Abstract: A solid state image sensor comprises a CCD type image sensing device and a signal detector. This signal detector comprises an FDA type signal detection circuit connected to a signal pick-up terminal of the image sensing device and having a small amount of saturating signals and low noise, an FDA type signal detection circuit connected to the signal pick-up terminal and having a large amount of saturating signals and high noise, and a signal composing circuit for composing the outputs of both signal detection circuits and outputting a composed output and changing a composing ratio in accordance with the output of the FDA type signal detection circuit.

Abstract: A color image sensing system includes a CCD image sensor with an optical color filter. A CCD driver is provided to electrically drive the image sensor, which is attached to a vibration table serving as a swing-driver for moving the image sensor along a horizontal direction such that each cell of the image sensor shifts, in a frame period including first and second field periods, between four different sampling positions substantially aligned in the horizontal direction. During each field period, each cell is positioned at two sampling positions, wherein a brightness signal component is produced at one sampling position and color signal components are produced at these sampling positions. The distance between two sampling positions at which the brightness signal components of the first and second field images are produced is set to be half the horizontal pitch of the cells of the image sensor.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing device comprises a great number of light receiving elements arrayed in rows and columns, a plurality of vertical CCD registers respectively coupled to columns of the light receiving elements for vertically transferring signal charges sensed by the light receiving elements, a horizontal CCD register for horizontally transferring the signal charges transferred from the vertical CCD register, an adder section for adding together signal charges obtained from a predetermined number of light receiving elements arrayed in columns and rows to form one added signal charge and for obtaining a plurality of added signal charges for all the light receiving elements in each of fields, and a field switcher for introducing signal charges obtained from an array of light receiving elements with at least one element shifted from the previous field to the adder section in each field.

Abstract: The solid state image sensor has a photosensing region formed on a substrate. The photosensing region has a plurality of photocells for receiving an incident image. The photosensing region is capable of changing image sampling modes by relatively shifting image sampling points for the incident image. In the photosensing region, a plurality of first transfer elements are formed and the first transfer elements receive the signal charges from adjoining photocells and transfer them out. Further, a temporary storage region is formed on the substrate having a plurality of second transfer elements therein for each of the first transfer elements. Each of the second transfer elements has a capacity to accommodate all of the signal charges of a corresponding first transfer elements which are read out from the photocells at the same time. A plurality of gate elements are respectively formed between each of the first transfer elements and their corresponding plurality of second transfer elements.

Abstract: A solid image pickup apparatus comprises a plurality of photo sensing elements, arranged on a semiconductor substrate two-dimensionally and spaced mutually by specified distances, for outputting electric charges on receiving light, a semiconductor channel formed among the photo sensing elements and transferring electric charges output from the photo sensing elements. The semiconductor channel comprises cross-shaped channel members, each channel member being located inside four photo sensing elements. A plurality of vertical transfer electrodes, are provided on the channel members, for giving electric potential to the channel members and having electric charges transferred to the channel members of the next stages. Each of the channel members comprises a wide-width part and a narrow-width part located between the wide-width part and the channel member of the next stage. The narrow-width part is formed by an ion-implanting method to have a higher impurity concentration than that of the wide-width part.

Abstract: The semiconductor devices include a semiconductor substrate, a first CCD region formed at the surface of said substrate, and a second CCD region having a side connected to said first CCD. A channel region of the first CCD region has a different channel potential at a latter part of the end transfer electrode corresponding to the portion of the first CCD region connected to the second CCD region.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing device includes a plurality of light-receiving/storage elements formed on a semiconductor substrate, vertical registers vertically extending along the light-receiving/storage elements, a horizontal register connected to ends of the vertical registers and horizontally extending, a charge read section, arranged between the light-receiving/storage element and the vertical register, for reading charge from each light-receiving/storage element to the corresponding vertical register, and a charge injection section for injecting bias charge to each light-receiving/storage element. Excessive bias charge is discharged to the semiconductor substrate through the vertical registers by setting gates in the charge read sections to be low level.

Abstract: A multilayered CCD image sensor having semiconductive cells aligned on a substrate to define picture elements of the image sensor, and a photosensitive layer, which is provided above the substrate, is conducted to the semiconductive cells, and photovoltaicly generates charges of light radiation thereon. A vertical charge transfer section is provided on the substrate and is elongated to be parallel to a linear cell array. A horizontal charge transfer section is coupled to one end portion of the vertical charge transfer section, and a drain layer for sweeping out excess charges is coupled to the other end portion of the vertical charge transfer section. In a normal signal charge readout mode, signal charges from the cells are normally transferred to the horizontal charge transfer section through the vertical charge transfer section. A sweep-out operation of excess charges is performed during a vertical blanking period.

Abstract: In a CCD image sensor, a plurality of horizontal CCD registers are disposed adjacent to an image sensing area having matrix-arrayed image sensing cells and a plurality of vertical CCD registers. In the CCD image sensor, the channel impurity concentration of second horizontal CCD register, located away from the image sensing area, is more higher than that of first horizontal CCD register. With this feature, when the charges are transferred to the second horizontal CCD register across the first horizontal register, the residual charges in the first horiozntal CCD register are remarkably reduced.

Abstract: A stacked type color solid-state image sensor in which a photoconductive film is formed evenly on a substrate having a matrix array of picture element cells and wiring pattern including a bonding pad pattern. The photoconductive film functions as an optoelectro-transducing section for the picture element cells. A color filter layer is formed on the photoconductive film such that it is positioned above the cell matrix area. A contact hole for a bonding pad pattern is formed in the photoconductive layer after the color filter layer has been formed. Since the photoconductive film is formed to cover the whole surface area of the substrate, the photoconductive film has an even surface when the color filter layer is formed over the photoconductive film. Thus, the color filter layer has a uniform, homogeneous surface. The degeneration of a color image signal due to an uneven surface of the color filter layer can be prevented by such an ingenious manufacturing design.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed, which includes a CCD image sensor having a detection section formed on a substrate at its output stage. The detection section receives a signal charge transferred from a photosensitive cell section, and generates an image voltage signal corresponding to the signal charge. The detection section has an electrically floating semiconductor diffusion layer formed in the substrate. A packet of signal charges from each picture element cell is temporarily stored in the diffusion layer. A reset section is provided to the output stage of the image sensor. The reset section has a reset drain layer so formed in the substrate as to be located near the diffusion layer and a reset gate for controlling flow of charges between the diffusion layer and the reset drain layer. The reset control unit is connected to the reset gate. The reset control unit applies a normal reset pulse signal to the reset gate in a vertical effective period of the image sensor.

Abstract: A multilayered solid-state image sensor has a photoconductive film, which covers pixels formed on a substrate, and acts as a photoelectric converting section for the pixels. The photoconductive film inherently has traps. In an imaging mode of the image sensor, before signal charges are generated in a portion of the photoconductive film corresponding to each pixel upon irradiation of image light, sufficient bias charges to fill all the traps in the photoconductive film are injected into the photoconductive film. Subsequently, excess bias charges remaining in the photoconductive film are removed therefrom. Thus, the traps in the photoconductive film are effectively filled with the bias charges, thereby deactivating the photoconductive film.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor has an electrically floating carrier detecting electrode formed on a substrate, into which the signal carriers are transmitted, a sense amplifier circuit detecting the variation in a voltage of the electrode at the time of transferring the carriers, and a resetting electrode for resetting the potential of the electrode to a predetermined potential at every read-out period of the picture element section. A circuit arrangement for removing noise is provided with two switches which alternately become conductive in response to control pulse signals. The first switch becomes conductive during a first period within one picture element period. During the first period the CCD output signal contains an effective image signal component. The second switch becomes conductive during a second period during which the CCD output signal contains a reset noise component, thereby forcibly fixing the level of the reset noise signal to a DC reference potential so that reset noise can be removed.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor has an electrically floating carrier detecting electrode formed on a substrate, into which the signal carriers are transmitted, a sense amplifier circuit detecting the variation in a voltage of the electrode at the time of transferring the carriers, and a resetting electrode for resetting the potential of the electrode to a predetermined potential at every read-out period of the picture element section. A circuit arrangement for removing noise is provided to have two switches which switch to alternatively become conductive in response to control pulse signals. The first switch becomes conductive during a first period within one picture element period. During the first period the CCD output signal contains an effective image signal component.

Abstract: A multi-layered solid state image sensor senses a three-dimensional optical image introduced through a lens having a constant focal length and a constant focal depth. The image sensor has a plurality of transparent layers stacked together with reflection preventive coating films sandwiched therebetween. A cell matrix is provided on each of the transparent layers. Cells included in each cell matrix are arranged so as not to overlap each other so that image light can effectively reach the lowermost layer. The cell matrices defining imaging surfaces on the stacked transparent layers become operative simultaneously for image sensing. Therefore, just-focused image planes at different focal points are formed on the cell matrices.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing system includes a CCD and a vibration table. The vibration table swing-drives the CCD in response to a drive signal generated by a drive pulse generator, in such a manner that the CCD is vibrated in a horizontal direction in one vibration cycle consisting of two succeeding frame periods each having A and B fields.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device such as an IT-CCD has first and second photosensing sections which are stacked so that they separately sense visible and infrared image light components contained in input light. The visible image light component contained in image light irradiated through a transparent layer is absorbed by a silicon amorphous layer, thereby sensing a visible image. The remaining light component is transmitted through an insulative layer, and is irradiated into an n.sup.+ diffusion layer which consists of a Schottky diode and serves as the second photosensing section. The infrared image light component is absorbed in the Schottky diode, thereby sensing the infrared light image.

Abstract: According to an image pickup device, a swing-driver unit is provided for vibrating an image sensor unit, thereby causing the image sensor unit to perform an image pickup operation in such a manner as to periodically shift to different sampling positions at different time points in one frame period. The swing-driver comprises a pair of plate-like bimorph piezoelectric elements for stably supporting the image sensor unit. The image sensor unit and the piezoelectric elements are sealed in a ceramic frame body in a compact manner. The electrical connection between the image sensor unit and lead wires formed on the frame is performed by a flexible film connector. The electrical connection between the piezoelectric elements and the lead wires is performed by wiring patterns preformed on the frame.

Abstract: A CCD output signal reproduction apparatus is applied to a solid state image sensor that performs a swing-driven image pickup operation. This image sensor is synchronized with one frame period and swings periodically and relatively in relation to incident light to pickup the image while changing the sampling positions in the A and B field periods. The carrier generator produces first and second sinusoidal carrier signals which have the same frequency as that of the read out frequency of the image sensor. An amplitude modulator modulates the carrier signals in response to the waveforms of the image signals supplied from the image sensor. Accordingly, amplitude-modulated A, B field image signals, which are phase-shifted by half the pixel pitch of the pixel arrangement of the image sensor. A carrier clamp circuit forcibly clamps the different peak potentials of the carrier waveforms of the amplitude-modulated field image signals to the reference potential level.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a "two-level" solid-state image pickup device wherein a portion of a first metallic electrode electrically connected to a signal storage region is made to project to the highest position above a substrate on which it is formed. A coating of an organic insulating film is then applied to produce a flat surface. The entire surface of the organic film is then etched to expose the projections of the first metallic electrode. A second metallic electrode constituting a pixel electrode is connected to the first electrode at the exposed portion thereof.