Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state imaging apparatus that can significantly reduce kTC noise by using a negative feedback amplifying circuit. A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels arranged on a semiconductor substrate in a matrix, the pixel unit including, for each column, a source line and a column signal line, each of the plurality of pixels including: a photoelectric conversion unit that generates a signal charge corresponding to incident light; a storage unit storing the signal charge; a reset transistor; an amplifying transistor; and a cutoff transistor, wherein the amplifying transistor and the cutoff transistor form a negative feedback amplifying circuit. With this configuration, kTC noise can significantly be reduced.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector has at least one unit pixel having a photoelectric conversion part, a charge storage part, and a detection circuit. The photoelectric conversion part includes a charge multiplication region in which incident light is converted into a charge, and the charge is multiplied by avalanche multiplication. The charge storage part is connected to the photoelectric conversion part and stores a signal charge from the photoelectric conversion part. The detection circuit is connected to the charge storage part, converts the signal charge stored in the charge storage part into a voltage, passes the voltage through an amplifier to amplify the voltage, and outputs the amplified voltage.

Abstract: A control unit calculates the color temperature using at least a first visible light signal and a near-infrared signal when the amount of the near-infrared signal is larger than a predetermined amount. The first visible light signal is a signal generated by photoelectrically converting visible light. The near-infrared signal is a signal generated by photoelectrically converting near-infrared light.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a substrate; an insulator layer formed on the substrate; a semiconductor layer formed on the insulator layer; and a silicon layer formed on the semiconductor layer. The silicon layer includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter configured to convert light into signal charge, and a circuit configured to read the signal charge, and a refractive index of the insulator layer is lower than a refractive index of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A solid-state image capturing element includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each of which outputs an electric signal corresponding to an amount of received light; a plurality of column signal lines each of which is disposed for a corresponding one of columns of the pixels and sequentially transfers the electric signal provided from the corresponding one of the columns of the pixels; and a plurality of holding circuits each of which is disposed for a corresponding one of the column signal lines and holds the electric signal transferred via the corresponding one of the column signal lines. Each of the holding circuits includes a circuit element including an input capacitance, and holds the electric signal in the input capacitance.

Abstract: The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate including an imaging region and a peripheral circuit region, a wiring layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on the wiring layer above the imaging region, a photoelectric conversion film formed on the wiring layer and the plurality of pixel electrodes above the imaging region, and an upper electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion film. The photoelectric conversion film has a laminated structure in which a plurality of well layers and a plurality of barrier layers are alternately laminated, the well layers made of a first semiconductor having a fundamental absorption edge in a wavelength region longer than a near-infrared light wavelength, and the barrier layers made of an insulator or a second semiconductor having a band gap wider than that of the first semiconductor.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device that is configurable into a small size appropriate for expanding dynamic range includes: a photodiode which is a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge by incident light; a MOS transistor which is connected to the photodiode and transfers the charge; a floating diffusion region which is a first accumulation unit which accumulates the charge via the MOS transistor; a MOS transistor which is a second transfer unit connected to the floating diffusion region and connected in series to the MOS transistor; and a MOS transistor which is an output unit which outputs, via the MOS transistor, a signal voltage in accordance with an amount of the charge.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: pixels arranged in a matrix, a semiconductor substrate; a first electrode formed above the semiconductor substrate for each of the pixels; a photoelectric conversion film formed on the first electrode, for photoelectric conversion of light into signal charge; a charge accumulation region formed in the semiconductor substrate for accumulating the signal charge generated through the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion film; a contact plug for electrically connecting the first electrode and the charge accumulation region in a corresponding pixel; a high-concentration impurity region formed on a surface of the charge accumulation region, in a region in contact with the contact plug; a surface impurity region formed on the surface of the charge accumulation region, in a region not in contact with the contact plug; and a low-concentration impurity region formed between the high-concentration impurity region and the surface impurity region.

Abstract: A plurality of pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns, and each of which outputs an electric signal according to an amount of received light; a first column signal line provided for each of the columns, and for sequentially transferring the electric signals from said pixel circuits in a corresponding column; and a holding circuit provided for each of the pixel circuits in each column, and which holds the electric signal transferred through the column signal line in the corresponding column are provided. A holding circuit includes a first capacitor which holds a first electric signal of the corresponding pixel circuit in a reset state; and a second capacitor which holds a second electric signal after the corresponding pixel circuit receives light. A difference circuit calculates a difference between two electric signals held by the first capacitor and the second capacitor in a same holding circuit.

Abstract: A hydrated water-absorption polymer containing resin composition includes a liquid cross-link curable resin composition, and a water-absorption polymer dispersed in the liquid cross-link curable resin composition. The water-absorption polymer is preliminarily hydrated and swollen. The water-absorption polymer before being hydrated and swollen includes an average particle diameter of not more than 10 ?m. The water-absorption polymer includes an amount of water absorption of 10 to 100 g/g.

Abstract: Solid-state imaging device of the present invention is a backside-illumination-type solid-state imaging device including wiring layer formed on first surface side of semiconductor substrate; and light receiving section that photoelectrically converts light incident from second surface side that is opposite from first surface side, wherein spontaneous polarization film formed of a material having spontaneous polarization is formed on a light receiving surface of light receiving section. Accordingly, a hole accumulation layer can be formed on the light receiving surface of light receiving section, and a dark current can be suppressed.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes pixels which are arranged two-dimensionally and each of which includes: a light absorbing layer that converts light into signal charges; a signal read circuit to read out the signal charges, the signal read circuit being formed on a side opposite to a light incident plane side of the light absorbing layer; a metal layer that is formed on the light incident plane side of the light absorbing layer, the metal layer having an aperture to transmit, into the light absorbing layer, light of a wavelength range depending on a shape of the aperture, a driving circuit that applies a voltage to the metal layer to generate, in the light absorbing layer, a potential gradient to collect the signal charges.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes semiconductor substrate; a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections of n-type that are formed at an upper part of semiconductor substrate and arranged in a matrix; output circuit that is formed on a charge detection surface that is one surface of semiconductor substrate and detects charges stored in photoelectric conversion sections; a plurality of isolating diffusion layers of a p-type that are formed under output circuit and include high concentration p-type layers adjacent to respective photoelectric conversion sections; and color filters formed on a light incident surface that is the other surface opposing the one surface of semiconductor substrate and transmit light with different wavelengths. Shapes of respective photoelectric conversion sections correspond to color filters and differ depending on the high concentration p-type layer configuring isolating diffusion layer.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a substrate; an insulator layer formed on the substrate; a semiconductor layer formed on the insulator layer; and a silicon layer formed on the semiconductor layer. The silicon layer includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter configured to convert light into signal charge, and a circuit configured to read the signal charge, and a refractive index of the insulator layer is lower than a refractive index of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method for driving a solid-state imaging device, which includes pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array of m columns in a horizontal scanning direction and n rows in a vertical scanning direction (n is an integer no less than 2 and m is a natural number), includes ending a reset operation on pixels in an i-th row among the pixels when a reset operation on pixels in an (i+1)-th row among the pixels is in progress, or time elapsed from when the reset operation on the pixels in the (i+1)-th row is ended is less than one-frame capturing time, where i is an integer no less than 1 and no greater than (n?1).

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a substrate; a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a matrix above the substrate, and electrically isolated from each other; an insulator layer covering the first electrodes, having a planarized upper surface, and comprising an insulator; a photoelectric conversion film which is formed above the insulator layer, and converts light into signal charges; a second electrode formed above the photoelectric conversion film; and a signal readout circuit which is formed on the substrate, and generates a readout signal by detecting an amount of current change or voltage change caused by the signal charges at each of the first electrodes, in which the insulator layer allows conduction of at least electrons or holes by quantum mechanical tunneling.

Abstract: A method for producing an aqueous absorptive polymer-containing resin composition in which a resin composition is doped with an aqueous absorptive polymer includes causing the aqueous absorptive polymer to absorb and be swollen by water beforehand, and milling and microparticulating the water-absorbed and -swollen absorptive polymer at an ultrasonic flow pressure of not less than 50 MPa.

Abstract: A fan includes a shaft, a hollow, approximately cylindrical rotor yoke that rotates around the shaft as a rotation axis and is open toward one of its axial ends, a rotor magnet secured to an inner circumference of the rotor yoke, and an impeller secured to an outer circumference of the rotor yoke and arranged to rotate together with the rotor yoke to generate an air flow. One of the impeller and the rotor yoke is provided with an index used for circumferentially positioning the impeller or the rotor yoke.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory cell includes: a memory element formed by a first field effect transistor having a gate insulating film made of a ferroelectric film; and a select switching element formed by a second field effect transistor having a gate insulating film made of a paraelectric film. The ferroelectric film and the paraelectric film are stacked together with a semiconductor film of a compound semiconductor interposed therebetween. A first gate electrode of the first field effect transistor is formed on a side of the ferroelectric film, and a second gate electrode of the second field effect transistor is formed on a side of the paraelectric film so as to face the first gate electrode. The semiconductor film forms a common channel layer of the first and second field effect transistors.

Abstract: The image-capturing device according to the present invention includes a solid-state imaging element, an infrared LED which emits infrared light, a light-emission controlling unit which causes the infrared LED to emit infrared pulsed light on a per frame time basis, and a signal processing unit which extracts, from the solid-state imaging element, a color visible-light image signal in synchronization with a non-emitting period and an infrared image signal in synchronization with an emitting period of the infrared LED. The solid-state imaging element includes an image-capturing region in which unit-arrays are two-dimensionally arranged, and each of the unit-arrays has a pixel for receiving green visible light and infrared light, a pixel for receiving red visible light and infrared light, a pixel for receiving blue visible light and infrared light, and a pixel for receiving infrared light.