Panasonic Corporation

Masayuki Hirota

Masashi Murakami

Kenji Watanabe

Kenichi Shimomura

Masaya Hirose

Toshinobu Nakao

The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes: pixel units arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns; signal holding units each holding an analog signal outputted from one of the pixel units in a corresponding one of the columns; and column AD circuits each converting, into a digital signal, the analog signal held by a corresponding one of said signal holding units. The signal holding units and the column AD circuits are respectively provided for the columns of the pixel units. Each of the signal holding units includes: a switching element connected to a column signal line through which the analog signal outputted from the one of the pixel units is transmitted; and a capacitor element holding the analog signal and being connected to the column signal line through the switching element.

Solid-state imaging device having a shortened correlated double sampling (CDS) period, driving method of the same, and camera including the same

The solid-state imaging device includes: a first node for receiving a first signal from outside the solid-state imaging device; a second node for receiving a second signal from outside the solid-state imaging device; a test signal selection circuit for outputting the first signal received at the first node and the second signal received at the second node as a test signal by switching between the first and second signals at desired timing; and a test signal input circuit for supplying the test signal from the test signal selection circuit to an input of the A/D converter.

A/D converter-incorporated solid-state imaging device

A solid state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of vertical signal lines VL arranged to correspond to columns of the pixels, respectively, such that each of them is connected to the pixels in each column and a column amplifier including a plurality of amplifiers AP. Each of the amplifiers AP includes a current source MOS transistor T, an amplifying MOS transistor Tfor amplifying an image signal and a cascode MOS transistor Twhich is cascode-connected to the amplifying MOS transistor and outputs an amplified image signal between the cascode MOS transistor Tand the current source MOS transistor T. Gate terminals of the cascode MOS transistors Tof the amplifiers AP are connected to each other.

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Kyoto, Japan

Masayuki Hirota