Patent ID: 6215521
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A solid state image sensor comprising:an image sensor section composed of a plurality of pixel arrays arranged in parallel to one another, each of said pixel arrays including a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells and a vertical electric charge transfer section coupled to said plurality of photoelectric conversion cells for receiving signal charges from said plurality of photoelectric conversion cells in parallel and for vertically transferring the received signal charges through said vertical electric charge transfer section;a horizontal electric charge transfer section coupled to one end of each vertical electric charge transfer section through a vertical-horizontal junction section for receiving signal charges from said one end of each vertical electric charge transfer section in parallel and for horizontally transferring the received signal charges through said horizontal electric charge transfer section;a potential barrier section formed adjacent to and along said horizontal electric charge transfer section opposite to said vertical electric charge section; andan unnecessary electric charge exhausting section formed adjacent to and along said potential barrier section;a transfer channel of each vertical electric charge transfer section, electric charge barrier regions of a transfer channel of said horizontal electric charge transfer section, and said potential barrier section being formed of a semiconductor region of a second conductivity having the same impurity concentration and being simultaneously formed on a surface of a semiconductor region of a first conductivity formed on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate, said second conductivity being opposite to said first conductivity,electric charge storage regions of said transfer channel of said horizontal electric charge transfer section, and a transfer channel of said vertical-horizontal junction section being formed of a semiconductor region of said second conductivity having a high impurity concentration and formed on said surface of said semiconductor region of said first conductivity, said electric charge barrier regions of said transfer channel of said horizontal electric charge transfer section and said electric charge storage regions of said transfer channel of said horizontal electric charge transfer section, being alternately arranged to constitute said transfer channel of said horizontal electric charge transfer section.