Selectable resolution CCD sensor

Abstract

A CCD sensor includes a readout register formed in substrate, the readout register including a channel, a bus structure and a connection structure. The bus structure includes plural spaced element sets, each element set including a first clock conductor. The first clock conductor of a first element set is a dual function conductor. The connection structure isolates the dual function conductor while coupling together the first clock conductor of each other set of the element sets. Alternatively, the sensor includes vertical and readout registers formed in a well in a substrate. The vertical register includes a vertical channel, a vertical bus structure and a vertical connection structure, and the readout register includes a readout channel, a readout bus structure and a readout connection structure. The readout bus structure includes plural spaced readout element sets, each readout element set including a first readout clock conductor. The first readout clock conductor of a first readout element set is a dual function readout clock conductor. The readout connection structure isolates the dual function readout clock conductor while coupling together the first readout clock conductor of each other set of the readout element sets. The vertical bus structure includes plural spaced vertical element sets, each vertical element set including a first vertical clock conductor. The first vertical clock conductor of a first vertical element set is a dual function vertical clock conductor. The vertical connection structure isolates the dual function vertical clock conductor while coupling together the first vertical clock conductor of each other set of the vertical element sets.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.