Abstract: A tendency towards uneven delays in raster scan lines is characteristic of known CCD imagers of line transfer type. This tendency arises owing to a line register being used for the time-division-multiplex selection of rows of charge packets sampling lines of image, and can be compensated to a degree by adjusting the onset of read-out of those rows. This tendency towards shear distortion of the television image is eliminated in the disclosed invention by replacing the line register with a charge funnel structure. The charge funnel is a CCD charge transfer channel, wide enough at its input to mate to the output ends of charge transfer channels in the imager register from which it receives charge packets in one or two rows at a time, and narrow enough at its output to increase the in-channel potential variations owing to charge packet transfer therethrough. This increase permits sensitive indications of charge level to be made by an electrometer. The electrometer (e.g.

Abstract: There is electrostatic coupling of the forward clocking signals used in a CCD imager of line transfer type to the underlying bulk semiconductor and then to the output charge sensing stage. Changes in forward clocking signal application during the line selection process in the image register tend to introduce transient disturbances leaving visible artifacts in television pictures reconstructed from the video signals generated from the CCD imager output signal samples. This tendency can be obviated in CCD imagers of line transfer type by introducing additional clocked delay to place the disturbances in the line retrace interval. The disturbances can then be removed from video signals by line retrace blanking.

Abstract: By replacing continuous channel stops with spaced channel-stop islands arranged in a plurality of rows, the substrate of an imager may be divided into a predetermined two-dimensional array of spaced charge-storage islands that communicate with one another through intervening charge-transfer regions. This permits the packing density of picture elements per unit substrate area to be nearly doubled and also reduces the noticeable distortion due to "blooming" in a television picture derived from such an imager.

Abstract: A CCD imager in which charges are read from the imager in serial fashion in the row direction a group of adjacent rows at a time. The charge packets of one row of a group are interleaved or read concurrently with those of other rows of the group during read out. Vertical interlacing is obtained by grouping the rows in different ways during the respective odd and even fields of an interlaced frame. Colors may be sensed by employing color filters in a particular pattern at the respective integration sites of the array.

Abstract: Single-chip, color imager in which filters for the three colors are arranged in successive stripes over the rows. The rows are read out a pair at a time. Each line of displayed information is obtained by combining the signals read from the last row of one pair of rows, delayed one horizontal line time, with the signals read from the following pair of rows.

Abstract: A CCD structure which includes beneath a single electrode, in response to a voltage applied to that electrode, a first substrate region in which a potential barrier is formed, a second substrate region on one side of the first region in which a relatively shallow potential well is formed, and a third substrate region on the other side of the first region in which a deeper potential well is formed. This kind of structure is useful, for example, in obtaining multiplexed outputs from a CCD array.

Abstract: Photo sensitive elements formed on a surface of a substrate are arranged in rows and columns. Column conductors for selectively collecting the information contained in the photo elements are diffused along the length of each column in the same surface of the substrate as the photo elements. A barrier region is formed between the photo elements of each column and their associated column conductor for, normally, preventing leakage of charge from the diffused column conductors back into the photo elements. Row conductors, insulated from the surface of the substrate, are disposed transversely to the columns and lie over the rows of photo elements. Driving voltages applied to a row conductor either place the photo elements of that row in a signal collecting mode or else enable the collected signals in the elements of that row to surmount the barrier and flow into their corresponding column conductors.

Abstract: A charge injection device (CID) structure comprising two conductors for forming two adjacent potential wells in a semiconductor substrate and means such as an ion implanted region for maintaining a potential barrier between these wells. The CID is operated in such a way as to permit more of the charge accumulated during the integration time in response to a given voltage applied to the conductors to be useful in producing a readout signal than in previous CID's. Also, the structure and mode of operation are such as to lessen undesired capacitive coupling effects.