Amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus and method for driving the same

• US 5,856,686 A
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takashi, Kudo, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ngan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/816,393
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 257/258, 257/257, 257/290, 257/291, 327/515, 250/208.1, 348/300, 348/302
• US Class Current: 257/291
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers

Abstract

An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus includes an amplifying type photoelectric conversion device. The device including a transistor for accumulating a charge generated by incident light as a signal charge in a charge accumulation region proximate to the surface of the semiconductor substrate and for outputting a signal in accordance with the accumulated signal charge, and a resetting section provided adjacent to the transistor for performing a resetting operation. The signal charge accumulated in the transistor is discharged from the charge accumulation region based on an applied voltage. The device further includes a signal line for carrying a signal output from the transistor, a clamp circuit for clamping the voltage of the signal line at a first voltage, a sample hold circuit for sample-holding a difference signal representing a difference between the first voltage and a second voltage output from the transistor after the resetting operation, an output line connected to the sample hold circuit, and a controlling circuit for controlling the clamp circuit and the sample hold circuit and for reading out the difference signal held in the sample hold circuit to the output line.

Claims

1. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:

an amplifying type photoelectric conversion device comprising;

a transistor formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, said transistor accumulating a charge generated by incident light as a signal charge in a charge accumulation region proximate to the surface of said semiconductor substrate and outputting a signal in accordance with said accumulated signal charge; and

a resetting means provided adjacent to said transistor, said resetting means performing a resetting operation wherein said signal charge accumulated in said transistor is discharged from said charge accumulation region based on an applied voltage;

a signal line for carrying a signal output from said transistor of said amplifying type photoelectric conversion device;

a clamp circuit connected to said signal line, for clamping the voltage of said signal line at a first voltage;

a sample hold circuit connected to said clamp circuit, for sample-holding a difference signal representing a difference between said first voltage and a second voltage output from said transistor after said resetting operation;

an output line connected to said sample hold circuit; and

a controlling circuit for controlling said clamp circuit and said sample hold circuit and for reading out said difference signal held in said sample hold circuit to said output line.

2. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resetting means comprises a gate region which is provided adjacent to said charge accumulation region and includes a part of the surface of said semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode formed on said part of the surface of said semiconductor substrate with an insulating film being inserted therebetween, said accumulated signal charge being transferred from said charge accumulation region to the inside of said semiconductor substrate in accordance with a voltage applied to said gate electrode.

3. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said transistor comprises a first gate region including a first gate electrode formed on the surface of said semiconductor substrate and said charge accumulation region, and a source region and a drain region which are formed on said semiconductor substrate as a high impurity concentration layer, said signal being output from said source region in accordance with said signal charge;

said resetting means comprises

a channel region which is a part of said semiconductor substrate proximate to the surface and adjacent to said charge accumulation region;

a charge discharge drain region provided as a high impurity concentration layer adjacent to said channel region; and

a second gate electrode provided on said channel region and said charge discharge drain region with an insulating film being inserted therebetween, said first gate electrode adjoining thereby;

said resetting means transferring said signal charge accumulated in said charge accumulation region, based on a voltage applied to said second gate electrode, from said charge accumulation region to said charge discharge drain region via said channel region.

4. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of said amplifying type photoelectric conversion devices arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional matrix configuration;

each of said plurality of amplifying type photoelectric conversion devices being such that;

said transistor comprises a first gate region including a first gate electrode formed on the surface of said semiconductor substrate and said charge accumulation region, and a source region and a drain region which are formed on said semiconductor substrate as a high impurity concentration layer, said signal being output from said source region in accordance with said signal charge;

said resetting means comprises a second gate region which is provided adjacent to said charge accumulation region and includes a part of the surface of said semiconductor substrate, and a second gate electrode formed on said second gate region with an insulating film being inserted therebetween, said signal charge accumulated in said charge accumulation region being transferred, based on a voltage applied to said second gate electrode, from said charge accumulation region to the inside of said semiconductor substrate via said second gate region; and

an electric field blocking part is provided between said second gate region of said resetting means of one of said plurality of amplifying type photoelectric conversion devices and said transistor of an amplifying type photoelectric conversion device adjacent to said one of the plurality of amplifying type photoelectric conversion devices.

5. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electric field blocking part is a trench structure provided to said semiconductor substrate.

6. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a constant current circuit is connected to said signal line.

7. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amplifying circuit for said output line is provided, and a capacitor device and a switching device are provided in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal of said amplifying circuit.

8. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a second controlling circuit which turns on said switching device for a predetermined time and then turns off immediately before one pixel worth of said difference signal is input to said input terminal of said amplifying circuit.

9. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an impedance conversion circuit connected to said sample hold circuit; and

a selection switch device connected between an output end of said impedance conversion circuit and said output line.

10. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

said amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of groups of said clamp circuit, said sample hold circuit, said impedance conversion circuit, said selection switch device and said output line;

said signal line connected to said amplifying type photoelectric conversion device is connected in parallel to said plurality of said clamp circuits;

corresponding said sample hold circuit and said impedance conversion circuit are respectively connected to said plurality of said clamp circuits;

the output end of said impedance conversion circuit is connected to corresponding said output line via corresponding said selection switch device.

11. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:

an amplifying type photoelectric conversion device comprising;

a first region provided in a semiconductor substrate so as to include a part of a surface of said semiconductor substrate, for accumulating a charge generated by photoelectric conversion as a signal charge;

a first drain region which is a high impurity concentration layer formed in said first region;

a first gate region including a surface-proximate portion of said substrate of said first region excluding said first drain region, an insulating film formed on said first region, and a first electrode formed on said insulating film;

a second gate region including a second region provided adjacent to said first gate region, and a second gate electrode provided on said second region with said insulating film being inserted therebetween;

a second drain region provided to the outside of said first region and adjacent to said second region;

wherein a first transistor having said surface-proximate region of said substrate of said first region as a channel is formed between said first drain region and said semiconductor substrate, and a second transistor having a region between said first region and said second drain region as a channel is formed, a change in an operational characteristic of said first transistor which is generated by said signal charge being used as an output signal;

a signal line for carrying a signal output from said transistor of said amplifying type photoelectric conversion device;

a clamp circuit connected to said signal line, for clamping a voltage of said signal line at a first voltage;

a sample hold circuit connected to said clamp circuit, for sample-holding a difference signal representing a difference between said first voltage and a second voltage output from said transistor after said resetting operation;

an output line connected to said sample hold circuit; and

a controlling circuit for controlling said clamp circuit and said sample hold circuit and for reading out said difference signal held in said sample hold circuit to said output line.

12. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said signal line is connected to a constant current circuit.

13. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an amplifying circuit for said output line is provided, and a capacitor device and a switching device are provided in parallel between an input end and an output end of said amplifying circuit.

14. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a second controlling circuit which turns on said switching device for a predetermined time and then turns off immediately before one pixel worth of said difference signal is input to said input terminal of said amplifying circuit.

15. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

an impedance conversion circuit connected to said sample hold circuit; and

a selection switching device connected between an output end of said impedance conversion circuit and said output line.

16. An amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

said amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of groups of said clamp circuit, said sample hold circuit, said impedance conversion circuit, said selection switch device and said output line;

said signal line connected to said amplifying type photoelectric conversion device is connected in parallel to said plurality of said clamp circuits;

corresponding said sample hold circuit and said impedance conversion circuit are respectively connected to said plurality of said clamp circuits; and

the output end of said impedance conversion circuit is connected to corresponding said output line via corresponding said selection switch device.

17. A method for driving an amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus, said amplifying type solid-state imaging apparatus comprising:

an amplifying type photoelectric conversion device, comprising a transistor formed on a surface of a semiconductor, said transistor accumulating a charge generated by incident light as a signal charge in a charge accumulation region proximate to the surface of said semiconductor substrate and outputting a signal in accordance with said signal charge; and

a signal line for carrying a signal output from said transistor;

said method comprising the steps of;

outputting a signal in accordance with accumulated said signal charge from said transistor of said amplifying type photoelectric conversion device to said signal line;

clamping a voltage of said signal line at a first voltage;

discharging said signal charge accumulated in said transistor from said charge accumulation region, thereby outputting a second voltage from said transistor;

sample-holding a difference signal representing a difference between said first voltage and said second voltage; and

reading out said sample-held difference signal.