Patent ID: 8345133

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged on the semiconductor substrate, and 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; a plurality of transistors arranged on the semiconductor substrate, for transferring a signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion elements; a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, such that the signal charge is a minor carrier, arranged between the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element, wherein the first semiconductor region has a first width; and a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type is arranged between the first photoelectric conversion element and the third photoelectric conversion element, wherein the second semiconductor region has a second width smaller than the first width, and wherein the first and second semiconductor regions extend from a predetermined position in the semiconductor substrate in a direction of a depth of the semiconductor substrate, and the second semiconductor region extends, from the predetermined position, into the semiconductor substrate, deeper than the first semiconductor region.