Solid state image pickup device
First Claim
1. A solid state image pickup device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface layer of a first conductivity type;
a plurality of charge storage regions of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type disposed in said surface layer in a row and column matrix shape, constituting a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
a plurality of vertical channels of the second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer adjacent to respective columns of said charge storage regions;
vertical transfer electrodes formed above the semiconductor substrate, crossing said vertical channels, constituting vertical charge coupled devices;
a horizontal channel of the second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer coupled to said vertical channels, having a first portion with a plurality of transfer stages, each including a barrier region and a well region, and a second portion constituting a gate region with gradually decreasing width, and including an upstream region and a downstream region of different effective impurity concentration, establishing a built-in potential;
horizontal transfer electrodes disposed above respective transfer stages of said horizontal channel;
an output gate electrode disposed above said gate region;
a floating diffusion region of said second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer coupled to said gate region of said horizontal channel, constituting an output element for receiving a signal charge and outputting a voltage signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solid state image pickup device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a surface layer; charge storage regions disposed in the surface layer; vertical channels disposed in the surface layer adjacent to respective columns of the charge storage regions; vertical transfer electrodes formed above the semiconductor substrate, crossing the vertical channels; a horizontal channel disposed in the surface layer coupled to the vertical channels, having a first portion with transfer stages, each including a barrier region and a well region, and a second portion constituting a gate region with gradually decreasing width, and including an upstream region and a downstream region of different effective impurity concentration, establishing a built-in potential; horizontal transfer electrodes disposed above respective transfer stages of the horizontal channel; an output gate electrode disposed above the gate region; a floating diffusion region disposed in the surface layer coupled to the gate region of the horizontal channel.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A solid state image pickup device comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having a surface layer of a first conductivity type;
a plurality of charge storage regions of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type disposed in said surface layer in a row and column matrix shape, constituting a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
a plurality of vertical channels of the second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer adjacent to respective columns of said charge storage regions;
vertical transfer electrodes formed above the semiconductor substrate, crossing said vertical channels, constituting vertical charge coupled devices;
a horizontal channel of the second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer coupled to said vertical channels, having a first portion with a plurality of transfer stages, each including a barrier region and a well region, and a second portion constituting a gate region with gradually decreasing width, and including an upstream region and a downstream region of different effective impurity concentration, establishing a built-in potential;
horizontal transfer electrodes disposed above respective transfer stages of said horizontal channel;
an output gate electrode disposed above said gate region;
a floating diffusion region of said second conductivity type disposed in said surface layer coupled to said gate region of said horizontal channel, constituting an output element for receiving a signal charge and outputting a voltage signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification