Patent ID: 8593554

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured to generate signal charge from light received at light-receiving surfaces thereof, the plurality of photoelectric conversion units being provided in an image-sensing area of a substrate; a charge reading unit configured to read signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion units, the charge reading unit including a plurality of electric charge readout channel areas provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate with each electric charge reading area corresponding to one of the photoelectric conversion units; a transfer register unit configured to transfer signal charge read from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units by the charge reading unit, the transfer register unit including a plurality of electric charge transfer channel areas provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate; and a light-shielding unit that is provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate and that has a plurality of openings through which light is transmitted, each opening being formed in an area corresponding to a light-receiving surface of a respective photoelectric conversion unit, wherein the transfer register unit includes a plurality of transfer electrodes disposed in the image-sensing area of the substrate such that the transfer electrodes oppose, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the electric charge transfer channel areas and the electric charge readout channel areas, with a gate insulating film provided therebetween, wherein the light-shielding unit includes a conductive light-shielding film that covers the transfer electrodes in the image-sensing area of the substrate, and that is formed using a conductive material so as to include, for each photoelectric conversion unit, a portion opposing, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the corresponding electric charge readout channel area with the gate insulating film provided therebetween, wherein said portion of the light-shielding unit that opposes the corresponding electric charge readout channel area is disposed in such a manner that it functions as a charge reading electrode, and that is electrically connected to the transfer electrodes, and wherein, in the charge reading unit, respective ones of the transfer electrodes and the conductive light-shielding film are formed as charge reading electrodes and together read signal charge from the photoelectric conversion units.