LOW LIGHT LEVEL SOLID STATE IMAGE SENSOR

A broad band solid state image sensor responsive to up to and beyond 1 .mu.m cutoff wavelength for use in a camera capable of imaging under very low light level conditions with good modulation transfer efficiency resulting in high resolution. The high sensitivity at low light level is achieved by an image sensor combination of a photoconductor with high avalanche detection gain, a silicon detector with very high gain pixel level amplifiers and noise suppression circuits. A high gain avalanche rushing photoconductor (HARP) sensor device is connected to an amplified metal-oxide silicon (AMOS) device and a low-noise read-out device. The high sensitivity image sensor is fabricated by depositing an amorphous Selenium photoconductive layer on the top of a Silicon junction diode or a Palladium Silicide, (Pd2Si) Schottky barrier diode that is connected to the AMOS pixel amplifier circuits to form two story circuit.