Patent ID: 8149309

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device comprising: a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, wherein each pixel performs photoelectric conversion; and a pixel signal readout circuit for reading out a pixel signal from the pixel unit, wherein: the pixel signal readout circuit includes: a plurality of comparators arranged such that they individually correspond with each column array of pixels in the matrix, each of the comparators comparing a read-out signal potential with a reference voltage to output a determination signal; and a plurality of counters whose operations are controlled by corresponding determination signals of the comparators, each of the counters being configured to count a time of the determination signal for a corresponding comparator, wherein each of the comparators includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier current mirror in parallel with the second amplifier, the first amplifier including: differential transistors for performing a comparison operation between the reference voltage and the read-out signal potential by receiving the reference voltage at a gate of one transistor and receiving the read-out signal potential at a gate of the other transistor, first and second capacitors, connected to each of the gates of the differential transistors, and the mirror circuit including a gate input transistor whose gate receives a voltage output by the first amplifier or a voltage output by the second amplifier.