Solid-state image pickup device capable of high-speed transfer of signal charges in horizontal direction

A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

• a plurality of light-receiving sections arranged in a matrix on a semiconductor substrate;
• a plurality of signal charge transfer sections each including a pair of first and second horizontal transfer sections and corresponding to the light-receiving sections in a row direction, the second horizontal transfer section of one of any two adjacent signal charge transfer sections doubling as the first horizontal transfer section of the other signal charge transfer section, the first horizontal transfer section being used to transfer signal charges of odd light receiving sections arranged in one of a corresponding row, and the second horizontal transfer section being used to transfer signal charges of even light receiving sections arranged in one of the corresponding rows;
• a driving section for driving each of the pairs of horizontal transfer sections of the signal charge transfer sections and selectively transferring signal charges of the light-receiving sections in the row direction by the horizontal transfer sections;
• and
• an output section for time-sequentially outputting the signal charges of the light-receiving sections in the row direction, which are transferred by the horizontal transfer sections.