Patent ID: 8625010

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels arranged so as to form a plurality of pixel rows, each including a plurality of pixels, each pixel including: a photoelectric conversion portion having a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type; a first holding portion, having a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, for holding signal carriers from the photoelectric conversion portion; an amplifying portion for amplifying and reading a signal based on the signal carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion portion; and a carrier discharging control portion for controlling an electrical connection between the photoelectric conversion portion and an overflow drain region, wherein a carrier path arranged between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region is constituted by a buried channel structure, wherein a second holding portion is arranged through a first transfer portion between the first holding portion and the amplifying portion, wherein the photoelectric conversion portion, the first and second holding portions, the amplifying portion, the carrier discharging control portion, and the carrier path are arranged in a same semiconductor substrate, and wherein, in a predetermined pixel row, during a holding period for holding the signal carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion portion in which the signal carriers are held in both the photoelectric conversion portion and the first holding portion, the second holding portion holds the signal carriers transferred from the first holding portion until a selection of the predetermined pixel row, and, thereafter, in response to the selection of the predetermined row, the signal is read out from the amplifying portion based on the signal carriers held in the second holding portion.