Patent ID: 9257459
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: H01L,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifying unit configured to amplify a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element; and a clipping circuit configured to be capable of clipping a voltage of an input node of the amplifying unit, the clipping circuit including a clipping transistor whose source or drain is electrically connected to the input node of the amplifying unit, wherein the clipping circuit is capable of switching between a first operation and a second operation, the first operation being configured to supply a first voltage to a gate of the clipping transistor in a time period in which an optical signal in the pixel is read out, the second operation being configured to supply a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage to the gate of the clipping transistor in the time period in which an optical signal in the pixel is read out.