Patent ID: 8599296

Claim:
A charge multiplying solid-state imaging device comprising: an imaging area that generates a charge according to the amount of incident light; an output register unit that receives the charge from the imaging area; a multiplication register unit that multiplies the charge from the output register; and at least one charge dispersion means that disperses the charge input to the multiplication register unit in a width direction perpendicular to a transfer direction, wherein the charge dispersion means is formed of a semiconductor region or an insulating region that is disposed at least at an input side in the multiplication register unit, and disposed in a plural number separated from each other in the width direction to hinder charge transfer, and the charge input to the multiplication register unit is dispersed, not via another transfer channel and not over the charge dispersion means, but to a plurality of transfer channels formed so as to disperse in the width direction, the plurality of transfer channels being formed between the charge dispersion means.