Semiconductor device and signal processing device having said device provided therein

• US 5,040,041 A
• Filed: 10/17/1989
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Katsuhiko, Mizutani, Hidemasa, Sugawa, Shigetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US07/422,773
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 357/30 P, 357/30 H, 357/30 G, 357/30 K, 357/30 S, 357/32, 357/4, 357/24 LR, 307/561, 307/562, 250/578
• US Class Current: 257/222
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/028 for picture information pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02805 with photodetectors arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/53 Control of the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/701 Line sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/706 Pixels for exposure or ambient light measuring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/779 Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1512 for MOS image-sensors, e.g. MOS-CCD H04N3/1581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided with plural charge accumulation type sensor elements, each of the sensor elements having an active semiconductor region. Plural charge transferring elements transfer charge signals which are stored in the sensor elements, each of the charge transferring elements corresponding to a respective one of the sensor elements. A common conductive member is provided with an insulating member to be capacitively coupled with the sensor elements. An operating member produces a drive signal to drive the charge transferring elements and detects the voltage signal on the common conductive member. The charge transferring elements are controlled on the basis of a voltage signal corresponding to the respective voltages accumulated in the sensor elements in accordance with a voltage of the common conductive member.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of charge accumulation type sensor elements each of said sensor elements having an active semiconductor region;

a plurality of charge transferring elements for transferring charge signals stored in said sensor elements, each of said charge transferring elements corresponding to a respective one of said sensor elements;

a common conductive member provided with an insulating member being capacitively coupled with said sensor elements; and

operating means for producing a drive signal to drive said charge transferring elements and for detecting the voltage signal on said common conductive member,

wherein said charge transferring elements are controlled on the basis of the drive signal produced in accordance with the voltage on said common conductive member.

2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of said charge transferring elements comprises a switch element section.

3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising plural switch elements, wherein each of said charge accumulation type sensor elements electrically connects with a corresponding one of said switch elements for resetting a potential of said photoelectric converting section.

4. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of said charge accumulation type sensor elements comprises a photovoltaic element section.

5. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein said photovoltaic section comprises a diode.

6. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of said charge accumulation type sensor elements comprises a photoconductive element section and a charge accumulation section.

7. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said insulating member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxide nitride.

8. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said insulating member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of PSG and BSG.

9. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said electroconductive member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, Au, Ag, Pt and W.

10. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said electroconductive member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of SnO₂ and ITO.

11. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge and Se.

12. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of SiC and SiGe.

13. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a semiconductor material comprising GaAs.

14. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a non-crystalline semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, and Se.

15. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a non-single crystalline semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of SiC and SiGe.

16. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor device has an active region comprising a non-single crystalline semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of SiC and SiGe.

17. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said charge accumulation type sensor element has an active region comprising an ultra-lattice structure.

18. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a line sensor device.

19. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device comprises an area sensor device.

20. A signal processing device comprising:

a semiconductor device comprising,

a plurality of charge accumulation type sensor elements each of said sensor elements having an active semiconductor region, and

a common conductive member provided with an insulating member being capacitively coupled with said sensor elements; and

signal readout means comprising,

a plurality of charge transferring elements for transferring charge signals stored in said sensor elements, and

driving means for driving said charge transferring elements in accordance with a voltage signal of said common conductive member.

21. A signal processing device according to claim 20, wherein said signal processing device comprises a scanner device for reading of an image.

22. A signal processing device according to claim 20, wherein said signal processing device comprises a facsimile device.

23. A signal processing device according to claim 20, wherein said signal processing device comprises a camera.