Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Fujifilm Corporation

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation

Tatsuya Hagiwara

Jin Murayama

Tetsuo Yamada

Satoshi Arakawa

Hiroaki Yasuda

Shunsuke Tanaka

Takashi Miida

Shinji Uya

Hiroyuki Karasawa

Yasumasa Hasegawa

Tetsuo Nishikawa

A solid state image pickup device is provided which includes: a semiconductor substrate having a light reception region; a well being formed in the semiconductor substrate; charge accumulation regions disposed in the well in a matrix shape; a vertical transfer channel disposed in the well; a light shielding film formed above the semiconductor substrate; and a horizontal transfer channel connected to the vertical transfer channels, wherein the light reception region includes: a first region in which an opening is formed through the light shielding film above each of the charge accumulation regions; a second region in which an opening is not formed through the upper light shielding film; and a third region defined between the first and second regions along the column direction of the charge accumulation regions, the third region not having at least partially the well and not having an opening formed through the upper light shielding film.

Solid state image pickup device

A method of driving a CCD solid-state image pickup device, the device comprising: a plurality of vertical charge-transfer channels that vertically transfers signal charges responsive to amounts of light received; a signal-charge temporary accumulation section, provided at an end of each of the vertical charge-transfer channels, that is driven independently of driving of the vertical charge-transfer channels; and a horizontal charge-transfer channel through which signal charges transferred from the signal-charge temporary accumulation section are transferred to an output terminal side, wherein the method comprising performing vertical transfers of signal charges through the vertical charge-transfer channels during a period of a horizontal transfer of signal charges through the horizontal charge-transfer channel, while the horizontal transfer through the horizontal charge-transfer channel is brought to a temporary stop for each pulse-edge time of driving pulses to drive the vertical charge-transfer channels.

CCD solid-state image pickup device and method of driving the same

A solid state image pickup device includes: a first area defined on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate; a second area defined in an area adjacent to the first area along a first direction; and a third area defined in an area adjacent to the second area along the first direction, wherein the first area includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; and a plurality of vertical transfer channels formed adjacent to the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; the second area includes: a horizontal transfer channel; and a floating diffusion region and a first stage drive FET of an amplifier; and the third area includes: a first state load FET, a second stage drive FET, a second stage load FET, a third stage drive FET and a third stage load FET, respectively of the amplifier. The solid state image pickup device can be made compact.

Solid state imaging unit and endoscope

A charge read-out method and a solid-state imaging device capable of shortening a read-out time of charges stored in a plurality of light receiving units arranged linearly are provided. The charge read-out method includes the steps of moving the charges, which are generated and stored in the plurality of light receiving units linearly arranged by receiving light, to charge transfer paths disposed along a row of the light receiving units on both sides thereof, transferring the charges along the charge transfer paths to an output unit, and calculating a sum of converted values based on amounts of the charges transferred from the charge transfer paths for outputting.

Charge read-out method and solid-state imaging device capable of shortening read-out time charges stored in a plurality of light receiving units

A linear image sensor chip is manufactured by forming an image pickup section, peripheral circuit sections, a plurality of bonding pads, and a light-suppressing layer on a semiconductor substrate having an elongated shape. In this case, each of the bonding pads is formed outer than photodiode groups in the image pickup section along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor substrate. Even if the dynamic range of an image reader utilizing such a linear image sensor chip is broadened, it is possible to suppress generation of noises without lowering the sensitivity.

Linear image sensor chip and linear image sensor

The charge read out efficiency of a line sensor utilizing a large photodiode is improved. A line sensor formed of a photoelectric converting portion utilizing a photodiode divided into a plurality of regions and having a potential inclination configuration wherein the potential wells thereof become deeper the closer the position thereof is to a readout gate is provided.

Radiation-image data readout apparatus and line sensor to be utilized therein

A radiation-image data readout apparatus in which the charge transferring time occurring during a readout operation utilizing a line sensor having a broad-width light-receiving portion is shortened is provided. A line sensor having two photodiode portions, each having a width of 100 um, disposed adjacently with a microscopic gap therebetween, and a charge transferring device corresponding to each photodiode portion provided on the exterior side in the width direction of each corresponding photodiode portion, are provided.

Radiation-image readout apparatus and line sensor to be deployed therein

In the obtainment of image signals by receiving emitted light, generated by a stimulable phosphor sheet due to irradiation thereof by an excitation light, at the light receiving surfaces of photoelectric conversion elements, then obtaining an electrical image signal based on the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements by an image signal obtainment means comprising a charge transfer path and an output circuit, the area surrounding the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements have been covered by a filter that absorbs only blue light, and the emitted light is received.

Method and apparatus for image signal obtainment

A CCD type solid state image pickup device having: a number of photoelectric conversion elements formed in and on the semiconductor substrate in a matrix configuration of rows and columns; a plurality of VCCDs each having a vertical channel region formed along each column of the photoelectric conversion elements, and charge transfer electrodes formed above the vertical channel region; an HCCD having a horizontal channel region coupled to one ends of the VCCDs, and charge transfer electrodes formed above the horizontal channel region; a floating diffusion formed in the semiconductor substrate and coupled to one end of the HCCD; and an input gate electrode of an output amplifier having a portion extending at least near to the floating diffusion, and the input gate electrode being thinner than the charge transfer electrodes.

Semiconductor device and its manufacture

A method of driving a CCD semiconductor delay line capable of providing a good delay characteristic without externally supplying a clock signal. An intermittent reference signal is extracted from the color burst signal of an inputted television signal. Using the intermittent reference signal, a continuous reference signal is generated by a phase locked loop. The continuous reference signal drives a CCD semiconductor delay line to delay the television signal.

Semiconductor delay line driven by an input signal-derived reference

A CCD amplifier circuit including an active load type source-grounded inverting amplifier circuit which includes a driving MOS transistor, an active load MOS transistor connected to the driving MOS transistor, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the voltage at the gate electrode of the active load MOS transistor with a control signal of low output impedance which is substantially inversely proportional to the drain-source voltage of the active load MOS transistor and level-shifted by a predetermined voltage. Further, a CCD delay line includes a floating diffusion region of predetermined impurities formed at an end of a charge-coupled device with a gate section having a predetermined fixed gate voltage, and a switched capacitor integrator for detecting the injection charge of the floating diffusion region to detect signal charges transferred to the floating diffusion region from the charge-coupled device. The CCD amplifier circuit is employed as an output circuit of the switched capacitor integrator.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi, Japan

Tatsuya Hagiwara