Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises plural pixels each including a photoelectric converting element; plural capacitors which receive signals from the plural pixels at first terminals; plural clamping switches for setting a second terminal of each of the plural capacitors into a predetermined electric potential; plural first storing units for storing signals from the second terminals of the plural capacitors; plural second storing units for storing the signals from the second terminals of the plural capacitors; a first common output line to which the signals from the plural first storing units are sequentially output; a second common output line to which the signals from the plural second storing units are sequentially output; and a difference circuit for operating a difference between the signal from the first common output line and the signal from the second common output line.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor.

Abstract: A MOS-type solid-state image pickup device, on a semiconductor substrate, includes a photoelectric conversion unit having a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, and a transfer MOS transistor having a gate electrode disposed on an insulation film and transferring a charge carrier from a fourth semiconductor region. In addition, an amplifying MOS transistor having a gate electrode is connected to the fourth semiconductor region, and a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type is continuously disposed to the second semiconductor region and under the gate electrode, and is disposed apart from the insulation film under the gate electrode of the transfer MOS transistor.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a first antireflection coating film formed on a light-receiving surface of a first photoelectric conversion element and a second antireflection coating film formed on a light-receiving surface of a second photoelectric conversion element. A total length of first photoelectric conversion element facing portions of gate lines adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion element is shorter than a total length of second photoelectric conversion element facing portions of gate lines adjacent to the second photoelectric conversion element. An area of the first antireflection coating film is larger than that of the second antireflection coating film.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprises a first readout circuit configured to read out a signal from a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a signal holding unit configured to hold the signal read out from the first readout circuit, a second readout circuit configured to read out the signal held in the signal holding unit, and a current control unit configured to control an electric current flowing through at least part of the first readout circuit while the first readout circuit reads out the signal. The current control unit controls an electric current flowing through the at least part of the first readout circuit in a moving image capturing mode to be smaller than an electric current flowing through the at least part of the first readout circuit in a still image capturing mode.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises first accumulation units, of which number is n, holding a digital value of n-bits output from a counter, second accumulation units, of which number is n, holding the digital value of n-bits transferred from the first accumulation units, of which number is n, and an A/D converter writing the digital value of n-bits from the counter based on an image signal generated by pixels into the first accumulation units, of which number is n, wherein correspondingly to each column of the pixels, the first accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) and the second accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) are arranged and paired, and the pairs of which number is n are arranged in a direction along the column of pixels.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converting element; a plurality of capacitor which receive signals from the plurality of pixels at first terminals; a plurality of clamping switches for setting a second terminal of each of the plurality of capacitor into a predetermined electric potential; a plurality of first storing units for storing signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a plurality of second storing units for storing the signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a first common output line to which the signals from the plurality of first storing units are sequentially output; a second common output line to which the signals from the plurality of second storing units are sequentially output; and a difference circuit for operating a difference between the signal from the first common output line and the signal from the second common output line.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises first accumulation units, of which number is n, holding a digital value of n-bits output from a counter, second accumulation units, of which number is n, holding the digital value of n-bits transferred from the first accumulation units, of which number is n, and an A/D converter writing the digital value of n-bits from the counter based on an image signal generated by pixels into the first accumulation units, of which number is n, wherein correspondingly to each column of the pixels, the first accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) and the second accumulation unit of m-th bit (1?m?n) are arranged and paired, and the pairs of which number is n are arranged in a direction along the column of pixels.

Abstract: This invention provides an image pickup device comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit, a semiconductor area to which a signal from the photoelectric conversion unit is transferred, a transfer switch for transferring the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit to the semiconductor area, and a read unit for reading out the signal from the semiconductor area, and a drive circuit for outputting a first level at which the transfer switch is set in an OFF state, a second level at which the transfer switch is set in an ON state, and a third level between the first level and the second level, wherein the drive circuit controls to hold the third level for a predetermined time while the transfer switch is changing from the ON state to the OFF state.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element for amplifying and outputting a signal generated at the photoelectric conversion element, a load transistor for controlling an electric current flowing at the amplification element, and a potential control element for suppressing potential fluctuation in a first main electrode region of the load transistor which is an output side of the amplification element.

Abstract: This invention provides an image pickup device comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit, a semiconductor area to which a signal from the photoelectric conversion unit is transferred, a transfer switch for transferring the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit to the semiconductor area, and a read unit for reading out the signal from the semiconductor area, and a drive circuit for outputting a first level at which the transfer switch is set in an OFF state, a second level at which the transfer switch is set in an ON state, and a third level between the first level and the second level, wherein the drive circuit controls to hold the third level for a predetermined time while the transfer switch is changing from the ON state to the OFF state.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element for amplifying and outputting a signal generated at the photoelectric conversion element, a load transistor for controlling an electric current flowing at the amplification element, and a potential control element for suppressing potential fluctuation in a first main electrode region of the load transistor which is an output side of the amplification element.

Abstract: An output level difference in the case of using a joint line as a boundary, a bright line, a black bar, or the like is suppressed. A solid-state image pick-up apparatus in which, on a substrate having a plurality of photoelectric converting areas (photodiodes), a solid-state image pick-up element provided with at least one pattern layer formed by divisional exposure and a lens for introducing light into the plurality of photoelectric converting areas of the solid-state image pick-up element are formed. By setting a center of an optical axis of the lens to an approximate joint position between the pattern layers where the pattern layers have been joined by the divisional exposure, the output level difference of a pixel output of the solid-state image pick-up element on the right and left sides of the joint position is suppressed.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup apparatus including a photoelectric conversion unit (PD), transfer switch (MTX) for transferring signal charges from the photoelectric conversion unit, capacitance for holding the transferred signal charges, and amplification transistor (MSF) for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charges held by the capacitance. The amplification transistor includes a capacitance unit (CFD) having the first capacitance value and an additive capacitance unit (Cox) for adding a capacitance to the capacitance unit to increase the first capacitance value and obtain the second capacitance value. A signal read-out from the amplification transistor has a first read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit and additive capacitance unit, and a second read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit.

Abstract: This invention discloses a photoelectric conversion device. The photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, a plurality of readout circuits which read out signals from pixels for respective columns in the pixel array, and a control unit which controls the plurality of readout circuits, wherein each of the plurality of readout circuits includes a holding unit which holds a reference voltage supplied from an external power source, an operational amplification unit which amplifies the signals from the pixels for each column based on the reference voltage held in the holding unit, and a disconnection unit which electrically disconnects the external power source and the holding unit, and the control unit controls the disconnection unit to electrically disconnect the external power source and the holding unit when the operational amplification unit amplifies the signals from the pixels for each column.

Abstract: An image capture device includes a plurality of image capture elements for capturing an object image, a plurality of vertical output lines for reading signals out of the plurality of image capture elements, and a plurality of processing circuits. Each processing circuit includes a first capacitor element having a first electrode connected to one of the plurality of vertical output lines, a differential amplifier having a first input terminal connected to a second electrode of the first capacitor element, a second capacitor element connected between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the differential amplifier, and a first switch configured to control conduction between the first input terminal and the output terminal of the differential amplifier.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converting element; a plurality of capacitor which receive signals from the plurality of pixels at first terminals; a plurality of clamping switches for setting a second terminal of each of the plurality of capacitor into a predetermined electric potential; a plurality of first storing units for storing signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a plurality of second storing units for storing the signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a first common output line to which the signals from the plurality of first storing units are sequentially output; a second common output line to which the signals from the plurality of second storing units are sequentially output; and a difference circuit for operating a difference between the signal from the first common output line and the signal from the second common output line.

Abstract: An image capture device includes a plurality of image capture elements for capturing an object image, a plurality of vertical output lines for reading signals out of the plurality of image capture elements, and a plurality of processing circuits. Each processing circuit includes a first capacitor element having a first electrode connected to one of the plurality of vertical output lines, a differential amplifier having a first input terminal connected to a second electrode of the first capacitor element, a second capacitor element connected between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the differential amplifier, and a first switch configured to control conduction between the first input terminal and the output terminal of the differential amplifier.

Abstract: It is a principle object of the present invention to reduce a voltage drop of a common power supply wiring in a plurality of amplification circuits to suppress crosstalk generated in other signal output lines.