Image pickup apparatus and method of driving the same

An image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including

• a photoelectric conversion unit,
• an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on electrons generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, and
• a first signal holding unit and a second signal holding unit located at a stage following the first signal holding unit, both being disposed in an electric path between the photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of the amplifying element,
• the first signal holding unit including a first semiconductor region of an N type and the first control electrode disposed above the first semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the second signal holding unit including a second semiconductor region of an N type and the second control electrode disposed above the second semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the first control electrode and the second control electrode being supplied with voltages such that a voltage supplied to the first control electrode when the electrons are transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first semiconductor region is lower than a voltage supplied to the second control electrode when the electrons held by the first semiconductor region are transferred to the second semiconductor region.

An image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including

• a photoelectric conversion unit,
• an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, and
• a first signal holding unit and a second signal holding unit located at a stage following the first signal holding unit, both being disposed in an electric path between the photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of the amplifying element,
• the first charge transfer unit including a first semiconductor region and a first control electrode disposed above the first semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the second charge transfer unit including a second semiconductor region and a second control electrode disposed above the second semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the first control electrode and the second control electrode being supplied with voltages such that a voltage supplied to the first control electrode when the holes are transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first signal holding unit is higher than a voltage supplied to the second control electrode when the electrons held by the first signal holding unit are transferred to the second signal holding unit.

An image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including

• a photoelectric conversion unit,
• an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, and
• a first signal holding unit and a second signal holding unit located at a stage following the first signal holding unit, both being disposed in an electric path between the photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of the amplifying element,
• the first signal holding unit including a first semiconductor region of a P type and a first control electrode disposed above the first semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the second signal holding unit including a second semiconductor region of P type and a second control electrode disposed above the second semiconductor region via an insulating film,
• the first control electrode and the second control electrode being supplied with voltages such that a voltage supplied to the first control electrode when the holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first semiconductor region is higher than a voltage supplied to the second control electrode when holes held by the first semiconductor region are transferred to the second semiconductor region.

A method of driving an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels in each of which a first charge transfer unit, a first signal holding unit, a second charge transfer unit, and a second signal holding unit are disposed in the order described above in an electric path between an output node of a photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on electrons generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, the method comprising:

• supplying a first voltage to a first control electrode possessed by the first charge transfer unit when the electrons generated in the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first signal holding unit;
• and
• supplying a second voltage to a second control electrode possessed by the second charge transfer unit when the electrons held by the first signal holding unit are transferred to the second signal holding unit,
• the first and second voltage being set such that the first voltage is lower than the second voltage.

A method of driving an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels in each of which a first signal holding unit and a second signal holding unit are disposed in an electric path between an output node of a photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on electrons generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, the second signal holding unit being located at a stage following the first signal holding unit, the method comprising:

• supplying a first voltage to a first control electrode possessed by the first signal holding unit when electrons generated in the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first signal holding unit;
• and
• supplying a second voltage to a second control electrode possessed by the second charge transfer unit when electrons held by the first signal holding unit are transferred to the second signal holding unit,
• the first and second voltage being set such that the first voltage is lower than the second voltage.

A method of driving an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels in each of which a first charge transfer unit, a first signal holding unit, a second charge transfer unit, and a second signal holding unit are disposed in the order described above in an electric path between an output node of a photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, the method comprising:

• supplying a first voltage to a first control electrode possessed by the first charge transfer unit when the holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first signal holding unit;
• and
• supplying a second voltage to a second control electrode possessed by the second charge transfer unit when holes held by the first signal holding unit are transferred to the second signal holding unit,
• the first and second voltage being set such that the first voltage is higher than the second voltage.

A method of driving an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels in each of which a first signal holding unit and a second signal holding unit are disposed in an electric path between an output node of a photoelectric conversion unit and an input node of an amplifying element configured to amplify a signal based on holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, the second signal holding unit being located at a stage following the first signal holding unit, the method comprising:

• supplying a first voltage to a first control electrode possessed by the first signal holding unit when the holes generated in the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first signal holding unit;
• and
• supplying a second voltage to a second control electrode possessed by the second charge transfer unit when the holes held by the first signal holding unit are transferred to the second signal holding unit,
• the first and second voltage being set such that the first voltage is higher than the second voltage.