Abstract: Screen noise caused by variations of dark current between light sensitive pixels of a solid-state imaging device are suppressed. In an exposure period E after an electronic shutter operation completion time t2, information charges are accumulated while shifting a potential well. With a frame-transfer CCD image sensor in which transfer electrodes G1-G3 to which transfer clocks ?i1-?i3 are applied are provided for each light sensitive pixel, at the start of the exposure period E, a potential well is formed for a period ? under the electrode G2. Then, the potential wells are formed sequentially under the electrode G1 for a period 2?, under the electrode G2 for a period ?, and under the electrode G3 for a period 2?. That is, regarding dark current contained in the information charges accumulated in each pixel, dark currents under the electrodes G1-G3 correspond to the same period.

Abstract: In an image pickup portion of a frame transfer CCD image sensor, a constitution that inhibits color mixing from occurring between light-sensitive pixels adjacent along a vertical CCD shift register channel is provided. A protrusion extending on the channel is formed at a clock wiring formed on a channel stop of the vertical CCD shift register with an wiring layer having the light-shielding property. When the protrusion portion is disposed at a boundary of light-sensitive pixels in the channel, a non-light-shielding portion generated at the boundary can be suppressed. The protrusions are disposed so as to alternately protrude from the clock wirings on both sides of the channel.

Abstract: A mixing of color that follows mixing of horizontally adjoining information charges corresponding to different colors is minimized during an operation for adding information charges of a plurality of pixels in a horizontal direction and during a high-speed horizontal transfer operation in a horizontal CCD shift register of a CCD image sensor. An impurity is used for forming barrier regions having a shallow channel potential among the barrier regions and storage regions that constitute transfer stages of the horizontal CCD shift register. The concentration of the impurity is established separately in a main portion, which is composed of transfer stages that are connected to the output ends of vertical CCD shift registers, and in a dummy portion, which connects the main portion with an output section and has a width that gradually decreases towards the output section. The barrier potential is therefore also established separately in the main portion and the dummy portion.

Abstract: In a line transfer operation of a frame-transfer CCD image sensor, color mixing that occurs when charges trapped by interface states are released in subsequent bits, and longitudinal striping due to trapping a the horizontal transfer period can be reduced. A line transfer operation (t1 to t6) in a storage section, which is composed of three-phase driven vertical CCD shift registers in which transfer electrodes ST1 to ST3 are arrayed, is ended in a state in which information charges are stored only under the transfer electrode ST2. This state continues until the completion of a horizontal transfer period P0 of the information charge packet groups of the odd-numbered columns. At this time, an off-voltage that is lower than normal is applied to the transfer electrodes ST1 and ST3, and an inverted layer is formed on the surface of the substrate under the transfer electrodes.

Abstract: S/N ratio deterioration resulting from dark current generated in each light-receiving pixel is suppressed in a frame transfer CCD image sensor. A predetermined off-voltage VL2 is applied to a transfer electrode before an on-voltage VH is applied to the transfer electrode to form a potential well and to start the accumulation of information charges into the potential well during an exposure period. The off-voltage VL2 is set to be lower than the off-voltage VL1 of the transfer clock signal during a frame transfer (period: t18 to t19). The off-voltage VL2 is set at the pinning voltage, for example. As the result of applying the off-voltage VL2, holes are captured at the interface state in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate, thereby making it difficult for the thermally excited electrons to jump from the valence band to the conduction band.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus in which the potential well is shifted within each light receiving pixel of a CCD image sensor during an exposure period, blooming is suppressed. The CCD image sensor has a vertical overflow drain structure in which unnecessary information charges are discharged from the charge transfer channel region according to a substrate voltage Vsub. By switching a transfer electrode of a plurality of transfer electrodes for each pixel, to which an on-voltage is applied, during the exposure period, the accumulation position of the information charges is shifted, together with the potential well, within each pixel. The amount of information charge stored in the potential well, which exceeds a predetermined upper value of amount, is discharged by applying a discharge voltage VSH, higher than a reference DC voltage VSL in a normal state, to the substrate prior to the shift of the potential well.

Abstract: Screen noise caused by variations of dark current between light sensitive pixels of a solid-state imaging device are suppressed. In an exposure period E after an electronic shutter operation completion time t2, information charges are accumulated while shifting a potential well. With a frame-transfer CCD image sensor in which transfer electrodes G1-G3 to which transfer clocks ?i1-?i3 are applied are provided for each light sensitive pixel, at the start of the exposure period E, a potential well is formed for a period ? under the electrode G2. Then, the potential wells are formed sequentially under the electrode G1 for a period 2?, under the electrode G2 for a period ?, and under the electrode G3 for a period 2?. That is, regarding dark current contained in the information charges accumulated in each pixel, dark currents under the electrodes G1-G3 correspond to the same period.

Abstract: An imaging system, capable of reducing blooming in a solid-state imaging device and improving image sensitivity, comprises an imaging section which has at least three transfer electrodes and is continuously arranged with pixels for producing information charges in response to the light from the outside, wherein the information charges are stored and transferred using potential wells formed by potentials applied to the transfer electrodes and, during image capture, one of the transfer electrodes is maintained in an ON state and at least another one of the transfer electrodes is alternately switched between an ON state and an OFF state. It is more preferable to average the amount of generated dark current under the transfer electrodes by switching the transfer electrodes between an ON state and an OFF state for image capture. This provides restraint of a difference in the amount of generated dark current between pixels, thus reducing image graininess.

Abstract: In an image pickup portion of a frame transfer CCD image sensor, a constitution that inhibits color mixing from occurring between light-sensitive pixels adjacent along a vertical CCD shift register channel is provided. A protrusion extending on the channel is formed at a clock wiring formed on a channel stop of the vertical CCD shift register with an wiring layer having the light-shielding property. When the protrusion portion is disposed at a boundary of light-sensitive pixels in the channel, a non-light-shielding portion generated at the boundary can be suppressed. The protrusions are disposed so as to alternately protrude from the clock wirings on both sides of the channel.