| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solid-state imaging device and a driving method thereof that can receive visible light and infrared light and control an exposure time of the infrared light independently of an exposure time of the visible light. <P>SOLUTION: The solid imaging device 10 is an inter-line transfer type CCD image sensor having photodetecting units 11a to 11c, which receive primary colors of the visible light respectively to accumulate signal charges, and an IR photodetecting unit 11d, which receives the infrared (IR) light to accumulate signal charges, arrayed in a plane, and includes a longitudinal overflow drain (VOD) discarding signal charges of the photodetecting units 11a to 11d and a lateral overflow drain (LOD) discharging signal charges of the IR photodetecting unit 11d. The LOD comprises a discarding gate 16 connected to the IR photodetecting unit 11d and a drain area 17 to which the signal charges of the IR photodetecting unit 11d are discarded through the discarding gate 16. The LOD is placed in operation after the VOD and then signal charges are read out of the photodetecting units 11a to 11d. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT |
