensor.
As the pixels become smaller, it becomes more difficult for the pixel to output a signal of adequate strength that can be easily deciphered by downstream signal processing. Moreover, there are demands on the image sensor to perform over a large range of lighting conditions, varying from low light conditions to bright outside sunlight. This is generally referred to as having a large dynamic range. Still, because of the decreasing size of the pixel, as described below, the dynamic range of the pixel may be limited.