Solid state image sensing device

Claim 1

A storage device for incident illumination comprising a plurality of storage elements arranged in row and columns, a plurality of row and column conductors, each of said elements corresponding to the intersection of a row and column conductor, said elements including a photosensitive semiconductor device having first and second semi-conductor regions separated by a third semi-conductor region, accessing means coupling a row and column conductor to said first semi-conductor region for interrogating said storage element, means coupled to said second semi-conductor region for providing an output indicative of the total illumination incident upon said storage element between successive interrogations, and means coupling said third semiconductor region to a source of reference potential thereby shielding said accessing means from said output.

Claim 4

A device for storing and receiving incident illumination comprising a plurality of storage elements arranged in rows and columns, a plurality of row and column conductors, each of said storage elements corresponding to respective intersections of said row and column conductors, each said storage element having first and second p-n junctions defined by first, second and third semi-conductor regions, said third semi-conductor region separating said first and second regions, means connecting said third region to a point of reference potential, means coupling said row and column conductors to said first region, scanning means coupled to each of said row and column for periodically applying a first bias to successive ones of said p-n junction, said ones of said p-n junctions responsive to illumination incident upon said storage device for reducing said reverse bias level to a degree proportional to the photon quantity of said incident illumination, and means coupled to said second region and responsive to the next successive reapplication of said reverse bias for providing an output signal indicative of the magnitude of said reduced reverse bias level.

Claim 5

A device for storing and receiving incident illumination comprising a plurality of storage elements arranged in rows and columns, a plurality of row and column conductors, each of said storage elements corresponding to respective intersections of said row and column conductors, each said storage element having first and second p-n junctions defined by first, second and third semi-conductor regions, said third semi-conductor region separating said first and second regions, means connecting said third region to a point of reference potential, means coupling said row and column conductors to said first region, scanning means coupled to each of said row and column for periodically applying a first bias to successive ones of said p-n junction, said ones of said p-n junctions responsive to illumination incident upon said storage device for reducing said reverse bias level to a degree proportional to the photon quantity of said incident illumination, and means coupled to said second region and responsive to the next successive reapplication of said reverse bias for providing an output signal indicative of the magnitude of said reduced reverse bias level.

Claim 6

A device for storing and receiving incident illumination comprising a plurality of storage elements arranged in rows and columns, a plurality of row and column conductors, each of storage elements corresponding to respective intersections of said row and column conductors, said storage elements comprising a plurality of semi-conductor elements of a first conductivity type arrayed on one side of a common substrate of a second conductivity type to form a first plurality of p-n junctions, first and second groups of elongated conducting connections forming plural crossings, each p-n junction including a surface layer of insulating material thereon thereby forming a capacitive coupling to said p-n junction, a conductor from each of said first and second groups conductively coupled to said layer of insulating material, a further region material of said first conductivity type formed on the other side of said common substrate to form a further p-n junction, said further p-n junction common to all of said first plurality of p-n junctions, means connecting said common substrate to a point of reference potential, said row and column conductors corresponding to said first and second group of conductors respectively, scanning means coupled to each of said row and column conductors for periodically applying a reverse bias to each of said first plurality of p-n junctions, each of said first plurality of p-n junctions thereafter responsive to illumination incident thereon for reducing said reverse bias level to a degree proportional to the photon quantity of said incident illumination, and means coupled to said further region of material of said first conductivity type and responsive to the next successive application of said reverse bias for providing an output indicative of the magnitude of said reduced reverse bias level.

Claim 7

A device for storing and receiving incident illumination comprising a plurality of storage elements arranged in rows and columns, a plurality of row and column conductors, each of storage elements corresponding to respective intersections of said row and column conductors, said storage elements comprising a plurality of semi-conductor elements of a first conductivity type arrayed on one side of a common substrate of a second conductivity type to form a first plurality of p-n junctions, first and second groups of elongated conducting connections forming plural crossings, each p-n junction including a surface layer of insulating material thereon thereby forming a capacitive coupling to said p-n junction, a conductor from each of said first and second groups conductively coupled to said layer of insulating material, a further region material of said first conductivity type formed on the other side of said common substrate to form a further p-n junction, said further p-n junction common to all of said first plurality of p-n junctions, means connecting said common substrate to a point of reference potential, said row and column conductors corresponding to said first and second group of conductors respectively, scanning means coupled to each of said row and column conductors for periodically applying a reverse bias to each of said first plurality of p-n junctions, each of said first plurality of p-n junctions thereafter responsive to illumination incident thereon for reducing said reverse bias level to a degree proportional to the photon quantity of said incident illumination, and means coupled to said further region of material of said first conductivity type and responsive to the next successive application of said reverse bias for providing an output indicative of the magnitude of said reduced reverse bias level.