Abstract: An image pickup device includes pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit and a transfer switch for transferring a photoelectric conversion signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a driver for applying a pulse to the transfer switch a plurality of times when the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit is transferred via the transfer switch.

Abstract: MOS-type solid-state image pickup device includes a photoelectric conversion unit having a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type forming a pn-junction with the first semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type disposed at a light incident side of the second semiconductor region, and a transfer MOS transistor having the second semiconductor region, a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type, and a gate electrode disposed on an insulating film on the first semiconductor region between the photoelectric conversion unit and the fourth semiconductor region to transfer a charge carrier from the second semiconductor region to the fourth semiconductor region. The photoelectric conversion unit and the transfer MOS transistor are disposed on a substrate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a MOS-type solid-state image pickup device having a photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer MOS transistor, a gate electrode disposed on an insulating film and a semiconductor substrate on which the photoelectric conversion unit and the transfer MOS transistor are disposed, includes a first step of forming a second semiconductor region by ion implanting an impurity of a second conductivity type at a first angle with a first energy using the gate electrode as a mask, and a second step of forming a fifth semiconductor region by ion implanting an impurity of the second conductivity type at a second angle with a second energy using the gate electrode as a mask. A fourth semiconductor region is formed by ion implanting an impurity of the second conductivity type.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a plurality of pixels; and a color filter array of four colors disposed on the plurality of pixels, wherein the color filter array has a periodicity of two rows×two columns, and colors of four color filters in a periodical unit of two rows×two columns are all different.

Abstract: To output a color image signal of an arbitrary basic block and facilitate processing on the output side, an image pickup element including a plurality of photodetectors each having a color filter array, a vertical direction selection circuit for selecting in the vertical direction an arbitrary basic block having at least one of the plurality of photodetectors, a horizontal direction selection circuit for selecting the arbitrary basic block in the horizontal direction, and an output circuit for parallelly outputting outputs from the photodetectors in the arbitrary basic block selected by the vertical direction selection circuit and horizontal direction selection circuit is provided.

Abstract: A sensor integrated on a single semiconductor substrate comprises a sensor block including a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels each including a light-receiving element and scanning units for selecting a pixel of the pixel unit, and a signal processing block for processing a signal output from the sensor block. To reduce noise and power consumption, the power supply voltage or the amplitude or high level of a clock signal used in the sensor block is higher than the power supply voltage of the signal processing block.

Abstract: In the solid state image pickup apparatus, in order to achieve complete transfer of the charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion area, there is provided a pickup apparatus having a photoelectric conversion element, a transfer switch consisting of a MOS transistor for transferring the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion capacitance for receiving the signal charge through the transfer switch, and a reset switch consisting of a MOS transistor for resetting the potential of the floating diffusion capacitance, the device comprising at least a potential setting circuit for generating a voltage different from the power supply voltage, wherein the output of the potential setting circuit is applied as a pulse to the gate of the transfer switch and/or the gate of the reset switch.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device which can properly widen a dynamic range is provided. Carriers which have overflowed from photodiodes 1003a to 1003c to lateral overflow regions 1010a to 1010c and carriers accumulated in the photodiodes 1003a and 1003b are transferred to FD regions 1005a to 1005c. Signals based on those carriers are added and held in a signal level holding capacitor Cs and read out therefrom, thereby widening the dynamic range.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to cause a part of charge spilling from a photoelectric conversion unit to flow into a charge holding unit and thereby extend dynamic range and at the same time improve image quality. There is provided a solid-state image pickup device having a pixel including: a photoelectric conversion unit generating and accumulating charge by means of photoelectric conversion; a first charge holding unit being shielded from light, and being adaptable to accumulate a part of charge spilling from the photoelectric conversion unit in a period during which the photoelectric conversion unit generates and accumulates charge; an amplifying unit (SF-MOS) amplifying charge; a first transfer unit (Tx-MOS) transferring the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifying unit; and a second transfer unit (Ty-MOS) transferring the charge accumulated in the first charge holding unit to the amplifying unit.

Abstract: An image pickup device, wherein a part of the carriers overflowing from the photoelectric conversion unit for a period of photoelectrically generating and accumulating the carriers may be flowed into the floating diffusion region, and a pixel signal generating unit generating a pixel signal according to the carriers stored in the photoelectric conversion unit and the carriers having overflowed into the floating diffusion region, is provided. The expansion of a dynamic range and the improvement of an image quality can be provided by controlling a ratio of the carriers flowing into the floating diffusion region to the carriers overflowing from such a photoelectric conversion unit at high accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a photoelectric conversion device provided with a plurality of groups comprising a plurality of adjacent photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the plurality of groups are respectively provided with a detection circuit for detecting a peak signal of each group. The device is advantageously incorporated in an image processing device for outputting corresponding image signals.

Abstract: In a solid-state image sensing apparatus, each pixel includes a photodiode, a MOS amplifier whose gate receives photo-charge generated by the photodiode, and a MOS switch for controlling connection between the photodiode and the gate of the MOS amplifier, and transference of the photo-charge from the photodiode to the gate of the MOS amplifier is performed under a condition that a channel is formed under the gate of the MOS amplifier.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having a plurality of pixel cells each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, a field effect transistor having the gate area for storing signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element and the source-drain path for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charge stored in the gate, a first power supply line for supplying electric power to the field effect transistor, and a first switch connected between the field effect transistor and the first power supply line, when a reset voltage for resetting the gate of the field effect transistor is Vsig0, a threshold voltage of the field effect transistor is Vth, current flowing through the field effect transistor is Ia, a voltage applied via the first power supply line is Vc1, and a series resistance of the first switch is Ron, each pixel cell is configured to satisfy a condition determined by Vc1?Ron×Ia>Vsig0?Vth.

Abstract: An image signal processing method and system, which can greatly reduce the data size upon transmitting an image signal or storing the signal in a storage medium, and can obtain a high-quality image by preventing image quality after color processing from deteriorating. According to the method for processing an image signal output from an image sensing element, a compression step of compressing the image signal and an expansion step of expanding the compressed image signal are executed without executing color processing for executing at least white balance correction or correction, and the color processing is executed after completion of the compression and expansion steps, thereby preventing occurrence of block noise and high-frequency noise associated with compressing/expanding image data after the color processing of the image signal.

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 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: In order to select an image pickup mode corresponding to purposes, there is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels; and a control circuit for controlling a first mode for reading out first and second signals from each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, and a second mode for reading out the first signal from each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, wherein the first signal includes a noise signal produced upon resetting each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, and an optical signal produced by accumulating a photocharge, and the second signal includes a noise signal produced upon resetting each of the photoelectric conversion pixels.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup element including a sensor unit including a plurality of lines of photoelectric conversion units for generating charges from received light by photoelectric conversion, a memory unit including a plurality of lines of storage units for storing signals from the plurality of lines of photoelectric conversion units, a transfer unit for transferring a signal from the sensor unit to the memory unit, a control unit for causing storage units of an arbitrary block in the memory unit to output an image signal from the photoelectric conversion units and causing the photoelectric conversion units corresponding to the storage units of the arbitrary block to output a noise signal, and a subtracting unit for calculating a difference between the image signal and the noise signal.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device has a drive unit with an all pixel drive mode for reading all pixels in a horizontal direction and a pixel skip drive mode for reading pixels in the horizontal direction by skipping some pixels, and a plurality of read-out systems for reading pixels. In the all pixel drive mode, signals of pixels are divisionally read by the plurality of read-out systems, and in the pixel skip drive mode, signals of pixels are read by one of the plurality of read-out systems. In this manner, in the pixel skip drive mode, the power consumption can be reduced and a difference between output signal levels to be caused by a variation in characteristics of elements of the read-out system can be suppressed.

Abstract: To provide an image pickup apparatus that generates an image signal having a high resolution both horizontally and vertically, the filter arrangement for a color filter array used in the apparatus is so designed that the colors of the filters in a cyclic patterned unit of N rows×N columns (4 lines×4 columns) differ from each other not only on the same line but also in the same column. Thus, from all the pixel blocks, pixel signals for each predetermined pixel block unit can be obtained that are required for the generation of a luminance signal and of color signals.