Method of driving solid state image sensing device
View Patent ↗A solid-state imaging device that has a satisfactory noise characteristic and readout characteristic is provided by improving the noise characteristic and readout characteristic in a well balanced way. The solid-state imaging device has such a structure that an electrode 8 for reading a signal charge is provided on one side of a light-receiving sensor portion 11 constituting a pixel; a predetermined voltage signal V is applied to a light-shielding film 9 formed to cover an image pickup area except the light-receiving sensor portion 11 ; a second-conductivity-type semiconductor area 6 is formed in the center on the surface of a first-conductivity-type semiconductor area 2 constituting a photo-electric conversion area of the light-receiving sensor portion 11 ; and areas 10 ( 10 A, 10 B) containing a lower impurity concentration than that of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor area 6 is formed on the surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor area 2 at the end on the side of the electrode 8 and at the opposite end on the side of a pixel-separation area 3.
1. A method of driving a solid-state imaging device which transfers, by means of a charge-coupled device, an electric signal obtained by photoelectric conversion in a sensor portion, and which includes a light-shielding film that has an opening above the sensor portion but covers a non-photoelectric-conversion area on the side of the sensor portion, the method including the step of:
applying a DC voltage to said light-shielding film when reading out said electric signal from said solid-state imaging device,
wherein,
said light-shielding film is formed of a plurality of layers, in which a first light-shielding film layer in said plurality of layers is provided with an opening above said sensor portion while covering the non-photoelectric-conversion area on the side of said sensor portion, and which is grounded, and
a second light-shielding film layer is formed on a light-shielding film layer positioned under the second light-shielding film layer with an insulating film in between them, so as to project from one side of the opening of said light-shielding film layer toward said sensor portion, to which a DC voltage is applied.
2. A method of driving a solid-state imaging device which transfers, by means of a charge-coupled device, an electric signal obtained by photoelectric conversion in a sensor portion, and including a light-shielding film that has an opening above the sensor portion but covers a non-photoelectric-conversion area on the side of the sensor portion, the method including the step of
applying a pulse voltage to said light-shielding film when reading out said electric signal from said solid-state imaging device,
wherein,
said light-shielding film is formed of a plurality of layers, in which a first light-shielding film layer in said plurality of layers is provided with the opening above said sensor portion, so as to cover the non-photoelectric-conversion area on the side of said sensor portion, and which is grounded, and
a second light-shielding film layer in said plurality of layers is formed on a light-shielding film layer under the second light-shielding film layer with an insulating film in between them, so as to project from one side of the opening of said first light-shielding film layer toward said sensor portion, to which a pulse voltage is applied.
3. A method of driving the solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein said second light-shielding film is formed on the side of a reading electrode.