Solid state image pickup device having photo-shield plate in contact with photo-electric converting region via Schottky barrier

Claim 1

A solid state image pickup device fabricated on a semiconductor substrate (1) of a first conductivity type, comprising: a) a well (2) having a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type and formed in a surface portion of said semiconductor substrate; b) a plurality of photo-electric converting regions (3a to 3f) of said first conductivity type arranged in at least one line and converting parts of an optical radiation into electric charges, respectively; c) a plurality of charge transferring regions (4a and 4b) of said first conductivity type associated with the line of said photo-electric con­verting regions, respectively, and conveying said electric charges, each of said charge transferring regions being spaced apart from the associated line of said photo-elec­tric converting regions by a channel forming region (6); d) charge transferring means (9) provided over said charge transferring regions and allowing said charge transferring regions to convey said electric charges; and e) a metallic photo-shield plate (11) preventing said charge transferring regions each being contiguous to said channel forming region from said optical radiation and exposing said photo-electric converting regions to the parts of said optical radiation, characterized in that said metallic photo-shield plate is in contact with said photo-electric converting regions for forming Schottky barriers therebe­tween, and in that and in which excess electric charges overflow beyond said Schottky barrier into said metallic photo-shield plate.