Abstract: A photoconductive device having a photoconductive layer which includes an amorphous semiconductor layer capable of charge multiplication in at least a part thereof is disclosed. The method of operating such a photoconductive device is also disclosed. By using the avalanche effect of the amorphous semiconductor layer, it is possible to realize a highly sensitive photoconductive device while maintaining low lag property. In one aspect of the present invention, the amorphous semiconductor layer is amorphous Se. In another aspect of the present invention, the amorphous semiconductor layer is composed mainly of tetrahedral elements including at least an element of hydrogen or halogens. When using the amorphous semiconductor layer composed mainly of tetrahedral elements, the charge multiplication effect is produced mainly in the interior of the amorphous semiconductor, and thus it is possible to obtain a thermally stable photoconductive device having a high sensitivity while keeping a good photoresponse.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus is disclosed which includes a target portion having a photoconductive film on a substrate and a target electrode and reads video information converted into an electric signal in the photoconductive film by an electron beam. An insulating region is provided for the target portion such that carrier generated in an ineffective scanned region (a target region corresponding to an area not scanned by the electron beam) does not appear on a surface of the target portion.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device using an amorphous material composed mainly of tetrahedral elements including at least an element of hydrogen and halogens as semiconductor material is disclosed. When a strong electric field is applied to a layer formed by using this amorphous semiconductor, a charge multiplication effect is produced mainly in the interior of the amorphous semiconductor and thus it is possible to obtain a thermally stable photoelectric conversion device having a high sensitivity while keeping a good photoresponse.

Abstract: A photoconductive target having an electrode and a P-type conductive layer mainly made of Se and making rectifying contact at an interface with the electrode, with at least Te being doped in a portion of the P-type conductive layer. At least one metal fluoride forming shallow levels is doped in the region where the signal current is generated for the most part of the P-type conductive layer with an average concentration of not less than 50 ppm and not more than 5% by weight. The metal fluoride is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of LiF, NaF, MgF.sub.2, CaF.sub.2, BaF.sub.2, AlF.sub.3, CrF.sub.3, MnF.sub.2, CoF.sub.2, PbF.sub.2, CeF.sub.3 and TlF. The high light sticking of the photoconductive target can thus be considerably reduced.