CCD imager with separate charge multiplication elements

A CCD imager comprising:

• an image area at which signal charge is generated in response to incident radiation;
• a plurality of output registers which receive signal charge from said image area;
• a plurality of multiplication registers into which signal charge from respective ones of said plurality of output registers is transferred;
• and means for obtaining signal charge multiplication by transferring said signal charge through an electric field region in the elements of said plurality of multiplication registers.

A CCD imager, comprising:

• an image area at which signal charge is generated in response to incident radiation;
• an output register receiving the signal charge from the image area;
• a separate multiplication register having an input that receives the signal charge from the output register and an output, the multiplication register including a plurality of elements, the elements near the output have a larger charge capacity than those elements near the input;
• and
• means for obtaining signal charge multiplication by transferring the signal charge through an electric field in the elements of the multiplication register.

A CCD imager, comprising:

• an image area at which signal charge is generated in response to incident radiation;
• an output register receiving the signal charge from the image area;
• a separate multiplication register that receives the signal charge from the output register, the multiplication register including a plurality of elements that extend from the output register along a longitudinal axis of the output resister;
• and
• means for obtaining signal charge multiplication by transferring the signal charge through am electric field in the elements of multiplication register.