Photoelectric conversion apparatus, driving method thereof, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion apparatus is comprised of a light-receiving element having a first semiconductor region of a first conduction type, and a second semiconductor region of a second conduction type for storing a charge generated by photoelectric conversion adjacent to the first semiconductor region, a readout electrode for reading a signal based on the charge stored in the second semiconductor region; and at least a pair of electrode portions spaced from each other along a photoreceptive surface so as to place a photoreceptive portion of the second semiconductor region in between, and connected to the first semiconductor region. Applied to the pair of electrode portions is a voltage that completely depletes the photoreceptive portion of the second semiconductor region and that can create a potential gradient for moving the charge stored in the second semiconductor region, to the readout electrode side.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.