Driving method for solid-state image pickup device and image pickup apparatus

Abstract

Screen noise caused by variations of dark current between light sensitive pixels of a solid-state imaging device are suppressed. In an exposure period E after an electronic shutter operation completion time t, information charges are accumulated while shifting a potential well. With a frame-transfer CCD image sensor in which transfer electrodes G-Gto which transfer clocks φi-φiare applied are provided for each light sensitive pixel, at the start of the exposure period E, a potential well is formed for a period α under the electrode G. Then, the potential wells are formed sequentially under the electrode Gfor a periodα, under the electrode Gfor a period α, and under the electrode Gfor a periodα. That is, regarding dark current contained in the information charges accumulated in each pixel, dark currents under the electrodes G-Gcorrespond to the same period. Thus, the amounts of dark current accumulated in each pixel become position-wise averaged values within the pixel and variations in the dark current between the pixels are reduced.