Abstract: An apparatus for image taking includes a range image sensor, in which a range image is produced in which a distance is represented with a pixel value by image taking of a principal object from an image taking position. An image pickup device receives light reflected by the principal object, to output an image signal for respective pixels. A light reception control unit changes over a reception sequence and reception time, and causes the image pickup device to output image signals associated with first and second distance ranges. The second distance range is a distance range where the principal object exists and is over the first distance range. A first range image and second range image, are formed according to the image signals. Blank portions are designated within the second range image by comparison of the first range image and second range image, to compensate for the blank portions.

Abstract: A charge read-out method and a solid-state imaging device capable of shortening a read-out time of charges stored in a plurality of light receiving units arranged linearly are provided. The charge read-out method includes the steps of moving the charges, which are generated and stored in the plurality of light receiving units linearly arranged by receiving light, to charge transfer paths disposed along a row of the light receiving units on both sides thereof, transferring the charges along the charge transfer paths to an output unit, and calculating a sum of converted values based on amounts of the charges transferred from the charge transfer paths for outputting.

Abstract: An MEM unit according to the invention comprises an Si (silicon) substrate 1 having such a thickness as to transmit a visible light therethrough, an insulating layer 2 formed in contact with the upper surface of the Si substrate 1, a lower electrode layer 3 formed in contact with the upper surface of the insulating layer 2, a sacrificial layer gap 4 of a space formed in the partial region of the upper surface of the lower electrode layer 3, a movable film 5 formed on the upper surface of the lower electrode layer 3 to cover the sacrificial layer gap 4, an upper electrode 6 formed in contact with the upper part of the movable film 5, a contact hole 7 penetrating to reach the surface of the lower electrode layer 3 from the surface of the movable film 5, and a lower electrode 8 formed from the surroundings of the upper part of the contact hole 7 to the surface of the lower electrode layer 3 through the contact hole 7.

Abstract: A linear image sensor chip is manufactured by forming an image pickup section, peripheral circuit sections, a plurality of bonding pads, and a light-suppressing layer on a semiconductor substrate having an elongated shape. In this case, each of the bonding pads is formed outer than photodiode groups in the image pickup section along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor substrate. Even if the dynamic range of an image reader utilizing such a linear image sensor chip is broadened, it is possible to suppress generation of noises without lowering the sensitivity.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a well formed in a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate; a light reception region formed in the well and including a plurality of charge accumulation regions formed in a matrix shape and a plurality of vertical CCDs formed along each column of the charge accumulation regions; a horizontal CCD formed in the well and coupled to ends of the vertical CCDs; a peripheral circuit formed in the well in partial regions of the light reception region and the horizontal CCD; a shield layer formed on the semiconductor substrate including a partial area above the peripheral circuit, made of conductive material and surrounding the light reception region, the shield layer being electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate; a support disposed above the shield layer and made of conductive material; and a translucent member placed on the support.

Abstract: A linear image sensor is constituted to include a red diode line 11, a green diode line 12 and a blue diode line 13, and the green diode line 12 positioned between the red diode line 11 and the blue diode line 13 is provided with a shift of an approximately ½ pitch in the vertical direction of a photodiode as shown. Electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 for transferring signal charges detected by the photodiodes are formed close to the red diode line 11, the green diode line 12 and the blue diode line 13 respectively, and take a winding shape extended in a main scanning direction. Signal charges read onto the electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 are transferred in the main scanning direction and are output from output ends OUT31, OUT32 and OUT33.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device includes: a first area defined on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate; a second area defined in an area adjacent to the first area along a first direction; and a third area defined in an area adjacent to the second area along the first direction, wherein the first area includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; and a plurality of vertical transfer channels formed adjacent to the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; the second area includes: a horizontal transfer channel; and a floating diffusion region and a first stage drive FET of an amplifier; and the third area includes: a first state load FET, a second stage drive FET, a second stage load FET, a third stage drive FET and a third stage load FET, respectively of the amplifier. The solid state image pickup device can be made compact.

Abstract: An endoscope including: a light source for emitting light; a solid state imaging unit comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for accumulating signal charges corresponding to an incidence light amount, transfer units for transferring signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion elements, and a plurality of color filters formed above the photoelectric conversion elements; and a transmission tube accommodating the light source and the solid state imaging unit, wherein the color filters include red, green and blue color filters, and the number of red photoelectric conversion elements upon which light transmitted through the red color filters are incident is larger than the number of green photoelectric conversion elements upon which light transmitted through the green color filters are incident and the number of blue photoelectric conversion elements upon which light transmitted through the blue color filters are incident. The endoscope can obtain a high quality image.

Abstract: The charge read out efficiency of a line sensor utilizing a large photodiode is improved. A line sensor formed of a photoelectric converting portion utilizing a photodiode divided into a plurality of regions and having a potential inclination configuration wherein the potential wells thereof become deeper the closer the position thereof is to a readout gate is provided.

Abstract: A radiation-image data readout apparatus in which the charge transferring time occurring during a readout operation utilizing a line sensor having a broad-width light-receiving portion is shortened is provided. A line sensor having two photodiode portions, each having a width of 100 um, disposed adjacently with a microscopic gap therebetween, and a charge transferring device corresponding to each photodiode portion provided on the exterior side in the width direction of each corresponding photodiode portion, are provided.

Abstract: In the obtainment of image signals by receiving emitted light, generated by a stimulable phosphor sheet due to irradiation thereof by an excitation light, at the light receiving surfaces of photoelectric conversion elements, then obtaining an electrical image signal based on the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements by an image signal obtainment means comprising a charge transfer path and an output circuit, the area surrounding the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements have been covered by a filter that absorbs only blue light, and the emitted light is received.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit has a transmissive liquid crystal plate having a number of pixels arranged on a two-dimensional basis, on which an image is formed, and a light source unit emitting beams of light of a plurality of luminescent colors for irradiating said liquid crystal plate from back. An interface circuit receives an image signal representative of a color image to sequentially form on said liquid crystal plate a plurality of separation images in which the color image is separated in association with the plurality of luminescent colors of said light source unit. The interface circuit causes said light source unit to flash with a luminescent color associated with a separation image formed on said liquid crystal plate in synchronism with a sequential formation of the separation images onto said liquid crystal plate. Beams of light emanated from the light source unit and transmitted through the liquid crystal plate reproduce an image.

Abstract: A beam scanning printer which includes a light mixing device for mixing green, red and blue rays radiated from three LEDs with each other and directing the mixed beam to a common converging optical system along a common optical axis is provided. Through the common converging optical system, a beam spot that is common to the three colors is formed. The common beam spot is scanned through a polygonal mirror across a photosensitive material in a main scanning direction as the photosensitive material is moved in a sub scanning direction transverse to the main scanning direction, to record a full-color image on the photosensitive material.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is forming a concave portion (including a penetration hole) in a semiconductor substrate by a sandblast method without causing electrostatic breakdown. In order to achieve the object, in a wafer in which at least two chips are formed, metal films are formed at least in the vicinity of circumferential portions of regions in which the concave portions (including penetration holes) of the respective chips are to be formed. In addition, the metal films are extended from the vicinity of the circumferential portions to ends of the respective corresponding chips. Further, the metal films are connected with each other through regions between the chips. The entire surface of the wafer including the metal films is masked, except for the regions in which the concave portions of the respective chips are to be formed. At least a portion of the metal films is grounded and then the concave portions are formed in the respective chips formed on the wafer by the sandblast method.

Abstract: A linear image sensor is constituted to include a red diode line 11, a green diode line 12 and a blue diode line 13, and the green diode line 12 positioned between the red diode line 11 and the blue diode line 13 is provided with a shift of an approximately ½ pitch in the vertical direction of a photodiode as shown. Electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 for transferring signal charges detected by the photodiodes are formed close to the red diode line 11, the green diode line 12 and the blue diode line 13 respectively, and take a winding shape extended in a main scanning direction. Signal charges read onto the electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 are transferred in the main scanning direction and are output from output ends OUT31, OUT32 and OUT33.

Abstract: An MEM unit according to the invention comprises an Si (silicon) substrate 1 having such a thickness as to transmit a visible light therethrough, an insulating layer 2 formed in contact with the upper surface of the Si substrate 1, a lower electrode layer 3 formed in contact with the upper surface of the insulating layer 2, a sacrificial layer gap 4 of a space formed in the partial region of the upper surface of the lower electrode layer 3, a movable film 5 formed on the upper surface of the lower electrode layer 3 to cover the sacrificial layer gap 4, an upper electrode 6 formed in contact with the upper part of the movable film 5, a contact hole 7 penetrating to reach the surface of the lower electrode layer 3 from the surface of the movable film 5, and a lower electrode 8 formed from the surroundings of the upper part of the contact hole 7 to the surface of the lower electrode layer 3 through the contact hole 7.

Abstract: The drive circuit is formed on a substrate by a first fabrication process and drives a plurality of elements to be driven being formed on the substrate by a second fabrication process which is different from the first fabrication process. The drive circuit includes driver transistors provided between a first signal line and the plurality of elements to be driven, a control circuit for performing on-off control on the driver transistors and a test circuit for testing the drive circuit. The test circuit includes switching elements and resistor elements that are series connected between a second signal line and junctions of the driver transistors and the elements to be driven, respectively, and performs on-off control on the switching elements in response to a control signal. The testing method tests the drive circuit that has been formed on the substrate, before the plurality of elements to be driven are formed on the substrate.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a recording head which is constructed as a line head by arranging a plurality of head components along the direction of arrangement of recording elements and in which an amount of a gap of the recording elements at each of the joints between each pair of the head components located adjacent to each other along the direction of arrangement of the recording elements is detected to achieve recording of a high-quality image free from a stripe shape nonuniformity, a blank defect, a color nonuniformity, and the like. To achieve this object, the recording head has a head portion for recording an image on a recording medium, and a sensor portion for reading the image recorded on the recording medium by the head portion. In the head portion, a plurality of head components each formed by arranging recording elements for recording an image on the recording medium are arranged along the direction of arrangement of the recording elements.

Abstract: In the obtainment of image signals by receiving emitted light, generated by a stimulable phosphor sheet due to irradiation thereof by an excitation light, at the light receiving surfaces of photoelectric conversion elements, then obtaining an electrical image signal based on the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements by an image signal obtainment means comprising a charge transfer path and an output circuit, the area surrounding the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements have been covered by a filter that absorbs only blue light, and the emitted light is received.

Abstract: A radiation-image data readout apparatus in which the charge transferring time occurring during a readout operation utilizing a line sensor having a broad-width light-receiving portion is shortened is provided. A line sensor having two photodiode portions, each having a width of 100 um, disposed adjacently with a microscopic gap therebetween, and a charge transferring device corresponding to each photodiode portion provided on the exterior side in the width direction of each corresponding photodiode portion, are provided.