Solid-state imaging device with a photoelectric conversion element, and method thereof

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a substrate;

a photoelectric conversion element provided on a light incident side of the substrate and including a photoelectric conversion film sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode, the photoelectric conversion film generating a signal charge according to a quantity of incident light;

an amplifier transistor having an amplifier gate electrode electrically connected to the first electrode; and

a voltage control circuit electrically connected to the second electrode, and configured to selectively apply (i) a first voltage to the second electrode during a charge storage operation and (ii) a second voltage to the second electrode during a reset operation, the second voltage having a different voltage value from that of the first voltage.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage control circuit supplies, during a charge storage operation, the first voltage having a voltage value effective to move the signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion film toward the first electrode, and supplies, at a reset operation, the second voltage having a voltage value effective to move the signal charge toward the second electrode.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the second electrode is formed as a separate electrode for each pixel.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the second electrode is common to a plurality of pixels.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and the second electrode includes a separate electrode that is common to each row of pixels.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion element comprises a plurality of layers on the light incident side of the substrate.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one photodiode provided within the substrate, the photodiode generating a signal charge according to a quantity of incident light.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion element is formed on a front side of the substrate, and a connection between the first electrode and the amplifier gate electrode is made by a wiring layer provided between the photoelectric conversion element and the substrate.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion element is formed on a back side of the substrate, and a connection between the first electrode and the amplifier gate electrode is made by a through electrode that extends through the substrate, and a wiring layer formed on the front side of the substrate.

10. The solid-state imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is a voltage value that is less than that of the second voltage.

11. A method of fabricating a solid-state imaging device, comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of transistors with respect to a substrate;

forming a wiring layer on the substrate, the wiring layer comprising an interlayer insulating film and a plurality of wires;

forming a first electrode on an illuminated side of the substrates;

electrically connecting an amplifier gate electrode of an amplifier transistor of the plurality of transistors to the first electrode;

forming a photoelectric conversion film over the first electrode; and

forming a second electrode over the photoelectric conversion film; and

electrically connecting a voltage control circuit to the second electrode,

wherein,

the voltage control circuit is configured to selectively apply (i) a first voltage to the second electrode during a charge storage operation and (ii) a second voltage to the second electrode during a reset operation, the second voltage having a different voltage value from that of the first voltage.

12. A method of driving a solid-state imaging device having

a substrate,

a photoelectric conversion element provided on a light incident side of the substrate and including a photoelectric conversion film sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode, the photoelectric conversion film generating a signal charge according to a quantity of incident light,

an amplifier transistor having an amplifier gate electrode electrically connected to the first electrode, and a voltage control circuit connected to the second electrode, the method comprising:

supplying a first voltage to the second electrode from the voltage control circuit during a charge storage operation, to move the signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion film toward the first electrode, and output a pixel signal by detecting a potential of the first electrode by the amplifier transistor; and

supplying a second voltage to the second electrode from the voltage control circuit during a reset operation, to discharge the signal charge stored on the first electrode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage.

13. The method of driving a solid-state imaging device according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:

reading out a reset signal, by detecting the potential of the first electrode by the amplifier transistor immediately after discharging the signal charge stored on the first electrode side by the reset operation; and

detecting a noise signal by comparing the pixel signal with the reset signal.

14. The method of driving a solid-state imaging device according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:

starting exposure simultaneously for all of the pixels by opening a mechanical shutter, and finishing the exposure simultaneously for all of the pixels by closing the mechanical shutter, during the charge storage operation.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an optical lens;

a solid-state imaging device on which light collected by the optical lens is made incident, the solid-state imaging device including

(a) a substrate,

(b) a photoelectric conversion element provided on a light incident side of the substrate and including a photoelectric conversion film sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode, the photoelectric conversion film generating a signal charge according to a quantity of incident light,

(c) an amplifier transistor having an amplifier gate electrode connected to the first electrode, and

(d) a voltage control circuit electrically connected to the second electrode, and configured to selectively apply (i) a first voltage to the second electrode during a charge storage operation and (ii) a second voltage to the second electrode during a reset operation, the second voltage having a different voltage value from that of the first voltage; and

a signal processing circuit that processes an output signal outputted from the solid-state imaging device.