Solid state area imaging apparatus having a charge transfer arrangement

Claim 1

A solid state imaging apparatus having a charge transfer arrangement and including a plurality of photosensor elements disposed in a matrix and a charge transfer means for transferring charges generated and accumulated in a photoelectric converting region of said matrix, said charges being transferred from a front surface area of a substrate to a back surface area of said substrate through said substrate, each of said plurality of photosensor elements comprising: a first semiconductor region of a first type of conductivity disposed at said front surface area of said substrate and electrically isolated by an insulator region from first regions of the other of said plurality of photosensor elements, said first region being irradiated by an incident light; a second semiconductor region of said first type of conductivity disposed at said back surface area of said substrate and electrically isolated by an insulator region from second regions of the other of said plurality of photosensor elements; a third semiconductor region of said first type of conductivity and having a low impurity concentration which extends between and is in contact with said first and second regions; and a fourth semiconductor region of a second type of conductivity disposed around said third region so as to substantially isolate said third region from third regions of the other of said plurality of photosensor elements; said fourth region being supplied with a control voltage, whereby a channel is formed in said third region between said first and second regions.