Swing-driven solid-state imaging device with elastic suspension

Abstract

A swing-driven solid-state imaging device is disclosed which has a CCD image sensor for receiving incident image light and producing an electrical image signal, a stacking piezoelectric element serving as an actuator for vibrating the image sensor on a plane substantially perpendicular to the image light to thereby cause the image sensor to periodically shift to different sampling positions at different points of time in one frame period in an image sensing mode, and a package structure for receiving the image sensor and piezoelectric element. This package structure includes a base plate and a socket plate, spaced apart from and facing each other, and two arrays of flexible conductive support leads which serve as a suspension mechanism for elastically supporting the socket plate above the base plate and also serve as a part of electrical signal transmission wires for the image sensor and piezoelectric element. The image sensor is adapted to be mounted on the socket plate. The piezoelectric element is coupled to the base plate and socket plate and vibrates the latter plate. Provision of the flexible support leads prevents the weight of the image sensor from being directly applied to the piezoelectric element, thereby ensuring efficient vibration generation by the piezoelectric element.