Patent ID: 7336306
Filing Date: 2008-02-26
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A solid-state image sensor comprising: a plurality of photoelectric transducing devices comprising photosensitive cells arranged bidimensionally in vertical columns in a form of pixels while each column is being shifted from each other such that photosensitive cells from adjacent columns do not align horizontally to generate charges corresponding to amounts of light incident to the photosensitive cells, and a plurality of color filter segments fitted on an array of the photosensitive cells for separating incident light into a first, a second and a third color component; a plurality of first vertical transfer paths for vertically transferring the charges of the first color component generated by, among said plurality of photoelectric transducing devices, first photoelectric transducing devices provided with said color filter segments of the first color and shifted via respective transfer gates; a plurality of second vertical transfer paths for vertically transferring the charges of the second color generated by, among said plurality of photoelectric transducing devices, second photoelectric transducing devices provided with said color filter segments of the second color and shifted via respective transfer gates and the charges of the third color generated by third photoelectric transducing devices provided with said color filter segments of the third color via respective transfer gates; a first, a second, a third and a fourth vertical transfer electrode connecting said first vertical transfer paths and said second vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction for causing potential of said first vertical transfer paths and said second vertical transfer paths to vary in response to vertical drive pulses; a horizontal transfer path for transferring in a horizontal scanning direction the charges of the first color component, the second color component and the third color component transferred on said first vertical transfer paths and said second vertical transfer paths; and an outputting device for detecting the charges transferred on said horizontal transfer path to output electric signals each corresponding to a particular one of said signal charges; said first vertical transfer paths and said second vertical transfer paths alternating with each other in the horizontal direction, and comprised of a plurality of sections where each photosensitive cell has associated therewith four sections positioned in two pairs on opposite sides of the photosensitive cell, where one section acts to shift charges from the photosensitive cell wherein each one of the four sections assigned to a photosensitive cell is connected to one of the first, second, third or fourth vertical transfer electrodes, where the sections connected to the fourth vertical transfer electrode form a barrier when activated by said vertical drive pulse, said first vertical transfer electrode, said second vertical transfer electrode, said third vertical transfer electrode and said fourth vertical transfer electrode being sequentially connected to said first vertical transfer paths and said second vertical paths, said first photoelectric transducing devices being connected to said third vertical transfer electrode via said transfer gates for shifting the charges generated by said first photoelectric transducing devices to said first vertical transfer paths in synchronism with read pulses applied to said third vertical transfer electrode, said second photoelectric transducing devices being connected to said first vertical transfer electrode via said transfer gates for shifting the charges generated by said second photoelectric transducing devices to regions of said second vertical transfer paths corresponding to said first vertical transfer electrode in synchronism with read pulses applied to said first vertical transfer electrode, said third photoelectric transducing devices being connected to said second vertical transfer electrode via said transfer gates for shifting the charges generated by said third photoelectric transducing devices to regions of said second vertical transfer paths corresponding to said second vertical transfer electrode in synchronism with read pulses applied to said second vertical transfer electrode.