Patent ID: 7397508

Claim:
A physical quantity distribution sensor having a plurality of unit cells arranged in N row(s) and M columns (N being a natural number not less than 1 and M being a natural number not less than 2), each of said plurality of unit cells comprising a sensor/storage section for sensing and storing information of a physical quantity, wherein said sensor comprises: a column selector for selecting at least one column out of said M columns; and source follower circuits in said M columns each for detecting and supplying the information stored in said sensor/storage section in a selected column, said sensor arranged and configured such that a unit cell in said at least one column is electrically connectable to a power supply voltage while another unit cell in a column not selected by said column selector is not electrically connectable to said power supply voltage, and wherein each of said source follower circuits comprises a driving transistor in said unit cell and another transistor which serves as an electric current switch of the source follower circuit, and said another transistor includes a gate directly connected to a gate of a corresponding column selection transistor included in said column selector.