Patent ID: 7671402

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device, comprising: a photoelectric transducer that is adapted to generate a light-generated charge in accordance with incident light, a floating diffusion that is adapted to retain the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a transfer and retention unit that is disposed between the photoelectric transducer and the floating diffusion and is adapted to control a transfer of the light-generated charge, the transfer and retention unit having a charge-retaining region that is adapted to retain the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a reset unit that is adapted to initialize a potential of the floating diffusion; an amplifying transistor that is adapted to generate an output based on a potential of the floating diffusion; a selection transistor that is adapted to selectively output the output of the amplifying transistor; and an excessive charge-discharging unit that is adapted to discharge excessive electric charge generated from the photoelectric transducer, the excessive charge-discharging unit being positioned such that the photoelectic transducer is positioned between the transfer and retention unit and the excessive charge-discharging unit.