Solid state imaging device

Solid state imaging device wherein a plurality of picture elements each comprising a MOSFET and a photodiode connected to a source electrode of the MOSFET are arranged in rows and columns. The gate electrodes of the MOSFET in each row are connected in common, the drain electrodes in odd numbered rows and the drain electrodes in even numbered rows are connected in common, respectively within each column and connected to source electrodes of first and second switching MOSFET, respectively, arranged for each column. Drawn electrodes of the first switching MOSFET and drain electrodes of the second switching MOSFET are connected to first and second output lines, respectively, which are connected to input terminals of a differential amplifier. Photo spurious signals sensed at the drain regions of the MOSFET of the picture elements and noise spikes caused by gatedrain capacitances of the switching MOSFET are eliminated, amd the scanning speed is increased.

What is claimed is:

1. A solid state imaging device comprising a plurality of photo-electric transducing means arranged in rows and columns, each of said transducing means including a photo-sensitive device and a vertical switching device having a first electrode connected to one terminal of said photo-sensitive device, a second electrode and a control electrode, the control electrodes of the vertical switching devices in each row being connected in common; a plurality of pairs of horizontal switching devices, one pair being provided for each column, each horizontal switching device having a first electrode, a second electrode and a control electrode, the first electrode of one of said pair of horizontal switching devices being connected in common with the second electrodes of the vertical switching devices in the odd rows of its corresponding column and the first electrode of the other of said pair of horizontal switching devices being connected in common with the second electrodes of the vertical switching devices in the even rows of said corresponding column, the control electrodes of the horizontal switching device in each pair being connected together; a differential amplifier having a first input terminal connected in common to the second electrodes of one of the horizontal switching devices in each pair and a second input terminal connected in common to the second electrodes of the other of the horizontal switching devices in each pair; and first and second load resistors connected between the first and second input terminals of said differential amplifier, a power supply being connected between the junction of said resistors and the other terminals of said photo-sensitive device;

whereby, only noise components are derived from one of the horizontal switching devices in each pair and both noise and signal components in proportion to the quantity of light incident on a corresponding photo-sensitive device are derived from the other of said pair of horizontal switching device when scanning pulses are supplied sequentially to the control electrodes thereof, thereby obtaining only said signal components from the output of said differential amplifier.

2. A solid state imaging device according to claim 1 wherein said vertical and horizontal switching devices are MOSFET's.

3. A solid state imaging device according to claim 2 wherein the first electrodes of said switching devices are source electrodes, the second electrodes are drain electrodes, and the control electrodes are gate electrodes.

4. A solid state imaging device according to claim 1 wherein said photo-sensitive devices are photodiodes.

5. A solid state imaging device according to claim 1 further comprising vertical scanning pulse generating means connected to the control electrodes of said vertical switching devices in each of the rows, and horizontal scanning pulse generating means connected to the control electrodes of said horizontal switching devices in each of the columns.

6. A solid state imaging device according to claim 1 wherein said vertical and horizontal switching devices and said photo-sensitive devices are formed in a common semiconductor substrate.