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US 2017/0366775 A1Published application
Photoelectric conversion apparatus, photoelectric conversion system, and driving method for the photoelectric conversion apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSeiji Hashimoto, Hidekazu Takahashi, Atsushi Furubayashi
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Abstract
An output control unit configured to set an amplitude of a signal output to a signal line to be smaller as compared with a case where an amplification unit outputs a signal on the basis of a potential of the input node or put the amplification unit into a non-operating state is provided.
Claims1
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising:
- a photoelectric conversion unit;
- an amplification unit;
- a signal line;
- and
- an output control unit, wherein
- the photoelectric conversion unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer that is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and accumulates signal carriers, and an insulating layer arranged between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode,
- an optical signal based on the accumulated signal carriers is output to an input node of the amplification unit,
- an output node of the amplification unit is connected to the signal line,
- a magnitude relationship between a potential applied to the first electrode and a potential applied to the second electrode is a first relationship in a first period during which the photoelectric conversion layer accumulates the signal carriers, and the magnitude relationship is a second relationship that is opposite to the first relationship in a second period during which the signal carriers are discharged from the photoelectric conversion layer while the second electrode is applied with a potential having a different value from the potential applied in the first period, and
- the output control unit restricts a potential range of the signal line to be within a predetermined range narrower than a potential range of an output of the amplification unit in at least a part of the second period, or the output control unit puts the amplification unit into a non-operating state in at least a part of the second period.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.