Patent ID: 7652702

Claim:
A solid state imaging device comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix; a plurality of vertical signal lines arranged to correspond to columns of the pixels, respectively, each of which being connected to the pixels in each column, a plurality of amplifiers arranged to correspond to the vertical signal lines, respectively, each of which including a current source MOS transistor, an amplifying MOS transistor for amplifying image signals output from the pixels to one of the vertical signal lines and a cascode MOS transistor which is cascode-connected to the amplifying MOS transistor between the current source MOS transistor and the amplifying MOS transistor and outputs the amplified image signals between the cascode MOS transistor and the current source MOS transistor, wherein gate terminals of the cascade MOS transistors of the plurality of amplifiers are connected to each other wherein in each of the amplifiers, the current source MOS transistor has a drain connected to a power source or ground and a source connected to a drain of the cascode MOS transistor and an output terminal of the amplifier, the cascode MOS transistor has a source connected to a drain of the amplifying MOS transistor and the amplifying MOS transistor has a source connected to ground or the power source and a gate connected to an input terminal of the amplifier.