摘要 |
In an image pickup apparatus in which the potential well is shifted within each light receiving pixel of a CCD image sensor during an exposure period, blooming is suppressed. The CCD image sensor has a vertical overflow drain structure in which unnecessary information charges are discharged from the charge transfer channel region according to a substrate voltage Vsub. By switching a transfer electrode of a plurality of transfer electrodes for each pixel, to which an on-voltage is applied, during the exposure period, the accumulation position of the information charges is shifted, together with the potential well, within each pixel. The amount of information charge stored in the potential well, which exceeds a predetermined upper value of amount, is discharged by applying a discharge voltage V<SUB>SH</SUB>, higher than a reference DC voltage V<SUB>SL </SUB>in a normal state, to the substrate prior to the shift of the potential well.
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