Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuhiko Muto

Hidemasa Mizutani

Takahiro Shirai

Masaru Nakayama

Yasuteru Ichida

Jun Nakayama

Ken Yamaguchi

Tsunenori Yoshinari

Tsuneori Yoshinari

Disclosed is a photo sensor in which a photoelectric converter having a P-N junction and an amplifying section having a bipolar transistor to amplify an output of this converter are integrally formed in a semiconductor substrate. The input stage of the amplifying section has an insulating gate type transistor, and the output of the photoelectric converter is inputted to the gate electrode of this transistor. The photosensing surface of the photoelectric converter is covered by a transparent ptotection film, and a thickness of this film is determined so as to make the reflection factor of the incident light at the photo sensing surface of the photoelectirc converter zero. In manufacturing of this photo sensor, the base region of the bipolar transistor and one region of the P-N junction of the photoelectric converter of the same conductivity type as the base region are simultaneously formed.

Method for manufacturing a photosensor

In a semiconductor apparatus for processing low level signals, a signal line and a guard are formed on a substrate. The guard is arranged in one side or both sides of the signal line. The potential of the guard is set substantially equal to the potential of the signal line.

Semiconductor apparatus

A semiconductor photo-sensor comprising a photo-sensor area for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal, and a signal processing circuit for processing the electrical signal. The photo-sensor area and the signal processing circuit are formed on one semiconductor substrate.

Semiconductor photosensor having unitary construction

There is a photosensor in which a photoelectric converter having a P-N junction and an amplifying section having a bipolar transistor to amplify an output of this converter are integrally formed in a semiconductor substrate. The input stage of the amplifying section has an insulating gate type transistor, and the output of the photoelectric converter is inputted to the gate electrode of this transistor. The photosensing surface of the photoelectric converter is covered by a transparent protection film, and a thickness of this film is determined so as to make the reflection factor of the incident light at the photosensing surface of the photoelectric converter zero. In the manufacturing of this photosensor, the base region of the bipolar transistor and one region of the P-N junction of the photoelectric converter of the same conductivity type as the base region are simultaneously formed.

Photo sensor with monolithic differential amplifier

A photosensitive semiconductor apparatus in which a photodiode is connected between the inverting input (-) and non-inverting input (+) terminals of an operational amplifier. A non-linear element is connected between the inverting input and output terminals of the amplifier. The amplifier includes a device for applying a reverse voltage across the photodiode. The reverse biasing voltage applying device may include a resistor connected in the circuit including one of the differential active loads of the amplifier, or different areas of the emitters of the differential active loads of the amplifer.

Reverse biased photosensing semiconductor and op amp arrangement wherein

A logarithmic compression circuit comprising an operational amplifier and a transistor for logarithmic compression. One of the emitter and collector of the transistor is connected to the inverting input of the amplifier and the other of the emitter and collector of the transistor is connected to the output of the amplifier. A switching device is selectively connected between the base of the transistor and the non-inverting input of the amplifier and between the base and the said one of the emitter and collector of the transistor in accordance with the magnitude of a signal current input.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Kazuhiko Muto