Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric-conversion element configured to output electric charges generated by photoelectric conversion to a first node, and an accumulation circuit having an input terminal connected to the first node and being capable of changing an integral capacitance value. The number of drain or source of a MOS transistor in an OFF state connected to the first node is one.

Abstract: This application relates to a photoelectric conversion apparatus which performs photoelectric conversion on incident light, a method for driving a photoelectric conversion apparatus, and an imaging system having a photoelectric conversion apparatus. The potential of one main node is prevented from approaching a predetermined potential which controls the voltage between a control node of a switch Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor and the one main node of the switch MOS transistor within a threshold voltage in a period when the predetermined potential is given and a signal based on the charge in the photoelectric converting unit is given to the one input node.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device, comprising a photoelectric conversion portion, provided in a semiconductor substrate, including a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type provided adjacent to the first semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type provided at a position away from the second semiconductor region, and a gate electrode provided between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region is provided at a position away from the gate electrode, and the semiconductor substrate includes a region of a second conductivity type within a region extending from an edge of the second semiconductor region to below the gate electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion apparatus capable of preventing dark current noise due to a leakage current of a transistor and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel which in turn includes a photoelectric conversion element adapted to convert light into an electric charge, buffers whose input terminals are connected to an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion element and which buffer a voltage corresponding to the electric charge of the photoelectric conversion element, a capacitor whose first electrode is connected to an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion element, a first switch connected between a second electrode of the capacitor and output terminals of the buffers, and a second switch connected between the second electrode of the capacitor and a fixed voltage node.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a sensor cell unit including: a photoelectric conversion unit and a sensor cell unit writing switch connected to the photoelectric conversion unit; a memory cell unit including a memory capacitance and a memory cell unit writing switch connected to the memory capacitance; and a common signal line connected to the sensor cell unit and the memory cell unit, and the memory cell unit holds a signal including voltage fluctuation of the photoelectric conversion unit due to an OFF operation of the sensor cell unit writing switch, a fixed pattern noise of the sensor cell unit, and a fixed pattern noise of the memory cell unit to the memory capacitance before holding a signal of the photoelectric conversion unit to the memory capacitance.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a common output line, a sensor cell unit which outputs a signal to the common output line, a transfer circuit unit which is connected to the common output line, holds a signal from the common output line in a transfer capacitor, and transfers the signal, first, second and third memory cell units each of which stores a signal from the common output line in a memory capacitor, inverts and amplifies the signal in the memory capacitor, and outputs the signal to the common output line.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device, comprising a photoelectric conversion portion, provided in a semiconductor substrate, including a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type provided adjacent to the first semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type provided at a position away from the second semiconductor region, and a gate electrode provided between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region is provided at a position away from the gate electrode, and the semiconductor substrate includes a region of a second conductivity type within a region extending from an edge of the second semiconductor region to below the gate electrode.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric-conversion element configured to output electric charges generated by photoelectric conversion to a first node, and an accumulation circuit having an input terminal connected to the first node and being capable of changing an integral capacitance value. The number of drain or source of a MOS transistor in an OFF state connected to the first node is one.

Abstract: A photoelectric-conversion device that allows for both of widening the dynamic range and performing an operation to monitor the amount of received light is achieved. A sensor-cell unit that can operate in low-sensitivity mode and high-sensitivity mode, a transfer unit transferring a signal outputted from a unit pixel, and a monitoring unit monitoring a signal transmitted from the sensor-cell unit, the signal being output from the transfer unit, are provided.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: a sensor cell unit for a non-inverting output, via a first non-inverting amplifier to a common output line, of a signal generated by a photoelectric conversion element; a first memory cell unit for holding the signal inputted from the common output line to a first memory capacitor, and for performing a non-inverting output of the signal held by the first memory capacitor, via a second non-inverting amplifier to the common output line; a transfer unit for non-inverting or inverting, via an amplifier, the signal in the common output line, and for outputting the signal non-inverted or inverted to the common output line; a transfer switch arranged between an input terminal of the transfer unit and the common output line; and a feedback switch arranged between an output terminal of the transfer unit and the common output line.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion apparatus capable of preventing dark current noise due to a leakage current of a transistor and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel which in turn includes a photoelectric conversion element adapted to convert light into an electric charge, buffers whose input terminals are connected to an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion element and which buffer a voltage corresponding to the electric charge of the photoelectric conversion element, a capacitor whose first electrode is connected to an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion element, a first switch connected between a second electrode of the capacitor and output terminals of the buffers, and a second switch connected between the second electrode of the capacitor and a fixed voltage node.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion unit, a second photoelectric conversion unit, and a pixel output unit shared by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit. The unit pixels are arranged in a first direction, and the first and second photoelectric conversion units are arranged in a second direction different from the first direction.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus, an error can occur due to a voltage drop through a MOS transistor. In the photoelectric conversion apparatus, to reduce the error, a circuit block disposed between a unit pixel and an output line includes a differential amplifier circuit and a switch that is disposed in a feedback path of the differential amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A photoelectric-conversion device including at least two memory-cell units for a single sensor-cell unit is provided. A reset noise generated due to initialization of the sensor-cell unit is written into each of the memory-cell units at one time.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit, and a pixel output unit shared by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit. The first photoelectric conversion unit is configured to be depleted when it is reset, while the second photoelectric conversion unit is configured not to be depleted when it is reset.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photo-sensor with a stable current limiting function and pixel reset function. When the incident light quantity of the phototransistor is equal to or less than a predetermined quantity and the base potential of the phototransistor is in a first potential of an operation point in a stationary state, an MOSFET for discharging an electric charge is controlled so as to be turned OFF. In addition, when the incident light quantity of the phototransistor is equal to or more than the predetermined quantity, a MOSFET for detecting an electric current is controlled so as to operate in a saturation region. When the base potential of the phototransistor has changed to a second potential from the first potential, the MOSFET for discharging an electric charge is controlled so as to be turned ON.

Abstract: This application relates to a photoelectric conversion apparatus which performs photoelectric conversion on incident light, a method for driving a photoelectric conversion apparatus, and an imaging system having a photoelectric conversion apparatus. The potential of one main node is prevented from approaching a predetermined potential which controls the voltage between a control node of a switch Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor and the one main node of the switch MOS transistor within a threshold voltage in a period when the predetermined potential is given and a signal based on the charge in the photoelectric converting unit is given to the one input node.

Abstract: In an auto-focusing (AF) sensor, it has been difficult to realize high-speed auto focusing and high-accuracy, auto focusing without increasing the scale of a circuit. In the present invention, a common buffer unit is provided for a plurality of memory cell units that are provided in each unit pixel.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a sensor cell unit including: a photoelectric conversion unit and a sensor cell unit writing switch connected to the photoelectric conversion unit; a memory cell unit including a memory capacitance and a memory cell unit writing switch connected to the memory capacitance; and a common signal line connected to the sensor cell unit and the memory cell unit, and the memory cell unit holds a signal including voltage fluctuation of the photoelectric conversion unit due to an OFF operation of the sensor cell unit writing switch, a fixed pattern noise of the sensor cell unit, and a fixed pattern noise of the memory cell unit to the memory capacitance before holding a signal of the photoelectric conversion unit to the memory capacitance.

Abstract: A driving method of a solid-state imaging apparatus including multiple reference level supplying units each arranged correspondingly to a predetermined number of signal holding units, to supply a reference level to an output node of the signal holding unit through the selecting unit, wherein the method includes steps of: performing a clamping operation for sampling and holding the signal in the signal holding unit, by terminating turn ON pulses to be supplied to the selecting units successively in separate timings, one for each one of the selecting units, or one for each group of the selecting units while the reference level is supplied from the reference level supplying unit to the output node; and performing an operation of selecting the signal holding units through the selecting units, by supplying the turn ON pulses successively to the selecting units, to read out the signals successively from the signal holding units selected.