Patent ID: 6580063
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A solid state imaging device comprising:a plurality of active pixels each of which has at least a photodiode, a reset transistor having one of a source and a drain region directly coupled to an output of said photodiode and a first amplification transistor for amplifying an output of said photodiode and which are disposed in a matrix having rows and columns; a plurality of row selecting lines disposed corresponding to rows of said plurality of active pixels respectively; a plurality of pairs of column signal lines disposed corresponding to columns of said plurality of active pixels respectively; and second amplification transistors which are disposed corresponding to said respective pairs of column signal lines and which amplify outputs of said active pixels delivered via said pairs of column signal lines; wherein, in response to a row selecting signal for selecting active pixels of one row, said first amplification transistors of said active pixels of said selected row and said second amplification transistors disposed in corresponding columns are coupled to form voltage followers, and output signals of said active pixels of said selected row are amplified by said voltage followers, wherein at least one of a source and a drain of said first amplification transistor is coupled to at least a first column signal line of one of said plurality of pairs of column signal lines via at least one of first and second switching transistors, respectively, and a gate of at least one of said first and second switching transistors is coupled to one of said plurality of row selecting lines.