Image sensor

An image sensor that includes a semiconductor device having a semiconductor region and a diffusion layer formed within said semiconductor region having the opposite conductivity of said semiconductor region;

• that, after discharging carrier in said diffusion layer of said semiconductor device, causes light to be irradiated into said diffusion layer to generate carrier inside said diffusion layer, that outputs a signal to an output section based on the surface potential of the generated carrier, and that measures the amount of incidence of said light;
• comprising:
• a timing generation means for creating:
• a first exposure period for, when irradiating light into said diffusion layer and generating carrier inside said diffusion layer, irradiating said light into said diffusion layer and generating a first carrier inside said diffusion layer;
• a storage period after said first exposure period for moving a portion of said first carrier to a storage section and leaving said first carrier inside said diffusion layer;
• a second exposure period after said storage period for irradiating said light into said diffusion layer and generating a second carrier inside said diffusion layer;
• and
• a readout period after said second exposure period;
• and
• a carrier integration means for, when outputting to an output section a signal based on the surface potential of said generated carrier and measuring the amount of incidence of said light, reading out carrier that is the sum of said second carrier and said first carrier that is left in said diffusion layer during a readout period.

An image sensor that includes a semiconductor device having a semiconductor region and a diffusion layer formed inside said semiconductor region and having the opposite conductivity of said semiconductor region;

• that, after discharging carrier in said diffusion layer of said semiconductor device, causes light to be irradiated into said diffusion layer to generate carrier inside said diffusion layer, that outputs a signal to an output section based on the surface potential of generated carrier, and measures the amount of incidence
• of said light is measured;
• comprising:
• a timing generation means for creating:
• when irradiating light into said diffusion layer and generating carrier inside said diffusion layer, a plurality of exposure periods that do not mutually overlap for irradiating said light into said diffusion layer and generating carriers corresponding to said plurality of exposure periods inside said diffusion layer;
• a storage period for moving a preceding carrier that was generated inside said diffusion layer in the one preceding exposure period of said plurality of exposure periods that relatively preceded to a storage section after said preceding exposure period;
• a succeeding exposure period after said storage period for irradiating said light into said diffusion layer after said preceding exposure period and generating a succeeding carrier in said diffusion layer;
• and
• a readout period after said succeeding exposure period;
• and
• a carrier integration means for, when outputting to an output section a signal based on the surface potential of said generated carrier and measuring the amount of incidence of said light, integrating, in the readout period after the last exposure period of said plurality of exposure periods, the carrier that was stored in said storage section up to the exposure period immediately preceding said last exposure period and the carrier that was generated inside said diffusion layer in said last exposure period.

An image sensor that includes a semiconductor device having a semiconductor region and a diffusion layer formed inside said semiconductor region and having the opposite conductivity of said semiconductor region;

• that, after discharging carrier in said diffusion layer of said semiconductor device, causes light to be irradiated into said diffusion layer to generate carrier inside said diffusion layer, that outputs a signal that is based on the surface potential of the generated carrier to an output section and measures the amount of incidence of said light;
• comprising:
• a timing generation means for creating:
• when irradiating light into said diffusion layer and generating carrier in said diffusion layer, a plurality of exposure periods that do not mutually overlap for irradiating said light into said diffusion layer and generating carriers that correspond to said plurality of exposure periods in said diffusion layer;
• a storage period, which follows the relatively preceding exposure period of said plurality of exposure periods, for moving to a storage section a portion of preceding carrier that was stored in said diffusion layer in exposure periods up to said preceding exposure period;
• a succeeding exposure period for simultaneously leaving said preceding carrier in said diffusion layer and, after said storage period, irradiating said light into said diffusion layer after said preceding exposure period and generating a succeeding carrier in said diffusion layer;
• and
• a readout period after said succeeding exposure period;
• and
• a carrier integration means for, when outputting to an output section a signal based on the surface potential of said generated carrier and measuring the amount of incidence of said light, reading out carrier, in the readout period that follows the last exposure period of said plurality of exposure periods, said carrier being the sum of preceding carrier that remained in said diffusion layer until the exposure period immediately preceding said last exposure period and the succeeding carrier that was generated in said diffusion layer in said last exposure period.

An image sensor having unit pixels comprising:

• a photodiode of a structure that converts irradiated light to electrons, has an anode connected to ground, and extracts said electrons from a cathode;
• an amplification transistor having gate connected to the cathode of said photodiode, drain connected to a power supply line, and source connected to the drain of a readout transistor;
• a reset transistor having source connected to the cathode of said photodiode, gate connected to a reset line, and drain connected to said power supply line,
• a pixel interior capacitance selection transistor having drain connected to the cathode of said photodiode, gate connected to a pixel interior capacitance selection line, and source connected to pixel interior capacitance;
• pixel interior capacitance having one end grounded and the other end connected to the source of said pixel interior capacitance selection transistor;
• and
• a readout transistor having drain connected to the source of said amplification transistor, gate connected to a horizontal selection line, and source connected to a vertical readout line.