Patent ID: 8085330
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A driving method of a solid-state image pickup apparatus, wherein the solid-state image pickup apparatus comprises: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit constructed to convert incident light into electric charges, a floating diffusion region, a transfer transistor for transferring the electric charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the floating diffusion region, an amplifier transistor having a gate electrically connected to the floating diffusion region, and a reset transistor for supplying a reference voltage to the floating diffusion region, wherein the driving method comprises: an accumulation step of accumulating the electric charges in the photoelectric conversion unit; a resetting step of supplying the reference voltage to the floating diffusion region to reset the electric charges in the floating diffusion region; and a transferring step of transferring the electric charges in the photoelectric conversion unit to the floating diffusion region, after the accumulation step, wherein in the accumulation step, the transfer transistor is supplied at a gate thereof with a first voltage for turning off the transfer transistor, wherein in the transferring step, the transfer transistor is supplied at the gate thereof with a second voltage for turning on the transfer transistor, and the reset transistor is supplied at a gate thereof with a third voltage for turning off the reset transistor, wherein in the resetting step, the reset transistor is supplied at the gate thereof with a fourth voltage for turning on the reset transistor, wherein the transfer transistor is, at the off state in the accumulation step, set by the first voltage so that minority carriers of the transfer transistor are accumulated below a gate oxide layer of the transfer transistor, and wherein a difference between the first and second voltages is larger than a difference between the third and fourth voltages.