Imagers are used in many applications nowadays. This includes 2D CMOS imagers as well as 3D imagers such as 3D depth imagers (3D cameras) which may be based for example on the ToF principle (time-of-flight principle) or other principles. 3D cameras may provide human gesture recognition in natural user interfaces or passenger recognition for automotive safety functions. Distinguished from 2D cameras, 3D cameras for example provide an array of pixel in which each pixel is capable to provide information related to a distance of the object captured by the pixel. Such information may for example be based on a time of flight of light reflected from an object captured by the pixels.
With the implementation of increasing number of pixels on a depth imager chip and the shrinking of pixel sizes going along therewith, the need exist for a concept which allows efficient conversion of light into charge carriers and efficient controlling of the charge carriers in each pixel.
In view of the above it would be beneficial to have a concept which is capable of providing a high degree of efficiency for imagers. In addition, it would be beneficial to have a concept which allows the parallel processing of control electrodes in the optical sensitive areas as well as transistors for an integrated circuit provided for further signal processing.