US3896474A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Charge coupled area imaging device with column anti-blooming control
Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corp
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Filing: 1973-09-10
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Granted: 1975-07-22
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Expires: 1993-09-10
Abstract
Abstract A charge coupled area imaging device comprises columns of light sensing elements for accumulating charge packets in response to incident light, and parallel shift registers for shifting the charge packets to an output register. An anti-blooming diode is disposed in cooperating relationship with each of the shift registers to sink excess charges from the shift register, and thereby prevents the excess charges from spreading into the output register or other areas of the device where excess charges are undesirable.
Inventors
- 👤 Gilbert F Amelio
- 👤 Rudolph H Dyck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 09:37
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/17; H10D62/213; H10D62/335; H10D44/00; H10D44/40; H10D44/45; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/15; H10F39/153; H10F39/158
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A charge coupled area imaging device having anti-blooming control, which device comprises: a. a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; b. a plurality of parallel columns of light sensing elements associated with first portions of said substrate; c. a first corresponding plurality of shift registers associated with second portions of said substrate, said shift regisiters being interdigitated between and parallel to said columns of light sensing elements and each shift register being arranged in a column; d. means for transferring charge packets accumulated in said light sensing elements to appropriate positions in said first corresponding plurality of shift registers; e. an output shift register disposed in a third portion of said substrate for receiving said charge packets from said firsst corresponding plurality of shift registers; and, f. a second corresponding plurality of charge sink means for receiving excess charge, each of said charge sink means being located only adjacent to one end of a corresponding column of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and to a corresponding position of said output shift register, whereby spreading of excess charge into said output shift register is controlled.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
A charge coupled area imaging device having anti-blooming control, which device comprises: a. a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; b. a plurality of parallel columns of light sensing elements associated with first portions of said substrate; c. a first corresponding plurality of shift registers associated with second portions of said substrate, said shift regisiters being interdigitated between and parallel to said columns of light sensing elements and each shift register being arranged in a column; d. means for transferring charge packets accumulated in said light sensing elements to appropriate positions in said first corresponding plurality of shift registers; e. an output shift register disposed in a third portion of said substrate for receiving said charge packets from said firsst corresponding plurality of shift registers; and, f. a second corresponding plurality of charge sink means for receiving excess charge, each of said charge sink means being located only adjacent to one end of a corresponding column of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and to a corresponding position of said output shift register, whereby spreading of excess charge into said output shift register is controlled.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including means for shifting said charge packets along said parallel disposed shift registers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as defined in claim 2 including means for shifting said charge packets along said output register.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said charge sink means comprises a region of conductivity type opposite from that of said substrate, and formed adjacent to the surface of said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
90 words
A device as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said light sensing elements comprise an area of said substrate bounded on three sides by a channel stop region, said channel stop region being of the same conductivity type as said substrate and containing a higher concentration of impurities than said substrate, on the fourth side thereof by an implanted barrier, said implanted barrier being of opposite conductivity type from said substrate, and on the top thereof by a transparent conductor separated from said substrate by a layer of insulation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device as defined in claim 5, wherein said means for transferring said charge packets to appropriate positions of said shift registers cOmprises said transparent conductor and said implanted barrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said transparent conductor comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
111 words
A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said first corresponding plurality of shift registers comprise: a. a plurality of parallel conductors formed over said substrate and separated from said substrate by insulation; b. potential wells located in said substrate beneath each of said parallel conductors; and, c. a corresponding plurality of implanted barriers disposed at the surface of said substrate and in alignment with one edge of each of said parallel conductors for transferring said charge packets in one direction along said first corresponding plurality of shift registers in response to two clock phase signals applied to said conductors, wherein said implanted barriers comprise conductivity material opposite from said substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
A device as defined in claim 8 including another corresponding plurality of implanted barriers disposed between said charge sink means and said second portions of said substrate for maintaining the potentials in said barriers at levels above the potentials in said second portions of said substrate when a first of said clock phase signals is applied to one of said conductors, whereby excess charges in said first corresponding plurality of shift registers transfer to said charge sink means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of operating a charge coupled area imaging device formed in a semiconductor substrate, which comprises: a. accumulating packets of charge in a plurality of columns of light sensing elements in response to incident light; b. transferring said packets of charge to a first corresponding plurality of shift registers adjacent to and interdigitated between each of said columns; c. moving said packets of charge along said first corresponding plurality of shift registers to an output shift register; d. allowing excess charges within said first corresponding plurality of shift registers to transfer to charge sink regions being located only adjacent to one end of a corresponding one of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and to a corresponding position of said output shift register by applying a fixed potential to a portion of said substrate disposed between each of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and said charge sink regions, thereby to control charge blooming from one of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers into said output shift register.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of operating a charge coupled area imaging device formed in a semiconductor substrate, which comprises: a. accumulating packets of charge in a plurality of columns of light sensing elements in response to incident light; b. transferring said packets of charge to a first corresponding plurality of shift registers adjacent to and interdigitated between each of said columns; c. moving said packets of charge along said first corresponding plurality of shift registers to an output shift register; d. allowing excess charges within said first corresponding plurality of shift registers to transfer to charge sink regions being located only adjacent to one end of a corresponding one of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and to a corresponding position of said output shift register by applying a fixed potential to a portion of said substrate disposed between each of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers and said charge sink regions, thereby to control charge blooming from one of said first corresponding plurality of shift registers into said output shift register.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-21 | 1979-01-20 | 1979-07-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-21 | 1983-01-20 | 1983-07-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-21 | 1987-01-20 | 1987-07-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |