Patent ID: 7777797

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device comprising: an array of photo-sensitive cells formed on a semiconductor substrate for converting incident light to signal charges; a transfer path formed on the substrate and operative in response to a drive signal fed through a transfer electrode for reading out the signal charges from said photo-sensitive cells and transferring the signal charges read out to thereby output an electrical signal; a first impurity diffusion layer formed immediately under said transfer electrode for temporarily storing, when reading out the signal charges, the signal charges read out from said photo-sensitive cells; a built-in electrode formed at a position across said first impurity diffusion layer from said transfer electrode for moving the signal charges read out in a predetermined direction; said first impurity diffusion layer being formed into an upper layer and a lower layer with respect to a direction in which the incident light is incoming; and a second impurity diffusion layer different in conductivity type from said first impurity diffusion layer and positioned between said upper layer and said lower layer, the signal charges read out being moved between said upper layer and said lower layer to cause electron multiplication to occur.