Charge-coupled device

Claim 1

A charge-coupled device comprising a semiconductor body having a surface-adjoining semiconductor region in which a charge transport channel for storing and transporting information-representing discrete charge packets is defined, which device further comprises a system of clock electrodes which are located above the charge transport channel and which are connected to means for supplying clock voltages for transporting the said charge packets from a first position in the charge transport channel to a second position in such a manner that per n successive clock electrodes only one charge packet is present, n being an integer and smaller than or equal to two, the charge transport channel further being provided with a number of parallel inputs which each correspond to at least one of the said clock electrodes and by means of which charge packets can be supplied in parallel to the charge transport channel, characterized in that the distance between two adjacent parallel inputs is about equal to m electrodes, m being an integer, smaller than n and at least 1, in that means are provided by means of which daring the introduction of charge packets voltages are supplied to the clock electrodes, at least at the area of the said first position in the charge transport channel a potential profile being obtained of potential wells mutually separated by potential barriers, under each clock electrode associated with one parallel input a potential well being formed in which a charge packet can be stored, and in that the said means for supplying clock voltages for transporting the introduced charge packets supply such clock voltages that, viewed in the charge transport direction, first only the first charge packet is shifted over a distance of at least one electrode, after which only the first and then the second charge packet are shifted simultaneously over the same distance, etc., wherein each time after a preceding charge packet has been shifted over the said distance, a next charge packet participates in the n-phase charge transport until also the last charge packet participates in the n-phase charge transport.