Abstract: In a solid-state imaging device, a plurality of vertical charge transfer paths is arranged at a horizontal pitch A within a photoelectric conversion region, and at a pitch B that is smaller than the pitch A in a portion where the signals are input into the horizontal charger transfer path. A read-out amplifier and a horizontal charge transfer path for receiving signals from vertical charge transfer paths are provided for each photoelectric conversion block into which the photoelectric conversion region has been partitioned. The read-out amplifiers have the same shape and their positional relation is one of parallel displacement in regions that are obtained by changing the pitch of the vertical charge transfer portions. Thus, a solid-state imaging device is achieved that is not so easily influenced by mask misalignments or skewed ion implantation angles, and in which signal read-out at high speeds is possible.

Abstract: A photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate having photo-cells (1a, 1b, 1c). Each photo-cell is provided with a filter layer 20 that transmits light in a wavelength range predetermined for the photo-cell, and a photoelectric converter 17 that generates a signal charge according to an intensity of the light transmitted through the filter layer 20. Thickness (ta, tb, tc) of the filter layers 20 are corresponding to the wavelength ranges predetermined for respective photo-cells. By such a structure, it is possible to provide cost effective photodetectors that can be manufactured without managing materials for pigments and dyestuff for different colors when making color filters.

Abstract: The signal transmission circuit is provided, said signal transmission circuit being capable of stable operations even with a source power of low voltage and a fast operation. The signal transmission circuit comprises plural stages of circuit in each of which the pulse voltage according to the driving pulse is sequentially outputted.

Abstract: The present invention is a solid-state imaging device formed on a silicon substrate 1 for providing a MOS type solid-state imaging device which has a device isolation structure and causes a small amount of leak current. The solid-state imaging device comprises, for each pixel, an imaging region which includes a photodiode having a charge accumulation region of the first conductivity type, a transistor and a device isolation region whose depth is less than the depth of the charge accumulation region of the first conductivity type, at which the impurity density is at maximum.

Abstract: The signal transmission circuit is provided, said signal transmission circuit being capable of stable operations even with a source power of low voltage and a fast operation. The signal transmission circuit comprises plural stages of circuit in each of which the pulse voltage according to the driving pulse is sequentially outputted.

Abstract: With the use of the MOS-type solid-state imaging device, it is possible, by extending the period during which the VDD voltage rises from Low level to High level, that the gate voltage of the resetting unit does not fluctuate to have a positive electric potential due to the coupling capacitance between the VDD power and the gate of the resetting unit, unlike the conventional case. Consequently, the electrons necessary for rendering the accumulation unit non-selectable do not flow from the accumulation unit to the VDD power. This prevents the level of the electric potential in the accumulation unit of non-selectable row from becoming positive. Also, the detecting unit is not switched on, which prevents the error of selecting a non-selectable row.

Abstract: A pixel area of a megapixel solid-state color imaging device is divided into unit areas for pixel adding and all the pixels for the same color are added together in each unit area. Accordingly, the percentage of utilized pixels is raised to 100% and aliasing noise to low frequencies in a high-frequency video signal is greatly suppressed by a spatial LPF (low pass filter) effect of the pixel addition in the area units.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing apparatus that can photograph a moving object with no distortion is a solid-state image sensing apparatus that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light comprises: a photosensitive unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion circuits is laid out one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, each of said photoelectric conversion circuits corresponding to a pixel and including a photodiode that accumulates electric charge by performing the photoelectric conversion of incident light and an output circuit that outputs the accumulated electric charge as an electric signal; an electric charge simultaneous removal unit operable to simultaneously remove the accumulated electric charge in the photodiodes laid out in a predetermined region to be read out in the photosensitive unit; and an electric charge accumulation unit operable to accumulate electric charge in the photodiode laid out in the region to be read out during a predetermined time after the accumulated electric char

Abstract: A solid state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in the row direction and the column direction, and every two of the plurality of pixels that are adjacent to each other in the row direction or the column direction include color filters of different colors, respectively. A signal mixture circuit is provided in each same-row and same-color pixel group. Each said same-row and same-color pixel group consisting of ones of the plurality of pixels which are included in a pixel mixture unit to be a subject of pixel signal mixture, which are located in the same row, and which include color filters of the same color. The signal mixture circuit includes a combination of a capacitor and a transmission switch, stores pixel signals from pixels included in a same-row and same-color pixel group and mixes the signals together.

Abstract: A solid state imaging apparatus includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells each including a plurality of photoelectric sections arranged in an array of at least two rows and two columns; a plurality of floating diffusion sections each being connected to each of ones of the photoelectric sections which are included in the same row of each said photoelectric conversion via each of a plurality of transfer transistors, and being shared by said ones of the photoelectric sections; a plurality of read-out lines each being selectively connected to at least two of the transfer transistors; and a plurality of pixel amplifier transistors each detecting and outputting the potential of each said the floating diffusion section. Charges of the photoelectric conversion sections each being connected to one of the read-out lines and being read out by the transfer transistors are read out by different floating diffusion sections.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a MOS solid-state imaging element having a photodiode and an amplifier for each pixel, wherein the MOS solid-state device is provided with a range specifying portion for determining a density of a signal spacing between selection signals for selecting pixels to be read out, in accordance with a range in which a resolution is to be different in an image and a resolution of the range, and a selection portion for sending the selection signals only to pixels that have been selected from among all of the pixels by outputting the selection signals in correspondence with a specification from the range specifying portion, and wherein the amplifier of a pixel to which a selection signal has been input outputs, as a pixel signal, a charge that has accumulated in the photodiode of that pixel.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging portion in which a plurality of pixels for photoelectrically converting incident light are arranged so as to form a plural kinds of pixel lines having different color arrangements; a memory in which pixel signals obtained from the pixels of at least one line in the imaging portion are stored; an output signal line into which the pixel signals stored in the memory are read out; and an output portion from which signals of the output signal line are output. Pixel signals obtained from non-adjacent pixels of a first color in one line are read out into the output signal lines sequentially, and then pixel signals obtained from non-adjacent pixels of a second color are read out into the output signal lines sequentially. Pixel signals of the same color are output sequentially, so that it is not necessary to operate color selection switch for every pixel signals at high speed. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the mixing of adjacent colors.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging portion in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged two-dimensionally; output signal lines into which pixel signals of the imaging portion are read out; a signal-transmission circuit for reading out the pixel signals of the imaging portion into the output signal lines by the output corresponding to a driving pulse; and output portions from which the signals of the output signal line are output. Pixel signals of the imaging portion are read out into the output signal lines by the output corresponding to plural groups of readout pulses S1, S11 S2, S21, S3 and S31 generated respectively based on a plurality of pixels. For reading out pixel signals of a plurality of pixels of a same color, the readout pulses of the same group are used. Since a variation in output for each color due to the readout pulse can be adjusted for each group of pixels, it is possible to use plural groups of readout pulses based on a plurality of driving pulses.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged; and a signal line through which a signal of the imaging region is read out. An adding circuit for adding pixel signals obtained from two or more of the pixels is provided so that an output signal of the adding circuit is read out to the signal line. On the basis of a predetermined reference quantity of light incident onto the imaging region, a gain of the adding circuit in a condition in which a quantity of the incident light is above the reference quantity is controlled to be smaller than a gain of the adding circuit in a condition in which a quantity of the incident light is below the reference quantity. High sensitivity can be obtained with an adding circuit, and saturation of the adding circuit in large quantity of light can be suppressed, obtaining a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a small, high-performance imaging device and its application to products at low cost by preventing noise superimposed on a timing pulse feed line from affecting the output of an imaging chip. The imaging device includes two chips: an imaging chip 101 including a sensor 102 and an image processing chip 106 including an image processing circuit 110. The transistors of all circuits in the imaging chip 101 are formed as either nMOS or pMOS transistors. The imaging chip 101 is stacked on the image processing chip 106.

Abstract: A MOS image pick-up device including a semiconductor substrate, an imaging region formed on the semiconductor substrate by arraying plural unit pixels, and a peripheral circuit region including a driving circuit for operating the imaging region formed on the semiconductor substrate; the unit pixels include a photodiode, MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistors and a first device-isolation portion, the peripheral circuit region includes a second device-isolation portion for isolating devices in the driving circuit; wherein each of the first device-isolation portion and the second device-isolation portion is at least one portion selected from an electrically insulating film formed on the substrate in order not to erode the substrate, a electrically insulating film formed on the substrate so as to erode the substrate to a depth ranging from 1 nm to 50 nm, and an impurity diffusion region formed within the substrate. The MOS image pick-up device is incorporated in a camera.

Abstract: Signal charges are read out from light-receiving portions during a vertical blanking period by applying a read-out voltage pulse to read-out electrodes that are provided separately from vertical transfer electrodes, while signal charges are prevented from leaking from the light-receiving portions during a vertical scanning period by applying a negative voltage to the read-out electrodes. The read-out voltage pulse also is applied to vertical transfer electrodes, whereby signal charges are read out from the light-receiving portions more efficiently. Signal charges are read out from light-receiving portions in a predetermined region by applying a read-out voltage pulse to read-out electrodes while applying a negative voltage to a part of the vertical transfer electrodes.

Abstract: The solid-state imaging device includes an imaging section including a plurality of unit pixels for photoelectric conversion of incident light arranged in a two-dimensional matrix and a plurality of output sections for outputting pixel signals from the imaging section in parallel at least according to the pixel color.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device including a silicon substrate; a heat insulating layer including a silicon oxide film; and a heat detecting portion, in which the heat insulating layer includes a closed cavity and/or a hole, an interior of the hole has a greater diameter than an opening of the hole, and at least a portion of the closed cavity or the hole is formed within the silicon oxide film. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing this semiconductor device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device including a silicon substrate; a heat insulating layer including a silicon oxide film; and a heat detecting portion, in which the heat insulating layer includes a closed cavity and/or a hole, an interior of the hole has a greater diameter than an opening of the hole, and at least a portion of the closed cavity or the hole is formed within the silicon oxide film. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing this semiconductor device.