Transfer gate-less photosensor configuration 

The charge generated in semiconductor material by incident radiation is transferred to an adjacent region of the semiconductor material by lowering the potential on the adjacent region of semiconductor material relative to the potential in the region where the charge was initially generated. Charge is prevented from flowing back to the region where it was generated by means of a potential barrier formed between the generation region and the adjacent region by a region of semiconductor material highly doped relative to the substrate between said adjacent region and the region in which the charge is generated. 

Solid-state imaging device 



In a semiconductor photoelectric device comprising a plurality of photodiodes, MOS transistor switches and signal output means which are provided on a semiconductor substrate, a solid-state imaging device characterized in that said each photodiode is constructed of a PN-junction diode and an MIS or MOS diode. Means are provided for permitting incident light to fall on only the PN-junction diode. 

Solid state image sensing device for enhanced charge carrier accumulation 



A so-called buried channel type solid state image sensing device is formed with a channel layer of the opposite conductivity type in the surface of a semiconductor substrate. An insulating layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart photo-electrode and a charge transfer electrode are buried in the insulating film and a shift electrode is buried therebetween. A channel layer is provided beneath the photoelectrode and the charge transfer electrode whereas no channel layer is formed beneath the shift electrode. But instead a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate is located beneath the shift electrode. Since no channel layer is provided beneath the shift electrode, a sufficient quantity of charge carriers is accumulated in a potential well formed in the channel layer beneath the photoelectrode.