Patent ID: 8553115

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements including a first photoelectric conversion element, a second photoelectric conversion element adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion element, and a third photoelectric conversion element adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion element; and a plurality of transistors each for transferring a signal charge generated in each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and the plurality of transistors are arranged in a semiconductor substrate, and wherein a first semiconductor region of a first width having a first conductivity type so as to contain the signal charge as a minority carrier is arranged between the first and second photoelectric conversion elements, a second semiconductor region of a second width smaller than the first width having the first conductivity type is arranged between the first and third photoelectric conversion elements, and a third semiconductor region of a third width and having the first conductivity type is arranged under the first and second semiconductor regions.