MOS-type solid state imaging device with high sensitivity

A solid state imaging device comprising:

• photoelectric conversion cells, each of the cells comprising:
• a photodiode configured to generate an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of received light,
• an amplifying transistor configured to amplify and output an output signal from said photodiode,
• a read-out transistor including a drain, which acts as a control electrode of said amplifying transistor, and a source which acts as said photodiode, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulator region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected to the gate of the amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell.

A solid state imaging device comprising:

• unit cells disposed in a two-dimensional matrix configuration on a semiconductor substrate, each of said unit cells comprising the transfer transistor being formed in a first region in the semiconductor substrate,
• a detection portion formed of an active region in the semiconductor substrate and configured to detect the signal transferred by said transfer transistor,
• an amplifying transistor including a gate connected to said detection portion,
• an addressing element configured to activate said amplifying transistor, and
• an embedded type reset element including a gate formed of an ion implanted region and a drain formed of the active region and configured to discharge the signal of said photodiode, said embedded type reset element includes a source connected to a drain of said transfer transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the embedded type reset element being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulator region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the transfer transistor and the source of the embedded type reset element, and
• an addressing element configured to activate said amplifying transistor, the addressing element connected to the gate of the amplifying transistor and configured to select one of the unit cells, and;
• a potential barrier being formed between said detection portion and a drain of said amplifying transistor and the potential of said detection portion being changed to perform resetting such that electrons are discharged to said drain over said potential barrier.

An imaging system comprising:

• an optical system configured to receive an optical image of an object and to introduce the optical image to a predetermined position;
• an image processor including a sensor configured to photoelectrically convert the optical image introduced into the predetermined position into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of light of the optical image in pixel units;
• and
• a signal processor configured to process an output from said image processor into a predetermined format to output the processed output,
• wherein said sensor comprises a photoelectric conversion element positioned at the predetermined position and an output circuit including an amplifying type MOS sensor, connected to said photoelectric conversion element, configured to amplify an output from said photoelectric conversion element to output the amplified output, and
• said MOS sensor comprises:
• unit cells formed in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate, each of the unit cells comprising:
• a photoelectric converter,
• a read-out transistor configured to read a signal from the photoelectric converter, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• an amplifying transistor including a gate connected to a drain of said read-out transistor and configured to amplify the signal read by said read-out transistor,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulator region formed on the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected in series to said amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell.

A solid state imaging system comprising:

• a solid state imaging device comprising:
• unit cells formed in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate, each of the unit cells comprising:
• a photoelectric converter,
• a read-out transistor configured to read a signal from the photoelectric converter, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• an amplifying transistor including a gate connected to a drain of said read-out transistor and configured to amplify the signal read by said read-out transistor,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulator region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected in series to said amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell;
• an optical system configured to receive an image of an object and guide the image to the photoelectric converter of the solid state imaging device;
• a signal processing unit configured to process an output signal from the solid state imaging device and output a camera signal;
• and
• a control unit configured to control operations of the solid state imaging device and the signal processing unit.

A solid state imaging system comprising:

• a solid state imaging device comprising:
• photoelectric conversion cells, each of the cells comprising:
• a photodiode configured to generate an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of received light,
• an amplifying transistor configured to amplify and output an output signal from said photodiode,
• a read-out transistor including a drain, which acts as a control electrode of said amplifying transistor, and a source which acts as said photodiode, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulating region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected to the gate of the amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell;
• an optical system configured to receive an image of an object and guide the image to the photoelectric converter of the solid state imaging device;
• a signal processing unit configured to process an output signal from the solid state imaging device and output a camera signal;
• and
• a control unit configured to control operations of the solid state imaging device and the signal processing unit.

A one-chip semiconductor device comprising:

• a solid state imaging device comprising:
• unit cells formed in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate, each of the unit cells comprising:
• a photoelectric converter,
• a read-out transistor configured to read a signal from the photoelectric converter, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• an amplifying transistor including a gate connected to a drain of said read-out transistor and configured to amplify the signal read by said read-out transistor,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulator region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected in series to said amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell;
• a signal processing unit configured to process an output signal from the solid state imaging device and output a camera signal;
• and
• a control unit configured to control operations of the solid state imaging device and the signal processing unit.

A one-chip semiconductor device comprising:

• a solid state imaging device comprising:
• photoelectric conversion cells, each of the cells comprising:
• a photodiode configured to generate an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of received light,
• an amplifying transistor configured to amplify and output an output signal from said photodiode,
• a read-out transistor including a drain, which acts as a control electrode of said amplifying transistor, and a source which acts as said photodiode, the read-out transistor being formed in a first device region in the semiconductor substrate,
• a reset transistor including a source connected to the drain of said read-out transistor and configured to reset a potential of a gate of said amplifying transistor, the reset transistor being formed in a second device region in the semiconductor substrate, the second device region being separated from the first device region through an insulating region formed in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate,
• a wiring formed above the insulator region of the semiconductor substrate and connected between the drain of the read-out transistor and the source of the reset transistor, and
• an addressing element connected to the gate of the amplifying transistor and configured to select the unit cell;
• a signal processing unit configured to process an output signal from the solid state imaging device and output a camera signal;
• and
• a control unit configured to control operations of the solid state imaging device and the signal processing unit.