Photoelectric converter, its driving method, and system including the photoelectric converter

A method of driving a photoelectric converting section formed on a substrate, the photoelectric converting section including a first electrode layer;

• an insulating layer for inhibiting both types of carriers, a first type of carriers and a second type of carriers whose positive or negative characteristics are opposite to those of the first type of carriers, from passing through the layer;
• a semiconductor layer including the first and second types of carriers;
• an injection blocking layer for inhibiting the first type of said carriers from being injected into the semiconductor layer;
• and a second electrode layer arranged adjacent to said injection blocking layer,
• the driving method having a refresh and a photoelectric conversion mode, wherein an electric field is applied so that the first type of said carriers are brought from said semiconductor layer into said second electrode layer in the refresh mode, and
• while an electric field is applied so that the first type of said carriers generated by light incident in said semiconductor layer remain in said semiconductor layer and the second type of said carriers are introduced into said second electrode in the photoelectric conversion mode, and, under an influence of an electric field having the same direction as in the photoelectric conversion mode, the first and second types of said carriers stored in said semiconductor layer are detected.

A photoelectric converter having a photoelectric converting section provided on a substrate having a surface which is at least insulative, and first and second integrated circuit element groups provided outside of said photoelectric converting section, wherein

• said photoelectric converting section has plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor arranged correspondingly to said photoelectric converting element, one electrode of said photoelectric converting element is connected to a line capable of being set at a predetermined voltage, the other electrode of said photoelectric converting element is connected to source and drain electrodes of said thin film transistor, a gate electrode of said thin film transistor is connected to said first integrated circuit element group arranged outside of said photoelectric converting section through a driving line provided commonly to said plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor and said first and second integrated circuit element groups for supplying to said gate electrode a signal for driving said thin film transistor, and source and drain electrodes different from the above mentioned source and drain electrodes of said thin film transistor are connected to the second integrated circuit element group through an output line common to a group of said plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor and arranged in a direction crossing said driving line;
• said photoelectric converting element has first and second electrode layers on said substrate, and has, between said first and second electrode layers, an insulating layer for blocking passage of a hole and an electron therethrough, a semiconductor layer, and a carrier blocking layer for blocking passage of one of the hole and the electron;
• and
• said thin film transistor has, on said substrate, a gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes arranged in spaced relation, and has between said gate electrode and said source and drain electrodes, an insulating layer to be a gate insulating film, a semiconductor layer and an ohmic contact layer, said ohmic contact layer is arranged correspondingly to said source and drain electrodes, and said ohmic contact layer and said source and drain electrodes are provided at one side surface of said semiconductor layer.

A photoelectric converter having a photoelectric converting section provided on a substrate having a surface which is at least insulative, wherein said photoelectric converting section has in matrix arrangement plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor arranged correspondingly to said photoelectric converting element, one electrode of said photoelectric converting element is connected to a line capable of being set at a predetermined voltage, the other electrode of said photoelectric converting element is connected to source and drain electrodes of said thin film transistor, source and drain electrodes different from the above-mentioned source and drain electrodes of said thin film transistor are connected to an output line common to a group of said plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor for outputting a signal derived by a photoelectric conversion of said photoelectric conversion elements of the group, and a gate electrode of said thin film transistor is connected to a driving line common to a group of said plural combinations of a photoelectric converting element and a thin film transistor for supplying said gate electrode with a signal for driving said thin film transistors of this group in a direction crossing the output line for outputting the signal, and

• said photoelectric converter further comprises a passivation film provided on a group of said photoelectric conversion elements and thin film transistors, and a fluorescent body provided on said passivation film.

A method for driving a photoelectric converting section which comprises a first electrode layer;

• an insulating layer for preventing carriers of both of two types from passing through said insulating layer, the two types of carriers being a first type of carrier and a second type of carrier whose positive or negative polarity is opposite that of the first type of carrier;
• a semiconductor layer;
• an injection blocking layer for preventing said first type of carrier from being injected into said semiconductor layer;
• and a second electrode layer disposed in contact with said injection blocking layer, said method comprising:
• a refreshment mode for applying an electric field for guiding said first type of carrier from said semiconductor layer toward said second electrode layer;
• and
• a photoelectric converting mode for applying an electric field for leaving said first type of carrier generated by incident light in said semiconductor layer and for introducing said second type of carrier from said semiconductor layer into said second electrode layer,
• wherein, according to the electric field in the direction in said photoelectric converting mode, a charge corresponding to a carrier stored in said semiconductor layer in the photoelectric converting mode is detected.