Charge coupled imaging device with separate sensing and shift-out arrays

Claim 2

A semiconductor electrooptical converter comprising a substrate of semiconductor material, a first conducting member insulated from said substrate and spaced at regularly spaced portions along its length in relation to said substrate to define a first plurality of storage regions in said substrate, each storage region underlying a respective regularly spaced portion of said first conducting member, a plurality of conductive electrodes insulatingly spaced adjacent to said conducting member and successively along the length thereof, said conductive electrodes insulatingly overlying said substrate to define a second plurality of storage regions in said substrate, each storage region underlying a respective conductive electrode, said conductive electrodes and corresponding storage regions being arranged into at least two sets with each of the electrodes of one set being succeeded by a respective electrode of another set, means for coupling each of the storage regions of said first plurality to a respective adjacent storage region of one of said sets, means including said electrodes and corresponding charge storage regions forming a charge storage and transfer channel for the transfer of charge along the surface adjacent portion of said substrate, means for exposing said substrate to a spatially varying pattern of radiation to develop and store charges of variable quantity in said storage regions of said first plurality.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 in which means are provided for applying differently phased voltages to said charge storage and transfer channel including said electrodes to form shallow progressing potential wells for transferring charge therein and in which means are provided for concurrently storing charge in said storage region of said first plurality including applying a voltage to said conducting member which produces deep potential wells in said storage regions.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 including means for applying a first voltage to said first conducting member to establish potential wells in said storage regions of said first plurality for storing charge therein, means for transferring charge from said storage regions of said first plurality to adjacent storage regions of said one set of said second plurality, means for applying differently phased depletion producing voltages to said charge storage and transfer channel including said electrodes to incrementally move said transferred charge in said storage and transfer channel.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 in which said first voltage establishes deep potential wells in said storage regions of said first plurality, in which said differently phased depletion producing voltages produce shallow potential wells in said storage regions of said second plurality, and in which said means for transferring charges from said storage regions of said first plurality to said storage regions of said second plurality includes means for altering said first voltage to reduce the depth of said potential well to cause charge to flow from said storage regions of said first plurality to storage regions of said second plurality.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4, further including a second conducting member extending generally parallel to said first conducting member, said second conducting membeR being insulated from said substrate and spaced at regularly spaced portions along its length in relation to said substrate to define a third plurality of storage regions, each storage region of said third plurality underlying a respective regularly spaced portion of said second conducting member, said plurality of conducting electrodes insulatingly overlying said substrate to define a fourth plurality of storage regions in said substrate, each storage region of said fourth plurality underlying a respective conductive electrode, said conductive electrodes and corresponding storage regions of said fourth plurality being arranged into at least two sets with each of the electrodes of one set being succeeded by a respective electrode of another set, means for coupling each of the storage regions of said third plurality to a respective adjacent storage region of one of said sets of said fourth plurality, means including said electrodes and corresponding charge storage regions of said fourth plurality forming a second charge storage and transfer channel for the transfer of charge along the surface adjacent portion of said substrate, means for applying a second voltage to said second conducting member to establish potential wells in said storage regions of said third plurality for storing charge therein, said second voltage establishing deep potential wells in said storage regions of said third plurality, means for reestablishing said first voltage on said first conducting member to provide said deep potential wells in said storage regions of said first plurality, means for transferring charges from said storage regions of said third plurality to said storage regions of said fourth plurality including means for altering said second voltage to reduce the depth of said potential wells of said third plurality to cause charge to flow from said storage regions of said third plurality to storage regions of said fourth plurality, said means for reestablishing said first voltage enabling storage of charge in said storage regions of said first plurality while charge is being incrementally moved in said second charge storage and transfer channel.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 in which said means for transferring charge from said storage regions of said first plurality to storage regions of said second plurality include electrodes of said one set provided with portions which insulatingly overlap said conducting member.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 in which said electrodes consist of two sets and said means for transferring charge include other electrodes each insulatingly overlying a respective pair of successive electrodes of said sets.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 in which said storage regions of said first plurality are equal in number to the storage regions of said one set of said second plurality.