Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method of reducing the vertical smears which are generated in a solid state image sensor including a plurality of vertical signal lines for transferring signal charges in a vertical direction and at least one charge transfer device for transferring the signal charges in a horizontal direction.The smear charges stored in the vertical signal lines and the signal charges generated in a photoelectric conversion element in response to an incident ray are inputted separately of each other for a horizontal blanking period to the charge transfer device for the horizontal transfer. During a tracing period, a smear voltage and a signal voltage are outputted separately of each other from said charge transfer device. The smear voltage adjusted is subtracted from the signal voltage to eliminate the smear component which has been mixed into the signal voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a two-dimensionally arrayed solid-state imaging device for a television camera having a photodiode array arranged at a photo-sensing section and a readout horizontal register constructed by a charge transfer device (CTD) such as a BCD, CCD or BBD. An inverter circuit is provided for each of the vertical signal lines. An input of the inverter circuit is connected to a vertical signal line drain of at least one transfer transistor arranged between the vertical signal line and the CTD, and an output of the inverter circuit is connected to a gate of the transfer transistor. Transfer efficiency is improved by the insertion of the inverter circuit and fixed pattern noise is substantially reduced by supplying bias currents.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided with picture elements which are each composed of a photoelectric conversion element and a MOS transistor as a switching element and which are arranged in the form of a matrix. A scanning mechanism sequentially scans the picture elements to sequentially read out photoelectric conversion signals. To eliminate smear and reduce parasitic capacitance, a high-impurity-concentration diffusion layer serving as an output terminal of the MOS transistor constituting the picture element is formed on an insulator layer for isolating the elements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device wherein optical information of a number of photo-electric conversion elements arranged in a matrix is read into vertical signal lines by a vertical shift register and then the optical information on the vertical signal lines is horizontally scanned by a horizontal register of a charge transfer device. Bias charge storage means and quasi-signal sweep-out drains are disposed between the horizontal register and the vertical signal lines, and a bias charge input means is arranged in the horizontal register. In order to ensure high efficiency in transferring signals between the vertical lines to the storage means, the sweep-out drains and the charge transfer device, it is arranged for bias charges to be provided at each stage of transfer. Thus, bias charges supplied from the storage means are used to transfer charges from the vertical lines to the storage means.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device comprises an array of picture elements and a horizontal CTD shift register. In a horizontal blanking period, two or more sets of signals from vertical signal output lines coupled to the picture element array are stored in the horizontal CTD shift register. In a horizontal scanning period, the horizontal CTD shift register operates in a 3-phase (or 4-phase) driving fashion to deliver picture image information signal to its output part.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device wherein a MOS sensor is employed for a photosensor part, a CTD shift register is employed for a read-out circuit, first and second transfer gates are connected between vertical signal output lines and the CTD, and a reset gate is connected between a juncture of the first and second transfer gates and a reset voltage line. A method is adopted in which signal outputs of a plurality of rows are transferred to the CTD in a horizontal blanking period, and signals of a plurality of rows are simultaneously read out in a horizontal scanning period. At the signal transfer, bias charges are dumped into the vertical signal output lines from the CTD, and mixed charges consisting of the bias charges and signal charges are transferred to the CTD. Thereafter, the signals are read out.