Solid state image sensing device

Claim 1

A solid state image sensing device comprising: a semiconductor chip upon which a light input is made incident; a plurality of pixels formed in said semiconductor chip in a matrix, each pixel comprising a lateral type static induction transistor, including: a substrate having a high resistance; a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type applied on a surface of said substrate, said semiconductor layer having a surface; a source region of said first conductivity type formed in the surface of said semiconductor layer; a drain region of said first conductivity type formed in the surface of said semiconductor layer; and gate means, formed in the surface of said semiconductor layer between said source and drain regions, for storing photocarriers generated by a light excitation, and for controlling a source-drain current flowing in parallel with the surface of said semiconductor layer according to an amount of said stored photocarriers multiplied by an amplification factor; scanning means including column and row lines connected to said pixels, horizontal and vertical scanning circuits coupled to said column and row lines, respectively, and a first video output line for scanning said pixels in a XY address mode to generate on said first video output line a picture signal which is inversely proportional to an amount of said light input; dark signal generating means including a second video output line and means for producing on said second video output line a dark signal which is substantially inversely proportional to a dark current generated in said lateral static induction transistor, said dark signal generating means further including a column of lateral static induction transistors formed in said semiconductor chip and means for shielding said column from said light input, a lateral static induction transistor of the column belonging to a row being repeatedly read out when a plurality of pixels belonging to the same row are successively read out; and differential means formed in said semiconductor chip and connected to said first and second video output lines for producing an output picture signal which is a difference between said dark signal and picture signal and which is directly proportional to an amount of the light input.