Patent ID: 7763888

Claim:
A solid state image pickup device comprising a semiconductor substrate including (a) a pixel region where a plurality of pixels are arranged, each pixel including a signal charge accumulating portion and one or more transistors, and (b) a peripheral circuit region outside the pixel region, wherein the pixel region includes: a pixel well of a first conductive type in the substrate; at least one charge accumulating portion extending in the pixel well; a first impurity doped region of a first conductive type in a surface of the pixel well; and a pixel well contact of the first conductive type in a surface of the first impurity doped region; and wherein: the pixel well contact has a higher doping concentration than the first impurity doped region, the at least one signal charge accumulating portion is of a second conductive type, and the at least one charge accumulating portion extends to a point where the pixel well contact overlies the charge accumulating portion.