Photoelectric converter and a method of driving the same

摘要

The invention provides a photoelectric converter capable of reducing a random noise. The photoelectric converter includes: a photoelectric conversion unit having an output terminal connected to input terminals of a reset unit and an amplification unit; a hold unit for holding a reference signal generated through resetting of the output terminal of the photoelectric conversion unit; and a signal read unit for reading out to a common signal line the reference signal and an optical signal obtained after storage of electric charges generated on the basis of light made incident to a photoelectric conversion area of the photoelectric conversion unit.