Hamamatsu-Photonics K.k.

Mitsutaka Takemura

Seiichiro Mizuno

Mitsuhito Mase

Takashi Suzuki

Koei Yamamoto

Masanori Sahara

A pair of first gate electrodes IGR, IGL are provided on a semiconductor substrateso that potentials &#x3c6;, &#x3c6;between a light-sensitive area SA and a pair of first accumulation regions AR, AL alternately ramp. A pair of second gate electrodes IGR, IGL are provided on the semiconductor substrateso as to control the height of first potential barriers &#x3c6;each interposed between the first accumulation region AR, AL and a second accumulation region FDR, FDL, and increase the height of the first potential barrier &#x3c6;to carriers as a higher output of a background light is detected by a photodetector.

Solid state imaging device and distance image measurement device

Two charge quantities (Q,Q) are output from respective pixels P (m,n) of the back-illuminated distance measuring sensoras signals d'(m,n) having the distance information. Since the respective pixels P (m,n) output signals d&#x2032;(m,n) responsive to the distance to an object H as micro distance measuring sensors, a distance image of the object can be obtained as an aggregate of distance information to respective points on the object H if reflection light from the object H is imaged on the pickup areaB. If carriers generated at a deep portion in the semiconductor in response to incidence of near-infrared light for projection are led in a potential well provided in the vicinity of the carrier-generated position opposed to the light incident surface side, high-speed and accurate distance measurement is enabled.

Back-illuminated distance measuring sensor and distance measuring device

In a range image sensor, when a first reverse bias voltage applied between a semiconductor substrateand first semiconductor regionsis an H bias, first depleted layers Aand Aexpanding from the p-n junctions of the first semiconductor regionsadjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover a second depleted layer Bexpanding from the p-n junction of a second semiconductor region. Accordingly, carriers C generated near the rear surfaceof the semiconductor substrateare reliably captured by the first depleted layers A. Further, when a second reverse bias voltage applied between the semiconductor substrateand the second semiconductor regionsis an H bias, the second depleted layers adjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover the first depleted layer. Accordingly, carriers generated near the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate are reliably captured by the second depleted layers.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Mitsutaka Takemura