Patent ID: 7354791

Claim:
A method for driving a solid-state imaging device, the solid-state imaging device comprising: a first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate; a second-conductivity-type photoelectric conversion region formed in the first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate; a transfer channel region formed in the substrate so as to be juxtaposed to the second-conductivity-type photoelectric conversion region; a transfer electrode formed on the transfer channel region with a gate insulation film interposed therebetween; a conductive light-blocking film that covers the transfer electrode and that has an opening above the second-conductivity-type photoelectric conversion region; and a transparent conductive film that is formed on the second-conductivity-type photoelectric conversion region with an interlayer insulation film interposed therebetween, and is connected electrically with the conductive light-blocking film, the method comprising the steps of: (a) accumulating signal charges generated by photoelectric conversion in the second-conductivity-type photoelectric conversion region, while transferring signal charges through the transfer channel region; and (b) reading out the accumulated signal charges into the transfer channel region, wherein in the step (a), a negative voltage is applied to the conductive light-blocking film and the transparent conductive film, and in the step (b), a voltage of not less than 0 V is applied to the conductive light-blocking film and the transparent conductive film.