Image pickup devices including pixels that are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, each pixel including a light receiving region provided with a photoelectric conversion element, are mounted in digital cameras, video cameras, copying machines, facsimiles, or the like. Examples of image pickup devices include CCD image pickup devices and pixel-amplification-type image pickup devices.
As examples of a pixel-amplification-type image pickup element, PTL 1 discloses two examples of a configuration of a line sensor. The first example shows a configuration in which a modulation transistor is disposed at the center of a photoelectric conversion element. The modulation transistor is configured to store, in its channel portion, carriers having a conductivity type opposite to the polarity of the modulation transistor, amplify a signal in accordance with the amount of stored charges, and output the signal.
The second example shows a configuration in which a floating diffusion (hereinafter FD) region is located at the center of a photoelectric conversion element, and a ring-shaped gate electrode is disposed to surround the FD. The FD is connected to a gate of an amplification transistor via a wiring line, so as to constitute a charge-voltage converting unit.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds