Charge coupled device imager with horizontal charge transfer section in an imaging section

A charge coupled device imager comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a surface area,
• an imaging section formed in the surface area of the substrate including:
• a plurality of photoelectric converting sections arrayed in a matrix configuration having at least horizontal rows and being isolated from each other for generating signal charges,
• a plurality of readout gate regions abutted on the photoelectric converting sections for transferring the generated signal charges,
• a plurality of horizontal charge transfer sections arranged between the horizontal rows of the photoelectric converting sections for transferring the signal charges via the readout gate regions in a horizontal direction in response to a raster scanning direction of a television signal, and output means, including readout means for reading out image signals from the signal charges generated and transferred in the imaging section,
• wherein said output means further comprises a storage section having a plurality of horizontal storage register sections formed between the imaging section and the readout means, and the horizontal storage register sections transfer the signal charges in the vertical direction line by line in the horizontal direction, and the readout means comprises a horizontal register,
• wherein the horizontal storage register sections include a plurality of transfer electrodes juxtaposed in the horizontal direction and elongated in the vertical direction, and wherein a plurality of vertical transfer gates are provided between the horizontal storage register sections, and channel stop regions are formed in the surface of the substrate under the vertical transfer gates for isolating between the same phase potential well in the juxtaposed horizontal storage register sections,
• wherein the transfer electrodes are driven sequentially when the signal charges are transferred in the horizontal direction, and
• wherein the transfer electrodes which adjoin via a vertical transfer gate are driven sequentially by different phase drive signals, when the signals charges are transferred in the vertical direction.