Photoelectric conversion device

This invention provides an element having a skimming charge transfer function in an X-Y address type photoelectric conversion device using, e.g., a CMOS sensor, and a photoelectric conversion device, which accumulates photoelectric signal charges produced by a photoelectric conversion element in a control electrode (gate) of a MOS transistor so as to obtain a signal with a high S/N ratio by removing signal components produced by background radiation without using any CCD as an accumulation means of skimming charges, has a skimming electrode for transferring skimming charges of those produced by the photoelectric conversion element, an n+-type region for accumulating the transferred skimming charges, a MOS transistor for reading out potential changes caused by the skimming charges, and a circuit for automatically controlling the amount of skimming charges to be transferred.