PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERTER, IMAGE SENSOR, AND IMAGE PROCESSOR

摘要

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoelectric converter capable of reducing signal loss accompanying the redistribution of electric charges without inviting the degradation of image quality. Ž<P>SOLUTION: The photoelectric converter includes: a photodiode 1; a signal holding circuit (switches 4-7 and capacitors 8 and 9) for respectively holding photocurrent detection signals corresponding to the photocurrent amount and dark current detection signals corresponding to the dark current amount; a buffer 10 for respectively buffering, amplifying and successively outputting the photocurrent detection signals and the dark current detection signals successively inputted from the signal holding circuit; a signal subtraction circuit 12 for generating the difference signals of the photocurrent detection signals and the dark current detection signals successively inputted from the buffer 10; and a sample-and-hold circuit 14 for holding and outputting the difference signals. Ž<P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT Ž