Patent ID: 6654059
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A charge coupled imaging device comprising: a semiconductor body having a surface with a matrix of elements for converting a radiation image into charge packets, arranged in a grid of lines and columns, and a system of charge transport channels with which said charge packets are transported to a read-out register in a direction parallel to the columns under the control of clock voltages applied to clock electrodes of the matrix, the charge packets being transported line by line by the read-out register in a direction parallel to the lines of the grid to a read-out member, an electrode being present which extends transversely across the entire width of the matrix in the line direction and to which a voltage is applied for dumping one or several lines, via a removal region of the imaging device, from between two lines which are read out via the read-out register, wherein the imaging device includes a photosensitive imaging section and a memory section screened against incident radiation and comprising a number of charge transport channels which are situated next to one another, extend in the column direction and merge into the charge transport channels of the imaging section, said electrode for dumping the lines which are not used being situated at a transition between the imaging section and the memory section, and means for applying a voltage to the removal region for the purpose of dumping of charge packets, whereby at least locally a potential barrier between the removal region and the charge transport channels is reduced as compared with a potential barrier between the removal region and the charge transport channels during a preceding integration period.