Patent ID: 8223233

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 the pixels further 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 drives the solid state imaging element so that the connecting portion and the potential barrier portion are set to have a same potential by injecting charges into the connecting portion.