Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device having a plurality of pixels each of which outputs to a transmission portion (12) a signal charge corresponding to an amount of light projected thereon. The signal charge transmitted by the transmission portion (12) is outputted as an image signal for each pixel from the solid state image sensing device. Each pixel includes a photo-diode (32), a storage portion (41) for storing charge corresponding to a current output from the photo-diode (32) onto which light is projected, a transfer portion (42) for transferring the charge stored by the storage portion to the transmission portion, and a control portion (39) for controlling an amount of charge to be received by the transmission portion based on a dark current characteristic of a corresponding photo-diode (32).

Abstract: A method for etching an HgCdTe substrate selectively by dry etching. A substrate is selectively etched without damaging the substrate during a simple process in which the higher selectivity of an HgCdTe substrate versus a resist mask is obtainable. Removal of the resist mask after etching is easy. The etching gas contains molecules having a bond of nitrogen and hydrogen and is formed into plasma. An HgCdTe substrate is etched with a resist film as a mask by the plasma gas.

Abstract: A semiconductor image pickup device comprises a photo-sensing substrate and a signal processing substrate, wherein the photo-sensing substrate further comprises a plurality of detector elements, and the signal processing substrate comprises a plurality of input diodes, each detector element being operatively connected to the respective input diode. The detector elements are isolated and light shielded from each other and further from the signal processing substrate by a light shield layer, and each detector element has an input port for incident rays on an input side of the photo-sensing substrate and has a surface region on the opposite side for outputting a signal to the input diode. The light shield layer of the invention comprises an insulation multilayer and a metal layer laminated in this order from the input side of the incident rays. The embodiments utilize a silicon nitride layer and zinc sulphide layer as the insulation multilayer.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor image pickup device for detecting a light image includes a step of forming an array of detector elements, each of which generates an electronic signal in response to light incident thereto, and a step of forming a light absorbing layer which is situated to optically isolate each of the detector elements. The array of detector elements in the light absorbing layer can be formed on a substrate. In one embodiment, the light absorbing layer is produced by forming a first layer contacting with each of the detector elements which has a first refractive index, forming a second layer contacting with the first layer which has a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index of the first layer, and forming a metal layer contacting with the second layer. By forming the light absorbing layer in this manner, the array of detecting elements can be optically isolated from each other so that problems such as cross-talk, for example, can be reduced.

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer having a photocell includes a compound semiconductor substrate in which a photodiode is doped by an impurity of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate. An enclosure region is formed by the same doping impurity as the photodiode, surrounding but spaced apart from the photodiode. A gate electrode is formed on a portion of an insulation layer, the latter formed all over the substrate surface, which extends between the photodiode and the enclosure region. The enclosure region is selectively connected, via a contact hole through the insulation layer and a first switch to ground level. The gate electrode is connected via a second switch to a predetermined voltage having the same polarity as the conductivity type of the substrate.