Patent ID: 6445414
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
A method of controlling a solid state image pickup device including a plurality of photo-electric converting means for producing charge packets from an image-carrying light,a plurality of resistive gate charge transfer units having respective charge transfer channel regions and respective resistive gate electrodes capacitively coupled to said charge transfer channel regions, respectively, a plurality of first transfer gate elements having respective first transfer gate channel regions connected between said plurality of photo-electric converting means and said charge transfer channel regions and selectively changed between on-state and off-state for transferring certain charge packets to said charge transfer channel regions, respectively, a plurality of charge accumulating potential wells connectable to said charge transfer channel regions for accumulating said charge packets, a horizontal charge transfer unit electrically connectable to said plurality of charge accumulating potential wells for transferring said charge packets to an output circuit, and a potential gradient producing means connected to first ends of said resistive gate electrodes and second ends of said resistive gate electrodes closer to said horizontal charge transfer unit than said first ends, said method comprising the steps of a) making a potential level in said charge transfer channel regions under said first ends higher than a potential level in said first transfer gate channel regions in said on-state so as to transfer said certain charge packets through said first transfer gate channel regions to said charge transfer channel regions, respectively, b) changing said first transfer gate elements to said off-state, and c) supplying a pulse voltage to said first ends of said resistive gate electrodes so as to change said potential level in said charge transfer channel regions under said first ends to a certain level lower than said potential level in said charge transfer channel regions under said first ends in said step a), and lower than a potential level in said charge transfer channel regions under said second ends of said resistive gate electrodes, and higher than said potential level in said first transfer gate channel regions in said off-state, so as to transfer said certain charge packets toward said plurality of charge accumulating potential wells.