Nippon Hoso' Kyokai

Hitachi, Ltd.

Other

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuhisa Taketoshi

Kazutaka Tsuji

Tadaaki Hirai

Yukio Takasaki

Keiichi Shidara

Tatsuo Makishima

Sachio Ishioka

Kenkichi Tanioka

Tatsuro Kawamura

Junichi Yamazaki

Takashi Yamashita

Yasuhiko Nonaka

Kenji Sameshima

Chihaya Ogusu

Naohiro Goto

Eisuke Inoue

Tsuyoshi Uda

Hirofumi Ogawa

Masaaki Aiba

Mitsuo Kosugi

Shiro Suzuki

Hirokazu Matsubara

Eikyuu Hiruma

Eikyu Hiruma

Yochizumi Ikeda

Hiroshi Kawashima

Hidekazu Yamamoto

Naofumi Murata

Masao Yamawaki

Fumihiko Ando

Fumihiko Andoh

Katsu Tanaka

Yoshizumi Ikeda

An image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first MOS transistor having having a gate connected to the photoelectric conversion element, a second MOS transistor connected in series with the first transistor, and a third MOS transistor connected in series with the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the threshold voltage of the third MOS transistor is set higher than that of the second MOS transistor. In one embodiment, each of the pixels included in a second group of rows includes a photoelectric conversion element but without the first, second and third MOS transistors. A fourth MOS transistor connects a photoelectric conversion element of the second group to a photoelectric conversion element of a first group, the photoelectric conversion elements of the first group being part of pixels which contain first, second and third MOS transistors.

Solid state image sensor and a driving method thereof

A photoconductive device having a photoconductive layer which includes an amorphous semiconductor layer capable of charge multiplication in at least a part thereof is disclosed. The method of operating such a photoconductive device is also disclosed. By using the avalanche effect of the amorphous semiconductor layer, it is possible to realize a highly sensitive photoconductive device while maintaining low lag property. In one aspect of the present invention, the amorphous semiconductor layer is amorphous Se. In another aspect of the present invention, the amorphous semiconductor layer is composed mainly of tetrahedral elements including at least an element of hydrogen or halogens. When using the amorphous semiconductor layer composed mainly of tetrahedral elements, the charge multiplication effect is produced mainly in the interior of the amorphous semiconductor, and thus it is possible to obtain a thermally stable photoconductive device having a high sensitivity while keeping a good photoresponse.

Photoconductive imaging apparatus

Disclosed is a photoelectric conversion device which comprises: a photoconductive layer made of amorphous semiconductor material which shows charge multiplication and which converts photo signals into electric signals; and a substrate having electric circuits or the like (for example switching elements) for reading the electric signals. The amorphous semiconductor material used according to the invention shows the charge multiplication action under predetermined intensity of electric field so that a high sensitive photoelectric conversion device having a gain which is not smaller than 1 is realized.

Amorphous photoelectric conversion device with avalanche

A photoelectric conversion device using an amorphous material composed mainly of tetrahedral elements including at least an element of hydrogen and halogens as semiconductor material is disclosed. When a strong electric field is applied to a layer formed by using this amorphous semiconductor, a charge multiplication effect is produced mainly in the interior of the amorphous semiconductor and thus it is possible to obtain a thermally stable photoelectric conversion device having a high sensitivity while keeping a good photoresponse.

Electric conversion device

A photoconductive device having a photoconductive layer which includes an amorphous semiconductor layer capable of charge multiplication in at least a part thereof is disclosed. The method of operating such a photoconductive device is also disclosed. By using the avalanche effect of the amorphous semiconductor layer, it is possible to realize a highly sensitive photoconductive device while maintaining low lag property.

Photoconductive device and method of operating the same

A TV camera tube suitable for the HN system comprising a glass faceplate covered by an n-type transparent electrode layer consisting of Nesa glass on which a thin p.sup.+ -type layer, a p-type layer and an n-type layer are deposited in succession to form a photoconductive layer. A blocking layer is deposited on the photoconductive layer to form a protected photoconductive target. A metal mesh covered by an insulating material and a collector electrode for collecting secondary electrons emitted from the target are arranged on the electron beam scanning side of the target.

TV Camera tube

A method of manufacturing a camera tube having structure suitable for the HN system comprising a glass faceplate covered by an n-type transparent electrode layer consisting of, for instance, Nesa glass on which a thin p.sup.+ -type layer, a p-type layer and an n-type layer are deposited in succession to form a photoconductive layer on which a block layer is deposited to form a protected photoconductive target. A metal mesh covered by an insulation material and a collector electrode for collecting secondary electrons emitted from the target are arranged on the electron beam scanning side of the target.

Method of manufacturing a TV camera tube

In a vacuum container an active (or atomic state) gas consisting of either one of active hydrogen, active oxygen and active nitrogen with a partial pressure of 1.times.10.sup.-3 Torr or less is produced. In an atmosphere of the active (or atomic state) gas, a film, which consists of a compound presenting semiconductor characteristics (CdS, CdSe, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, CdTe) or a solid solution thereof and presents a desired polarity property such as p, n, p.sup.+ or n.sup.+, is vapor-deposited on a substrate at a desired position with a desired thickness, so as to fabricate an evaporation device which is preferable, for example, as a photoconductive target for a television camera tube.

Evaporation device

Method for fabricating a semiconductor device

Ga-Cu alloy having the formula of Ga.sub.1-x Cu.sub.x, wherein x is a composition ratio parameter of Ga and Cu in a range of 0.000.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.05. The alloy has a stable liquid phase at the normal temperature. The Ga-Cu alloy Ga.sub.1-x Cu.sub.x with a composition ratio parameter x (0.0001.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.03) is assembled into the exchangeable electrode of an evaporation system in such a way that the Ga-Cu alloy is filled in a clearance portion between a fixed electrode section fixed within the vacuum chamber of the evaporation system and an exchangeable electrode section on which an evaporation source is to be placed. With this construction, both of the fixed and exchangeable electrode sections are electrically connected with each other via the Ga-Cu alloy, and the exchangeable electrode section can be easily and rapidly removed from and placed onto the fixed electrode section.

Exchangeable Ga-Cu electrode for an evaporation system

Ga-Cu alloy having the formula of Ga.sub.1-x Cu.sub.x, wherein x is a composition ratio parameter of Ga and Cu in a range of 0.0001.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.0.05. The alloy has a stable liquid phase at the normal temperature. The Ga-Cu alloy Ga.sub.1-x Cu.sub.x with a composition ratio parameter x (0.0001.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.0.03) is assembled into the exchangeable electrode of an evaporation system in such a way that the Ga-Cu alloy is filled in a clearance portion between a fixed electrode section fixed within the vacuum chamber of the evaporation system and an exchangeable electrode section on which an evaporation source is to be placed. With this construction, both of the fixed and exchangeable electrode sections are electrically connected with each other via the Ga-Cu alloy, and the exchangeable electrode section can be easily and rapidly removed from and placed onto the fixed electrode section.

Ga-Cu alloy for use in exchangeable electrode for an evaporation system

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Kazuhisa Taketoshi