The hole role

The importance of holes in solid-state image sensors is described. Today's success of digital imaging is based on the positive effect of an accumulation layer that reduces the interface-related dark current and dark current fixed-pattern noise. This superb imaging feature is applied in CCD as well as in CMOS devices, in consumer as well as in professional equipment. Holes are not only used to improve the dark performance of imagers, other examples are fixing electrostatic potentials, creating gate structures, draining photon-generated charges and constructing output-amplifier stages