Image sensor device having plural photoelectric converting elements

Abstract

An image sensor device provided with a linear array of photoelectric converting elements each having a capacitor on a control electrode area of a semiconductor transistor is disclosed. The image sensor device is provided with means for sequentially selecting the photoelectric converting elements, and the potential of the control electrode area of the selected photoelectric converting element is controlled through said capacitor, thereby accumulating the carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area and reading a voltage generated according to the amount of carrier accumulation or dissipating thus accumulated carriers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image sensor device comprising a linear array of photoelectric converting elements each having a semiconductive transistor with a control electrode area and having a capacitor on said control electrode area, and selector means for sequentially selecting said photoelectric converting elements, wherein the potential of the control electrode area of a thus selected photoelectric converting element is controlled through said capacitor of the selected photoelectric converting element, thereby accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area and reading a voltage generated according to the amount of said accumulation or dissipating the thus accumulated carriers; said selector means comprising: a shift register having readout terminals provided corresponding to respective photoelectric converting elements;   first switching means, for refresh, connected to said capacitor of a corresponding photoelectric converting element and to a refresh terminal; and   second switching means, for refresh, connected to said control electrode area and said capacitor of a corresponding photoelectric converting element. .Iadd.   
     
     
       2.  An image sensor device comprising a linear array of photoelectric converting elements each having a semiconductive transistor with a control electrode area and having a capacitor on said control electrode area, and selector means for selecting said photoelectric converting elements, wherein the potential of the control electrode area of a thus-selected photoelectric converting element is controlled through said capacitor of the selected photoelectric converting element, thereby accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area and reading a voltage generated according to the amount of said accumulation or dissipating the thus-accumulated carriers; said selector means comprising: a shift register having plural readout and refresh terminal means provided corresponding to respective photoelectric converting elements and each connected to said capacitor of a corresponding photoelectric converting element for supplying to said capacitor first a read signal for reading the voltage out from the corresponding photoelectric converting element, and then a refresh signal for refreshing said corresponding photoelectric converting element..Iaddend. .Iadd.3. An image sensor device according to claim 2, wherein each said read and refresh terminal means further comprises a read terminal and a refresh terminal both connected to said capacitor of said corresponding photoelectric converting element..Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.4.  An image sensor device according to claim 2, wherein said read and refresh terminal means further comprises a read and refresh terminal connected to said capacitor of said corresponding photoelectric converting element, for supplying both the read signal and the refresh signal thereto; and further comprising additional refresh means connected to both said capacitor and said control electrode area of said photoelectric converting element for applying a predetermined signal thereto for refresh..Iaddend.