Smear and/or blooming in a solid state charge transfer image pickup device

A solid-state image pickup device formed in a semiconductor substrate comprising:

• photosensitive areas including a plurality of columns of photosensitive elements, a plurality of first vertical shift registers, each of said shift registers being arranged in parallel to a corresponding one of said columns of photosensitive elements, and a plurality of transfer gates, each of said gates being disposed between a corresponding one of said columns of photosensitive elements and a corresponding one of said first vertical shift registers;
• a memory portion including a plurality of second vertical shift registers, each of said second shift registers being coupled to one end of a corresponding one of said first vertical shift registers;
• a horizontal shift register for receiving and transferring charges transferred thereto from said second vertical shift registers;
• and
• an output means disposed at one end of said horizontal shift register for converting a quantity of charges transferred thereto from said horizontal shift register into electrical output signals.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• image pickup means formed on a semiconductor chip and including a plurality of photosensitive element means arranged in rows and columns, said photosensitive element means accumulating charges in response to light incident thereon, a plurality of first shift register means disposed in parallel to columns of said photosensitive element means, a plurality of transfer gate means disposed between a column of said photosensitive element means and said first shift register means for controlling a transfer of charges from said photosensitive element means to said first shift register means, a plurality of second shift register means, each of said second shift register means being arranged in series with a corresponding one of said first shift register means, a third shift register means for transferring charges transferred from said second shift register means, and an output means for converting charges which were transferred from said third shift register means into an electrical signal;
• transfer signal generator means for supplying a transfer signal to said transfer gate means for enabling transfer of charges accumulated in said photosensitive element means to said first shift register means;
• first shift signal generator means for supplying a first shift signal to said first and second shift register means for enabling a high-speed transfer of charges from said first shift register means to said second shift register means, said first shift signal being a high frequency signal produced after said transfer signal;
• second shift signal generator means for supplying a second shift signal to said second shift register means for enabling a transfer of charges from said second shift register means to said third shift register means at a speed which is lower than said high speed, said second shift signal being produced after said first shift signal and having a frequency which is lower than said high frequency;
• and
• third shift signal generator means for supplying a third shift signal to said third shift register means for transferring charges from said third shift register means to said output means.