AMPLIFICATION TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND ITS DRIVING METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To compensate the scatter of the threshold voltage of intra-pixel amplification transistors. SOLUTION: This device is provided with pixels each of which having a photodiode capable of being shifted from a 1st potential state (reset state) to a 2nd potential state corresponding to incident light quantity. A unit compensating circuit is provided with 1st and 2nd accumulation elements 35 and 41 each of which is composed of a MOS capacitor. The element 35 accumulates the charge of quantity being proportional to the difference between signal potentialϕs corresponding to the 2nd potential state of the pixel and reference potentialϕ0. The element 41 accumulates the charge of quantity being proportional to the difference between fixed potentialϕd and reference potentialϕ0. The both accumulation elements are made to be short-circuited when reset potentialϕr is supplied from the pixel, the charge of quantity being proportional to potential difference (ϕs-ϕr) is accordingly transferred between both accumulation elements. After separating both accumulation elements electrically, the potential difference (ϕs-ϕr) remaining on the element 41 is detected and outputted.