Abstract: As solid-state image pickup devices are spread in the world, improvement of performance and reduction of the production cost thereof are required. It is difficult for the solid-state image pickup devices of a configuration of the prior art to meet the requirements. In a solid-state image pickup device to meet the requirements, a large number of photoelectric converters are disposed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate in of a matrix pattern having a plurality of row and a plurality of column, a vertical charge transfer channel is arranged for each column of the photoelectric converters, and a read-cum-transfer electrode is formed for each row of the photoelectric converters such that the read-cum-transfer electrode surrounds each photoelectric converter element of the associated row of the photoelectric converters in a plan view.

Abstract: As solid-state image pickup devices are spread in the world, improvement of performance and reduction of the production cost thereof are required. It is difficult for the solid-state image pickup devices of a configuration of the prior art to meet the requirements. In a solid-state image pickup device to meet the requirements, a large number of photoelectric converters are disposed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate in of a matrix pattern having a plurality of row and a plurality of column, a vertical charge transfer channel is arranged for each column of the photoelectric converters, and a read-cum-transfer electrode is formed for each row of the photoelectric converters such that the read-cum-transfer electrode surrounds each photoelectric converter element of the associated row of the photoelectric converters in a plan view.