Charge transfer device having its bulk polarized by a rectifier contact

The invention relates to charge-transfer devices, and most especially photosensitive matrices and linear arrays. These devices are produced on a semiconductor substrate carrying grids serving to effect charge transfers as a function of sequences of potentials which they receive. These potentials are referenced relative to a reference potential, for example earth, and in general the substrate is connected to earth through a metallised ohmic contact on the rear face of the substrate. In respect of photosensitive matrices on a thinned- down substrate, a front-face ohmic contact is used but this requires additional technological operations. According to the invention, it has been observed that the substrate (10, 12) could be connected to the reference potential (M) not through an ohmic contact but through a rectifier contact, for example via a PN junction (30, 40, 12). The substrate is then no longer at a fixed potential, but operation is not in general disturbed. Moreover, certain defects such as "white points" of photosensitive matrices are eliminated.