Solid-state image pickup device and method of driving the same

Abstract

An image sensor comprising a semiconductor substrate with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a charge-voltage conversion element. The plurality of photoelectric conversion elements further includes at least a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element. The charge-voltage conversion element is shared by the first and second photoelectric conversion elements. The image sensor further includes a first charge accumulation element adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion element and at least a portion of the first charge accumulation element overlaps a charge accumulation region of the first photoelectric conversion element. The image sensor also includes a second charge accumulation element adjacent to the second photoelectric conversion element and at least a portion of the second charge accumulation element overlaps a charge accumulation region of the second photoelectric conversion element. Each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion is configured to receive light entered from a first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first and second charge accumulation elements are formed on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second surface is opposed to the first surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.