Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel unit in which unit pixels are arranged in rows and columns on a semiconductor substrate,

each of the unit pixels including, on the semiconductor substrate:

a receiving unit configured to store signal charges obtained by photoelectrically converting incident light;

a transfer transistor for transferring the signal charges stored in the receiving unit, in accordance with a pulse signal applied to a gate electrode of the transfer transistor;

a charge detection unit configured to temporarily store the transferred signal charges; and

a reset transistor for resetting the signal charges stored in the charge detection unit, in accordance with a pulse signal applied to a gate electrode of the reset transistor; and

a vertical scanning unit formed in and on the semiconductor substrate configured to drive the pixel unit by supplying the pulse signal to the pixel unit,

the vertical scanning unit including:

a row selection unit configured to select one of the rows of the unit pixels;

at least one level shift circuit for converting a level of an externally inputted power supply voltage, the level being a single voltage level; and

at least one buffer circuit for buffering a voltage whose level has been converted by the at least one level shift circuit, and transferring the buffered voltage as the pulse signal to the pixel unit,

each of the at least one level shift circuit including:

a step-down level shift circuit which steps down an externally inputted power supply voltage; and

a step-up level shift circuit which is isolated from the step-down level shift circuit by a well, and steps up an externally inputted power supply voltage.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vertical scanning unit includes:

a first level shift circuit of the at least one level shift circuit and a first buffer circuit of the at least one buffer circuit, the first buffer circuit supplying, as the pulse signal, a voltage whose level has been converted by the first level shift circuit, to the gate electrode of the transfer transistor, the first level shift circuit and the first buffer circuit being disposed between the row selection unit and the gate electrode of the transfer transistor; and

a second level shift circuit of the at least one level shift circuit and a second buffer circuit of the at least one buffer circuit, the second buffer circuit supplying, as the pulse signal, a voltage whose level has been converted by the second level shift circuit, to the gate electrode of the reset transistor, the second level shift circuit and the second buffer circuit being disposed between the row selection unit and the gate electrode of the reset transistor, and

the first level shift circuit is disposed closer to the row selection unit than the second level shift circuit is.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein a voltage amplitude of the pulse signal supplied from the first buffer circuit to the gate electrode of the transfer transistor is set to be greater than a voltage amplitude of the pulse signal supplied from the second buffer circuit to the gate electrode of the reset transistor.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the pixel unit further includes, on the semiconductor substrate, selection transistors for determining an output timing of a pixel signal to one of vertical signal lines respectively provided for the columns of the unit pixels, in accordance with a pulse signal applied to a gate electrode of each of the selection transistors, the pixel signal corresponding to the signal charges stored in the charge detection unit,

the vertical scanning unit includes a third level shift circuit of the at least one level shift circuit and a third buffer circuit of the at least one buffer circuit, the third level shift circuit and the third buffer circuit being disposed between the row selection unit and the gate electrode of the selection transistor,

the first level shift circuit is disposed closer to the row selection unit than the second level shift circuit and the third level shift circuit are, and

the third level shift circuit is disposed closer to the pixel unit than the first level shift circuit and the second level shift circuit are.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,

wherein a voltage amplitude of the pulse signal supplied from the first level shift circuit and the first buffer circuit to the gate electrode of the transfer transistor is set to be greater than a voltage amplitude of the pulse signal supplied from the second level shift circuit and the second buffer circuit to the gate electrode of the reset transistor and a voltage amplitude of the pulse signal supplied from the third level shift circuit and the third buffer circuit to the gate electrode of the selection transistor.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the step-down level shift circuit, the step-up level shift circuit, and the at least one buffer circuit are disposed in sequence in a direction from the row selection unit toward the unit pixels.

7. An imaging apparatus comprising the sold-state imaging device according to claim 1 .