JP2001069312A - Picture information reading method and reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce interference fringes occurring in a reproduced picture in a picture reading method and a picture reader using a picture detector of an optical reading system formed by laminating a device part on a substrate. SOLUTION: A semiconductor laser light source 81 for emitting light beam P to be used as reading light is user, and a DC current value obtained by converting a light quantify command value by a voltage/current converting circuit 85 and the high frequency current of about 400 to 500 MHz supplied from a high frequency current source 86 are added by a current adding circuit 87, then a semiconductor laser 82 is driven by a high frequency superimposed current added with this high frequency current, thereby the laser 82 is subjected to multimode oscillation having non-interference property hardly causing the interference as compared with a vertical single mode. Then, a device part 10 is irradiated with this multi-mode light beam P through a substrate 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical reading type image detector having a solid state detecting element for accumulating an amount of electric charge corresponding to the amount of irradiated recording light as a latent image electric charge. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for reading image information recorded as an electrostatic latent image on a power storage unit of a detection element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, apparatuses using an image detector, such as a facsimile, a copying machine, and a radiation imaging apparatus, are known.

For example, in a medical radiation imaging apparatus or the like, a photoconductor (layer) such as a selenium plate which is sensitive to radiation such as X-rays is provided in order to reduce a radiation dose received by a subject and improve diagnostic performance. A radiation solid-state detector (electrostatic recording medium) as an image detector, irradiating the image detector with X-rays, and storing an amount of electric charge corresponding to the dose of the irradiated X-rays in a power storage unit in the image detector By storing the radiation image information as an electrostatic latent image in the power storage unit by storing the radiation image information as a latent image charge, and scanning the radiation solid state detector on which the radiation image information is recorded with a laser beam or a line light source, A method of reading radiation image information from a radiation solid state detector is known (for example, US Pat. No. 5,268,569).
No., International Publication No. 59261, 1998, JP-A-9-5
No. 906, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-271374 filed by the present applicant.
And No. 11-87922).

[0004] Here, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-2 filed by the present applicant.
The radiation solid-state detectors described in JP-A-71374 and JP-A-11-87922 are: a first electrode layer having transparency to recording radiation, and irradiation of recording radiation transmitted through the first conductor layer. The recording photoconductive layer, which exhibits conductivity when received, acts substantially as an insulator for charges of the same polarity as the charges charged on the first electrode layer, and has a charge of the opposite polarity to the charges of the same polarity. In contrast, a charge transport layer that acts as a substantially conductive material, a reading photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity by being irradiated with reading electromagnetic waves, and a second electrode layer that is transparent to reading electromagnetic waves. The signal charges (latent image charges) carrying image information are stored in a power storage unit formed at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer and the charge transport layer.

[0005] As a method of reading out signal charges in this detector, for example, an electrode (hereinafter also referred to as a reading electrode) of a second electrode layer has a plate-like shape, and a spot-like reading of laser or the like is performed on the reading electrode side. A method of detecting signal charges by scanning light (one mode of electromagnetic waves for reading) and a method of forming a reading electrode as a striped electrode composed of a large number of linear electrodes, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear electrodes, that is, There is a method of detecting a signal charge by scanning a linear read light extending in the direction in which the linear electrodes are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrodes.

By the way, in each of the optical reading type image detectors, basically, a device unit having a power storage unit for accumulating a latent image charge is disposed on the upper surface of a substrate such as glass. It consists of

Further, as an apparatus using the above-mentioned optical reading type image detector, a vertical single mode laser light is used as reading light, and the laser light is transmitted through the substrate having transparency to the reading light. The latent image charge stored in the power storage unit by irradiating the power storage unit is read out.

When the vertical single mode laser light is used as described above, the vertical single mode laser light has a characteristic (coherence) that the degree of coherence is high, so that the substrate has a certain thickness. When the substrate is scanned by a single longitudinal laser beam, when the laser beam is incident on the substrate and transmitted therethrough, and then irradiates the device portion, the surface opposite to the incident surface (device Reflected at the incident surface, reflected again at the incident surface, and the reflected laser light irradiates the device portion after transmitting through the substrate. The reflected laser light transmitted after the reflection interferes with each other. In this case, even though the thickness of the substrate is a parallel plate, it does not have accurate uniformity and has minute irregularities, so that the optical path difference between the direct laser light and the reflected laser light is the entire surface of the substrate. Cannot be said to be uniform. For this reason, the amount of light on the surface of the device unit is not uniform, and interference fringes (shading, shading, and artifacts) occur in an image reproduced based on the read charges, and the readability of the image is reduced. Problems arise. In particular, in a medical image in which the density of a reproduced image is an important diagnostic factor, it is necessary to eliminate interference fringes in the image caused by such interference.

Therefore, as a method of eliminating such interference fringes in an image, for example, a method of preventing interference fringes by providing a polymer layer having an appropriate refractive index and surface roughness has been proposed (particularly). No. 8-509070).

[0010]

However, in the method described in JP-T-8-509070, the polymer layer must be provided with an appropriate surface roughness, the structure of the detector becomes complicated, and the production becomes difficult. It is difficult and costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an image information reading method and apparatus capable of reducing interference fringes generated in a reproduced image when a reading light is applied to a device section through a substrate. The purpose is to provide.

[0012]

According to the image information reading method of the present invention, a light source which emits a light beam as a reading light uses a light source which emits a non-interfering light beam, so that an interference generated in a reproduced image is obtained. It is characterized in that stripes are reduced.

That is, the image information reading method according to the present invention comprises:
An optical reading method in which a device unit having a two-dimensionally distributed power storage unit for storing charges carrying image information as latent image charges is disposed on a substrate having transparency to reading light. An image information reading method for reading image information by irradiating a light beam as reading light through a substrate to an image detector in which image information is recorded as an electrostatic latent image in a power storage unit using an image detector of In addition, a laser beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more, more preferably 3 nm or more is used as the light beam.

In the above description, “spectral half width” means
The oscillation intensity of the laser light is １ ／ of the maximum value of the oscillation intensity.
Means the spread width of the wavelength of the portion up to

In the image information reading method according to the present invention, a laser beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more or 3 nm or more is obtained by using a light beam output from a vertical multi-mode laser as the light beam. It is desirable to do so.

Alternatively, by using a light beam obtained by driving a longitudinal single mode laser with a current on which a high frequency is superimposed, a laser beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more or 3 nm or more is used. May be obtained.

An image information reading apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for realizing the above image information reading method, and has a two-dimensionally distributed power storage unit for storing charges carrying image information as latent image charges. A light reading type image detector in which a device unit is disposed on a substrate having transparency to reading light, and an image detector in which image information is recorded as an electrostatic latent image in a power storage unit. A reading light irradiating means for irradiating a light beam as light through a substrate, wherein the reading light irradiating means is provided with a spectral half width of 0.5.
A laser light source for outputting a light beam of 5 nm or more, more preferably 3 nm or more, is provided.

In the image information reading apparatus according to the present invention, it is desirable that the laser light source includes a semiconductor laser.

Further, in the image information reading apparatus according to the present invention, the semiconductor laser outputs a vertical multi-mode light beam, so that the light beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more or 3 nm or more can be obtained. It is desirable to configure a laser light source for output.

Further, the image information reading apparatus according to the present invention includes a vertical single mode semiconductor laser as a laser light source, and driving means for driving the vertical single mode semiconductor laser with a current on which a high frequency is superimposed. With this configuration, a laser light source that outputs a light beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more or 3 nm or more can also be configured.

Further, in the image information reading apparatus according to the present invention, an antireflection film for preventing reflection of the light beam is formed on a surface of the substrate on which the light beam is incident. Is desirable.

[0022]

In the image information reading method and apparatus according to the present invention, a light source which emits a laser beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more, more preferably 3 nm or more, is used as a light source for emitting a light beam as reading light. By doing so, it is possible to use a light beam having incoherence which is less likely to cause interference as compared with a longitudinal single mode light beam having a very narrow spectral half width, as reading light.

Thus, even when the device section is irradiated with the light beam as the reading light through the substrate, the possibility of causing interference is reduced, and the interference fringes generated in the reproduced image can be reduced. Can be prevented from being deteriorated.

If a semiconductor laser that outputs a vertical multi-mode light beam is used, the spectral half width at half maximum is 0.5.
A laser light source that outputs a light beam of nm or more or 3 nm or more can be easily configured with relatively low power.

When a vertical single mode semiconductor laser is driven by a current on which a high frequency is superimposed using a vertical single mode semiconductor laser, its oscillation spectrum becomes a multiple vertical mode oscillation. This is the same as when a mode-type semiconductor laser is used, and a laser light source that outputs a light beam with a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more or 3 nm or more can be configured using a vertical single-mode semiconductor laser. become able to.

Further, when an anti-reflection film for preventing reflection of the light beam is formed on the surface of the substrate on which the light beam is incident, interference is more unlikely to occur.

[0027]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an image information reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view (A) showing a line-shaped reading light in a width direction, and FIG. It is sectional drawing (B) shown in the length direction. 2A and 2B are schematic views showing the structure of a solid-state radiation detector constituting the image information reading apparatus. FIG. 2A is a perspective view, FIG. (C) is the X of the P arrow
It is a Y sectional view. Note that only the device section is shown in the perspective view (A). FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating details of a laser light source included in the image information reading device.

The image information reading apparatus 1 comprises a solid-state radiation detector 30 as an image detector, a current detection circuit 70 as an image signal acquiring means, and a reading light irradiating means 80.

Device part 1 of the solid-state radiation detector 30
Reference numeral 0 denotes a first electrode layer (conductor layer) 11 having transparency to recording radiation (for example, X-rays, etc .; hereinafter, referred to as recording light) L1 as shown in FIG. The recording photoconductive layer 12, which exhibits conductivity when irradiated with the recording light L1 transmitted through the first electrode layer 11, acts as a substantially insulator against latent image charges (for example, negative charges), and The transport charge (positive charge in the above-described example) having a polarity opposite to that of the latent image charge becomes electrically conductive by being irradiated with the charge transport layer 13 and the reading light (electromagnetic wave for reading) L2, which substantially acts as a conductor. , And a second electrode layer (conductor layer) 15 having transparency to the reading light L2 in this order. This device unit 10 is configured as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, the second electrode layer 15
It is arranged on substrate 20 so that the side is in contact with upper surface 20a of substrate 20. A two-dimensionally distributed power storage unit 19 for storing latent image charges between the recording photoconductive layer 13 and the charge transport layer 13
Is formed.

The substrate 20 has transparency to the reading light L2, for example, a thickness of 0.4 to 1.1 mm.
Quartz glass, polymers, etc. can be used. An anti-reflection film for preventing reflection of the reading light L2 is formed on the surface 20b of the substrate 20 on the side where the reading light L2 is incident.

The material of the recording photoconductive layer 12 and the reading photoconductive layer 14 is a-Se (amorphous selenium).
Shall be used.

The electrodes of the second electrode layer 15 are formed as stripe electrodes 16 in which a number of elements (linear electrodes) 16a are arranged in a stripe. Element 16a
As the material, a material and thickness having transparency to the reading light L2 is used. For example, when aluminum having a thickness of 10 nm is used, the transmittance of the reading light L2 can be 50% or more.

In the second electrode layer 15, the recording photoconductive layer 1 is provided.
Power storage unit 19 formed substantially at the interface between semiconductor device 2 and charge transport layer 13
A sub-electrode 17 which is a conductive member for outputting an electric signal of a level corresponding to the amount of the latent image charges accumulated in the sub-electrode 17 is provided. The sub-electrode 17 is formed by arranging a number of elements (sub-linear electrodes) 17a in a stripe shape. Each of the elements 17a has the elements 17a and the elements 16a of the stripe electrode 16 alternately arranged in parallel. It is arranged to be. This sub electrode 1
The element 17a of No. 7 is made of a material having a light-shielding property with respect to the reading light L2 and has a thickness. In the reading photoconductive layer 14 corresponding to the element 17a, a charge pair for signal extraction is generated. I try not to let them. For example, molybdenum having a thickness of 100 nm, or 1
When aluminum of 00 nm is used, the transmittance for the reading light L2 is almost 0%, and the vertical reflectance of the reading light L2 is 25%.
It can be: In addition, each element 16a and each element 17a are electrically insulated. The space 15a between the elements 16a and 17a is filled with a polymer material such as polyethylene in which a small amount of pigment such as carbon black is dispersed, and has a light shielding property against the reading light L2. It is desirable.

A current detection circuit 70 is connected to the sub-electrode 17. The current detection circuit 70 reads out an electric charge corresponding to the latent image charge stored in the power storage unit 19 for each element 17a of the sub-electrode 17, thereby generating an image signal of a level corresponding to the amount of the latent image charge. This is detected for each element 17a. The configuration of the current detection circuit 70 is as follows.
As long as an image signal of a level corresponding to the amount of the latent image charge stored in the power storage unit 19 can be obtained, any type may be used, and a current detection amplifier connected to each element 17a is provided. Or a configuration in which one current detection amplifier is provided and the element 17a is detected by switching with a multiplexer (for example, Japanese Patent Application Nos. 10-232824 and 10-271 by the present applicant).
374).

As shown in FIG. 1, the reading light irradiating means 80 comprises a semiconductor laser 82 and a drive circuit 83, and outputs a light beam P, and a light beam emitted from the semiconductor laser light source 81. Reading light optical system 90 for irradiating P to radiation solid state detector 30 as an image detector
And

As shown in FIG. 3, a driving circuit 83 constituting the semiconductor laser light source 81 includes an addition circuit 84 for setting an average current (DC current) flowing through the vertical single mode type semiconductor laser 82, and an addition circuit 84. A voltage / current conversion circuit (V / I) 85 for converting a voltage output from the circuit 84 into a current
High-frequency current source 8 as means for superimposing a high-frequency current
6 and a current adding circuit 87. Also,
The drive circuit 83 includes a photodiode 88 and a current / voltage conversion circuit (I / V) 89, and includes a semiconductor laser 82.
An APC control circuit is provided as a means for stabilizing the light amount (light output) of the light beam P emitted from the light emitting device.

As the semiconductor laser 82, the device 1
A vertical single mode type that emits blue-violet light having a peak wavelength of 400 nm is used in correspondence with the reading photoconductive layer 14 of 0 being a-Se.

As shown in FIG. 1, the reading light optical system 90
Semiconductor laser light source 81 and substrate 2 of solid-state radiation detector 30
A convex lens 91 for condensing the light beam P emitted from the semiconductor laser light source 81 in order from the semiconductor laser light source 81 side, and a part of the light beam P
8, a half mirror 92 that reflects the light toward the detection surface and transmits the rest, a slit plate 93 provided with a pinhole or slit for passing the collected light beam P, and the spread of the light beam P passing through the slit plate 93 It has a convex lens 94 for controlling the width to a predetermined size, and a cylindrical lens 95 arranged so that the generatrix is the same as the arrangement direction of the elements 16a. As the convex lenses 91 and 94, the light beam P is once converged on the pinhole or the slit portion of the slit plate 93, and then has a predetermined divergence angle to the cylindrical lens 95 and at least a predetermined width within the axial width of the cylindrical lens 95. The spread width of the light beam P is controlled so that the light beam P is incident with a width of.

Thus, when the light beam P is emitted from the semiconductor laser light source 81 at a predetermined divergent angle, the light beam P is collected once and passes through a pinhole or a slit (spatial filtering). Natural light component (flare component not focused on focus surface) included in light beam P emitted from semiconductor laser light source 81
Is cut.

As described above, since the cylindrical lens 95 is arranged so that its generatrix is in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the elements 16a, the light beam P incident on the cylindrical lens 95 is at least the element 16a. In the arrangement direction, the light enters the detector 30 through the cylindrical lens 95 while maintaining the divergence angle of the control lens 91. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1B, the light beam P emitted from the semiconductor laser light source 81 is expanded at least in the direction in which the elements 16a are arranged.

On the other hand, since the cylindrical lens 95 is arranged so that its generatrix is the same as the direction in which the elements 16a are arranged, the longitudinal direction of the element 16a (same as a sub-scanning direction, which will be described later) is not shown in FIG. As shown in (A), the light beam P is converged on the device 10 of the detector 30 (in this example, on the side of the glass substrate 20a). As a result, on the device 10, a linear light beam P that is enlarged in the arrangement direction of the elements 16a and converged in the sub-scanning direction is formed.

The beam shape of the light beam P converged linearly on the device section 10 in this manner is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the length X2 is substantially equal to the arrangement width X1 of the elements 16a of the device section 10, and the width X3 is equal to the resolvable pixel size in the sub-scanning direction at the time of reading, or It is desirable that the scanning pitch be equal to or less than the scanning pitch (in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1A). The light beam P thus formed in a line is used as the reading light L2.

The reading light irradiating means 80 moves the semiconductor laser light source 81 and the reading light optical system 90 mechanically relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the element 16a (mechanical scan) (not shown). Scanning) means is provided. As a result, the reading light irradiating means 80 makes the reading light L2 converged in a line shape substantially orthogonal to each element 16a of the stripe electrode 16 and the longitudinal direction of the element 16a (the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1A). Is configured to perform scanning exposure. The scanning exposure with the reading light L2 corresponds to sub-scanning.

Next, the operation of the image information reading apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described.

The solid-state radiation detector 30 on which radiation image information is recorded as an electrostatic latent image is supplied to the semiconductor laser light source 8.
1 emits a light beam P, and the reading light optical system 90 forms the light beam P as a line-shaped reading light L2.
0 while irradiating the device section 10 with the element 16a
The semiconductor laser light source 81 and the reading optical system 90 are relatively moved with respect to the detector 30 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 1A).

As a result, a current corresponding to the latent image charge flows out of the detector 30, and the current detection circuit 70 detects the current at the same time for each element 17a to generate an image signal representing the electrostatic latent image. Obtain, that is, read the radiation image information.

Here, the semiconductor laser light source 81 having the vertical single mode type semiconductor laser 82 superimposes a high frequency current on the driving current of the semiconductor laser 82 to cause the vertical single mode type semiconductor laser 82 to oscillate in multiple vertical modes. (For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-130494).
No.). In the present embodiment, a current addition circuit 87 adds a DC current value obtained by converting a light quantity command value (DC voltage value) into a current by a voltage-current conversion circuit 85 and a high-frequency current supplied from a high-frequency current source 86, The high-frequency superimposed current to which the high-frequency current has been added makes the semiconductor laser 82
Is driving. When the semiconductor laser 82 is driven by a high-frequency superimposed current obtained by superposing a DC component and a high-frequency AC current in this manner, the oscillation spectrum becomes a multiple longitudinal mode (multi-mode) oscillation, and substantially a vertical multi-mode semiconductor This is the same as using a laser. As the high frequency current, for example, 50 MHz or more, preferably 400 MHz
The current is about 500 MHz.

By the way, when the light beam P as the reading light L2 is obliquely applied to the surface 20b of the substrate 20, and the light beam P is in the single longitudinal mode, the light beam P
When illuminating the device section 10 after entering and transmitting the light into the inside 0, the light is reflected by the surface (contact surface with the device section) 20a opposite to the incident surface 20b and returns to the incidence surface 20b. After being reflected again, the reflected laser beam passes through the substrate 20 and then irradiates the device section 10, so that the directly transmitted light beam P and the reflected and transmitted light beam interfere with each other. In this case, even though the thickness of the substrate 20 is a parallel plate, it does not have accurate uniformity and has minute unevenness, so that the directly transmitted light beam P and the reflected and transmitted light beam are different. Is not uniform over the entire surface of the substrate 20. Therefore, even when the light beams P having the same light energy are incident, the intensity of the interference by the substrate 20 changes according to the optical path difference, and the exposure condition on the surface of the device section 10 changes. As a result, in an image reproduced based on the image signal read from the detector 30, density unevenness (so-called interference fringes) corresponding to the intensity of interference occurs, and the observation readability deteriorates.

However, in the present embodiment, as described above, the semiconductor laser 82 is driven by the high frequency superimposed current obtained by superimposing the DC component and the high frequency alternating current, and the oscillation spectrum thereof has the multiple longitudinal mode oscillation. This is substantially the same as when a vertical multi-mode semiconductor laser is used.

For this reason, since the light beam P output from the semiconductor laser 82 is in a vertical multi-mode, interference is less likely to occur (non-coherence) than in a single-mode light beam.
It is possible to reduce the problem that the observation readability is reduced by the interference fringes.

Here, in order to ensure non-coherence, as shown in FIG. 4, the light output Po of the peak oscillation wavelength λp at which the spectrum intensity (oscillation intensity of the laser light) becomes maximum is obtained.
When the light output Po is 50 (the spectrum intensity is に 対 し て of the maximum value) when the optical output Po is 50 (arrow part in the figure), that is, the spectrum half width is 0.5 nm or more, Preferably, the thickness is 3 nm or more. In this case, the optical output characteristic of the oscillation wavelength is
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, since it depends on the optical output Po (mW), the half width of the spectrum is 0.5 nm or more, or 3
The light output Po (mW) may be adjusted so as to be not less than nm.

In the above-described embodiment, the vertical multi-mode oscillation is performed by driving the vertical single mode type semiconductor laser with the high frequency superimposed current. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that a vertical multi-mode type semiconductor laser which itself oscillates in vertical multi-mode even without being driven by current may be used. For example, assuming an emission wavelength of 685 nm,
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. red semiconductor laser DL-3149-070. In addition, for example, the SONY DATA BOOK 1992 laser diode, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation '93 Data Book, etc.
This type of semiconductor laser is introduced.

The light beam P is applied to the surfaces 20a and 20b of the substrate 20, particularly the surface 20b on the side where the light beam P is incident.
If an anti-reflection film for preventing reflection of the (read light L2) is formed, interference is more unlikely to occur.

Although the preferred embodiments of the image information reading method and apparatus according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments.

For example, the above description has been given of the case where the radiation solid-state detector in which the stripe electrode and the sub-electrode are provided in the second electrode layer of the device section is used as the image detector. The detector is not limited to the solid-state radiation detector, and a device unit having a power storage unit that accumulates the charge carrying image information as a latent image charge may be a substrate having transparency to reading light. What kind of optical reading type image detector can be obtained by irradiating the reading light and obtaining an electric signal of a magnitude corresponding to the amount of the latent image charge. A thing may be used.

The solid-state radiation detector may be composed of only a stripe electrode provided with no sub-electrode. Alternatively, the solid-state radiation detector may be provided with no stripe electrode, and the electrode of the second electrode layer may be a flat plate. The electrode may be used. When the electrode of the second electrode layer is a plate electrode, it is preferable to use, as the reading light irradiating means, one that scans a substantially circular light beam instead of a linear light beam. Further, the emission color of the light beam may be other than blue-violet.

The electrodes forming the electrodes of the second electrode layer are not limited to aluminum and molybdenum, but may be tungsten or ITO.
It may be composed of such as.

In the above-described embodiment, as a method of forming a power storage portion between the electrode layers (conductor layers) disposed on both sides of the solid-state radiation detector, a charge transport layer is provided and the charge transport layer is provided. Although a method of forming a power storage unit at the interface between the layer and the recording photoconductive layer is used, it is not always necessary to use such a method. For example, a well-known trap layer for capturing and storing a latent image charge (for example, see US Pat. No. 45
No. 35468) or a minute conductive member which concentrates and stores latent image charges (for example, Japanese Patent Application No.
1-89553) may be used. When a trap layer is provided, a power storage unit is formed in the trap layer or at the interface between the trap layer and the recording photoconductive layer. In addition, a trap layer and a charge transport layer are provided,
At the interface between the trap layer or the charge transport layer and the recording photoconductive layer, a number of fine conductive members such as microplates may be further provided for each pixel.

In the above-described embodiment, the recording photoconductive layer is made of a material that exhibits electrical conductivity when irradiated with recording radiation, and stores an electric charge in an amount corresponding to the radiation dose. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A recording photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity by being irradiated with light emitted by the excitation of the recording radiation is used, and the light emitted by the excitation of the radiation is used. An amount of charge corresponding to the light amount may be stored in the power storage unit. In this case, a solid-state radiation detection device in which a wavelength conversion layer called a so-called X-ray scintillator (phosphor) for converting the radiation for recording into light in another wavelength region such as blue light is laminated on the surface of the first electrode layer. Vessels can be configured.

In the above description, radiation is applied to the detector, and the radiation image information is recorded and read as an electrostatic latent image in the power storage unit. However, the image detector used in the present invention is Alternatively, image information may be extracted by irradiating not only radiation but also general light (not limited to visible light).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image information reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a sectional view (A) showing a line-shaped reading light in a width direction and a length of the line-shaped reading light; Sectional view (B) shown in the direction

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of a solid-state radiation detector constituting the image information reading apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of a semiconductor laser light source constituting the image information reading apparatus;

FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining a half width of a spectrum of a light beam.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an optical output dependence characteristic of an oscillation wavelength.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image information reading device 10 Device part 19 Power storage part 20 Substrate 20a Upper surface 20b Lower surface 30 Solid radiation detector as image detector 80 Reading light irradiation means 81 Semiconductor laser light source 82 Semiconductor laser 83 Drive circuit 86 High frequency current source 87 Current addition circuit 90 Reading optical system

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A device section having a two-dimensionally distributed power storage section for storing charges carrying image information as latent image charges is disposed on a substrate having transparency to reading light. Irradiating, via the substrate, a light beam as the reading light to the image detector in which the image information is recorded as an electrostatic latent image in the power storage unit, using an optical reading type image detector comprising: An image information reading method for reading image information by using a laser beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more as the light beam. 2. The image information reading method according to claim 1, wherein a laser beam having a spectral half width of 3 nm or more is used as the light beam. 3. The image information reading method according to claim 1, wherein a light beam output from a vertical multi-mode laser is used as the light beam. 4. The image information reading method according to claim 1, wherein a light beam obtained by driving a vertical single mode laser with a current on which a high frequency is superimposed is used as the light beam. 5. A device portion having a two-dimensionally distributed power storage portion for storing a charge carrying image information as a latent image charge is disposed on a substrate transparent to reading light. A light reading type image detector, and reading light irradiation for irradiating, via the substrate, a light beam as the reading light to the image detector in which the image information is recorded as an electrostatic latent image in the power storage unit. Wherein the reading light irradiating means includes a laser light source for outputting the light beam having a spectral half width of 0.5 nm or more. Reader. 6. An image information reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said reading light irradiating means includes a laser light source for outputting said light beam having a spectral half width of 3 nm or more. 7. The image information reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said laser light source has a semiconductor laser. 8. An image information reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said semiconductor laser outputs a vertical multi-mode light beam. 9. The laser light source according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source includes a vertical single mode semiconductor laser and driving means for driving the vertical single mode semiconductor laser with a current on which a high frequency is superimposed. Item 7. The image information reading device according to Item 7. 10. The substrate according to claim 5, wherein an antireflection film for preventing reflection of the light beam is formed on a surface of the substrate on which the light beam is incident. The image information reading device according to the above.