Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Field effect device – Charge transfer device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2001-03-27
Ngô ;, Ngâ ;n V. (Department: 2814)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Field effect device
Charge transfer device
C257S233000, C257S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06207982
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device capable of high-speed transfer of signal charges in a horizontal direction and, more specifically, to a CCD (charge-coupled device) for use in an electronic still (digital still) camera and a PC (personal computer) camera which adopts a progressive scanning system.
A solid-state image pickup device, which has recently been used a lot, has the advantages that it is smaller, lighter and longer in lifetime than an image pickup tube. In particular, an interline transfer CCD (hereinafter referred to as IT-CCD) is used widely in a video camera for household use, a hand-held camera for broadcast use, etc. A digital still camera employs a CCD of a progressive scanning system capable of outputting signals of all pixels independently. This CCD needs to decrease in smear when no mechanical shutter is used and to increase the area of a chip corresponding to a film. In other words, the number of transfer stages of vertical transfer sections has to be made twice as large as that of a conventional CCD in order to realize the progressive scanning type CCD. For example, in a progressive scanning type IT-CCD, the existent two-layer-electrode/four-phase-driving can be changed to a three-layer electrode/three-phase driving in order to double the number of transfer stages of the vertical transfer sections. In this case, however, the structure of the CCD is complicated. Moreover, the number of transfer stages can be doubled by forming a wire so as to cross the center of light-receiving sections and two-layer-electrode/four-phase-drive the CCD; however, in this case, the sensitivity of the CCD is lowered.
In contrast, a frame transfer CCD (hereinafter referred to as FT-CCD) allows progressive scanning to be easily obtained by two-layer-electrode/four-phase-driving. However, an influence of smear becomes serious without using any mechanical shutter.
Furthermore, in the IT-CCD and FT-CCD, if the area of a chip or the number of pixels is increased, the capacity of transfer electrodes is increased and so is the power consumption of driving circuits.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state image pickup device capable of greatly improving in smear characteristics and easily decreasing in power consumption.
To attain the above object, there is provided a solid-state image pickup device comprising a plurality of light-receiving sections arranged in matrix on a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of signal charge transfer sections each including a pair of horizontal transfer sections and corresponding to the light-receiving sections in a row direction, a driving section for driving each of the pairs of horizontal transfer sections of the signal charge transfer sections and selectively transferring signal charges of the light-receiving sections in the row direction by the horizontal transfer sections, and an output section for time-sequentially outputting the signal charges of the light-receiving sections in the row direction, which are transferred by the horizontal transfer sections.
According to the solid-state image pickup device having the above constitution, the signal charges of the light-receiving sections corresponding to each row can be divided and transferred by a pair of horizontal transfer sections adjacent to both sides of the light-receiving sections.
In particular, when the first storage electrodes corresponding to the odd-numbered light-receiving sections of one of paired horizontal transfer sections are electrically connected to the second storage electrodes corresponding to the even-numbered light-receiving sections of the other horizontal transfer section, the object will be attained if the number of wires is one. Thus the wire can also be used as a light shielding film.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4540901 (1985-09-01), Suzuki
patent: 5060245 (1991-10-01), Nelson
patent: 5365093 (1994-11-01), Kuno
patent: 5379067 (1995-01-01), Miura
patent: 5998815 (1999-12-01), Hirama
patent: 6034366 (2000-03-01), Yu
patent: 4-365274 (1992-12-01), None
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Ngô ; Ngâ ;n V.
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