Patent ID: 8355067

Claim:
A solid state imaging device comprising: a semiconductor substrate a photoelectric conversion element including a pair of electrodes and a photoelectric conversion layer sandwiched between the pair of electrodes; a signal output circuit including a MOS transistor for outputting a signal responsive to an electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion layer; a connection section provided in the semiconductor substrate and electrically connected to one of the pair of electrodes; a potential barrier section adjacent to the connection section and serving as a constant potential barrier for the connection section; a first electric charge storage section which is provided in the semiconductor substrate and in which the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion layer is directly stored and which is adjacent to the potential barrier section; a second electric charge storage section provided in the semiconductor substrate and directly connected to a gate of an output transistor in the signal output circuit; an electric charge transfer section that transfers the electric charge, stored in the first electric charge storage section, to the second electric charge storage section, wherein the connection section, the potential barrier section, the first electric charge storage section, the electric charge transfer section, and the second electric charge storage section are arranged in this order; and a reset transistor directly connected to said second electric charge storage section.