Operation and characteristics of a CLIP imager

An interline-transfer CCD imager with 580 × 475 elements for the ⅔-in optical format is described. The imager employs the clock-line-isolated photodiode (CLIP) structure that eliminates the field oxide and the field ion implant by exploiting the clock lines which so far have been placed only to carry the driving pulses. In spite of the elimination of such channel stops, it can operate not only in a frame integration mode but in a field integration mode. A saturation current of 170 nA and a horizontal resolution of 340 TV lines were obtained in both the modes. The vertical resolution was 570 TV lines in the frame-integration mode, while over 400 TV lines in the field-integration mode.