Image pickup apparatus and image pickup system having plural semiconductor regions of a same conductivity type, with one of the semiconductor regions having a higher impurity concentration than and providing a potential to another of the semiconductor regions

摘要

A solid-state image pickup apparatus with little or no difference in the dark currents between adjacent photoelectric conversion elements and providing a high sensitivity and a low dark current even in a high-speed readout operation.;A well 302 is formed on a wafer 301, and semiconductor layers 101a, 101b are formed in the well to constitute photodiodes. A well contact 306 is formed between the semiconductor layers 101a, 101b. Element isolation regions 303b, 303a are provided between the well contact and the semiconductor layers, and channel stop layers 307b, 307a are provided under the element isolation regions 303b, 303a. A conductive layer 304 is provided on the element isolation region 303b, and a side wall 308 is provided on a side face of the conductive layer 304. A distance a between an end of the element isolation region 303b and the conductive layer 304, a width b of the side wall 308 and a device isolation width c satisfy a relation ca≧b.