Patent ID: 6245601
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method for driving a photoelectric converter comprising a photoelectric conversion element of a laminated structure comprising a first electrode layer, an insulation layer for blocking the passage of a first carrier and a second carrier having different polarity from the first carrier, a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer, an injection blocking layer for blocking the injection of the first carrier to the photoelectric semiconductor layer, and a second electrode layer; the method comprising the following three operation modes a) through c) for applying an electric field to each layer of the photoelectric conversion element;a) an idling mode for emitting the second carrier from the photoelectric conversion element;b) a refreshment mode for refreshing the first carrier accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element; andc) a photoelectric conversion mode for generating pairs of the first carrier and the second carrier in accordance with an amount of incident light to accumulate the first carrier.