Abstract: When an addition/averaging process is done for pixels in the same color in a unit pixel block in a stage reading pixel information to a horizontal signal line, the addition/averaging process is also done for a noise component added in a signal process from the pixels to the horizontal signal line. Thus, a problem arises in the signal-to-noise ratio. Each of signal processing circuits of a column signal processing circuit part is provided with reverse amplifiers which output signals of pixels transmitted by a vertical signal line at a low impedance, and with feedback capacitances which are adjustably connected in parallel to these reverse amplifiers, the signal processing circuit being disposed at every column. These feedback capacitances are used to do row wise and column wise pixel addition for the pixels in the same color in the unit pixel block to take out pixel signals for a single pixel in simulation.

Abstract: When an addition/averaging process is done for pixels in the same color in a unit pixel block in a stage reading pixel information to a horizontal signal line, the addition/averaging process is also done for a noise component added in a signal process from the pixels to the horizontal signal line. Thus, a problem arises in the signal-to-noise ratio. Each of signal processing circuits of a column signal processing circuit part is provided with reverse amplifiers which output signals of pixels transmitted by a vertical signal line at a low impedance, and with feedback capacitances which are adjustably connected in parallel to these reverse amplifiers, the signal processing circuit being disposed at every column. These feedback capacitances are used to do row wise and column wise pixel addition for the pixels in the same color in the unit pixel block to take out pixel signals for a single pixel in simulation.

Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a pixel array section in which pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are two dimensionally arranged; a vertical selector that sequentially applies selective scanning to respective rows of the pixel array section; and a controller that discharges, when a mode for reading out only pixel signals of respective rows in a given row range in the pixel array section is set by the vertical selector, charges generated in the photoelectric conversion elements in respective pixels of rows outside the row range to a pixel power supply.

Abstract: A drive method for a solid-state imaging device having an oblique pixel pattern includes the steps of: adding, separately for an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row, x pixels in the horizontal direction and y pixels in the vertical direction, the x pixels and the y pixels having the same color, in an area having adjacent n pixels in the horizontal direction and adjacent n pixels in the vertical direction, where n is an odd number of three or greater and n?x?y; and repeatedly adding the x pixels and the y pixels while shifting the n×n area by m pixels in the vertical or horizontal direction, where m is an odd number of three or greater. The n×n area of odd-numbered rows is displaced from that of even-numbered rows by m pixels in the oblique direction in the oblique pixel pattern.