Patent ID: 7187052

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion apparatus, comprising: a photodiode for converting light into a signal charge; a first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type; a floating diffusion region formed from a second semiconductor region having a second conductivity type for converting the signal charge generated by the photodiode into a signal voltage, the second semiconductor region being formed in the first semiconductor region; a depletion region formed in a border area between said first semiconductor region and said floating diffusion region; an electrode formed above the first semiconductor region and spaced from the first semiconductor region by an interposed insulating film; an isolation region disposed in the periphery of the photodiode, said electrode extending to overlap with the isolation region; and a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type disposed beneath the isolation region, the impurity concentration of the third semiconductor region being higher than that of the semiconductor region, wherein when a reverse bias is applied between said first semiconductor region and the floating diffusion region, a concentration of majority carriers in said third semiconductor region effectively increases, and said electrode on said isolation region extends above at least part of the third semiconductor region, but does not extend above said depletion region.