Patent ID: 8049800

Claim:
An imaging device, comprising: a solid state imaging element that has a plurality of pixels including: a semiconductor substrate; a pair of electrodes stacked above the semiconductor substrate; and a photoelectric converting layer arranged between the pair of electrodes; and a driving unit that drives the solid state imaging element; wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a connecting portion that is arranged in the semiconductor substrate and that is connected electrically to one of the pair of electrodes; a potential barrier portion that is arranged adjacent to the connecting portion in the semiconductor substrate and that acts as a potential barrier against a potential of the connecting portion; a first charge accumulating portion that is arranged adjacent to the potential barrier portion in the semiconductor substrate and in which charges generated in the photoelectric converting layer are accumulated via the connecting portion and the potential barrier portion; and a signal output circuit that outputs a signal in response to the charges accumulated in the first charge accumulating portion, and wherein the driving unit executes such a same potential driving that the connecting portion and the potential barrier portion are set to have a same potential by varying the potential of the potential barrier portion.