Patent ID: 7705379
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus formed by integrating a plurality of pixels in an array pattern on a semiconductor substrate, the apparatus comprising: a photodiode that receives light and generates and stores photocharge; a transfer transistor that transfers photocharge from the photodiode; a floating diffusion to which the photocharge is transferred via the transfer transistor; a storage capacitance element that is connected to the photodiode via the transfer transistor and at least stores the photocharge overflowing from the photodiode via the transfer transistor during a storage operation; a storage transistor, which couples or separates the potentials of the floating diffusion and storage capacitance element and has one source/drain regions acting as the floating diffusion and another source/drain region connected to the storage capacitance element; and an amplification transistor, which is a field effect transistor having a first semiconductor layer of a first electroconductivity type having a channel forming region, a gate electrode formed via an insulating film on the channel forming region of the first semiconductor layer and connected to the floating diffusion, a pair of second semiconductor layers of a second electroconductivity type formed on the surface of the first semiconductor layer on the two sides of the gate electrode, and a third semiconductor layer of the second electroconductivity type formed in the first semiconductor layer at a prescribed depth below the channel forming region and connected to one of the second semiconductor layers.