Suppressing dark current in charge-coupled devices
US5008758A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 1989 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/63
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for suppressing dark current in multi-phase CCD pixels of a CCD imaging device by transferring a charge packet at a first phase thereof at which surface depletion has occurred to a second phase thereof, while providing an inversion at the surface of the first phase. The transfer and inversion operations are performed before a dark current begins to be generated at the first phase. The charge packet at the second phase is then re-transferred back to the first phase and a surface inversion is produced at the second phase before a dark current begins to be generated at the second phase. Such transfer and inversion operations are repeated a number of times during the integration period of the imaging device so as to prevent dark current from being generated at any phase of the pixel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.