A Review of CMOS Photodiode Modeling and the Role of the Lateral Photoresponse

The CMOS photodiode is the primary photosensing device used in solid-state image sensors. A review of significant CMOS photodiode models that can be found in the literature in recent years is presented here. We have focused on photocurrent models in one, two, and three dimensions, paying special attention to lateral current components. Lateral collection, particularly for small devices fabricated in deep submicrometer technologies, has been shown to be of utmost importance. Finally, several models to account for crosstalk effects are also described.

[1]  O. Yadid-Pecht,et al.  A comprehensive CMOS APS crosstalk study: photoresponse model, technology, and design trends , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[2]  Manuel Suárez-Cambre,et al.  Evidence of the lateral collection significance in small CMOS photodiodes , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems.

[3]  Richard Hornsey,et al.  Analysis of CMOS Photodiodes. II. Lateral photoresponse , 2003 .

[4]  G. Agranov,et al.  Super Small , Sub 2 μ m Pixels for Novel CMOS Image Sensors , 2007 .

[5]  Albert J. P. Theuwissen,et al.  CMOS image sensors: State-of-the-art , 2008 .

[6]  H. Holloway,et al.  Theory of lateral‐collection photodiodes , 1978 .

[7]  V. Gopal,et al.  Optimum diode geometry in a two-dimensional photovoltaic array , 2000 .

[8]  Orly Yadid-Pecht,et al.  Photoresponse analysis and pixel shape optimization for CMOS active pixel sensors , 2003 .

[9]  Bimal P. Mathur,et al.  Analytical charge collection and MTF model for photodiode-based CMOS imagers , 2002 .

[10]  B. Mansoorian,et al.  A high speed, 500 frames/s, 1024/spl times/1024 CMOS active pixel sensor , 1999, 1999 Symposium on VLSI Circuits. Digest of Papers (IEEE Cat. No.99CH36326).

[11]  R. Tsai,et al.  Crosstalk and microlens study in a color CMOS image sensor , 2003 .

[12]  H. Dym,et al.  The scanistor—A solid-state image scanner , 1964 .

[13]  Juan Bautista Roldán,et al.  A Verilog-AMS photodiode model including lateral effects , 2012, Microelectron. J..

[14]  B. Fowler,et al.  A CMOS area image sensor with pixel-level A/D conversion , 1994, Proceedings of IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - ISSCC '94.

[15]  S. R. Morrison A new type of photosensitive junction device , 1963 .

[16]  P. Magnan,et al.  Theoretical Models of Modulation Transfer Function, Quantum Efficiency, and Crosstalk for CCD and CMOS Image Sensors , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[17]  Suat U. Ay,et al.  Photodiode Peripheral Utilization Effect on CMOS APS Pixel Performance , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers.

[18]  Patrick Garda,et al.  Modelling of pixel sensors for image systems with VHDL-AMS , 2008 .

[19]  J. E. Meyer,et al.  A self-scanned solid-state image sensor , 1967 .

[20]  Juan Bautista Roldán,et al.  Experimental characterization of peripheral photocurrent in CMOS photodiodes down to 65 nm technology , 2013 .

[21]  Ian O'Connor,et al.  A VHDL-AMS library of hierarchical optoelectronic device models , 2003, FDL.

[22]  S. M. Sze,et al.  Physics of semiconductor devices , 1969 .

[23]  David Renshaw,et al.  Analysis of CMOS Photodiodes. I. Quantum efficiency , 2003 .

[24]  Orly Yadid-Pecht,et al.  Crosstalk quantification, analysis, and trends in CMOS image sensors. , 2010, Applied optics.

[25]  T. Yamaguchi,et al.  A 1/4in 2M pixel CMOS image sensor with 1.75 transistor/pixel , 2004, 2004 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37519).

[26]  Abbas El Gamal,et al.  Pixel-level processing: why, what, and how? , 1999, Electronic Imaging.

[27]  H. Mutoh 3-D optical and electrical simulation for CMOS image sensors , 2003 .

[28]  Juan Bautista Roldán,et al.  Analytical modelling of size effects on the lateral photoresponse of CMOS photodiodes , 2012 .

[29]  R. J. Perry,et al.  Using PSPICE to simulate the photoresponse of ideal CMOS integrated circuit photodiodes , 1996, Proceedings of SOUTHEASTCON '96.

[30]  O. Yadid-Pecht,et al.  Prediction of CMOS APS design enabling maximum photoresponse for scalable CMOS technologies , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[31]  David Stoppa,et al.  A versatile photodiode SPICE model for optical microsystem simulation , 2000 .

[32]  O. Yadid-Pecht,et al.  Theoretical approach to CMOS APS PSF and MTF modeling - evaluation , 2006, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[33]  Brian A. Wandell,et al.  Roadmap for CMOS image sensors: Moore meets Planck and Sommerfeld , 2005, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[34]  Kamran Eshraghian,et al.  Characterization of crosstalk between CMOS photodiodes , 2002 .

[35]  J. Hauer,et al.  Analytical Model for Crosstalk in p-nwell Photodiodes , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[36]  P. Garda,et al.  Two dimensional model for lateral photodiode , 2006, International Conference on Design and Test of Integrated Systems in Nanoscale Technology, 2006. DTIS 2006..

[37]  L. Debnath Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations for Scientists and Engineers , 1997 .

[38]  V. Gopal,et al.  Infrared detector performance in an area array , 2001 .

[39]  Eric R. Fossum,et al.  CMOS image sensors: electronic camera on a chip , 1995, Proceedings of International Electron Devices Meeting.

[40]  Hon-Sum Philip Wong,et al.  Technology and device scaling considerations for CMOS imagers , 1996 .

[41]  B.J. Hosticka,et al.  A CMOS image sensor for high-speed imaging , 2000, 2000 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference. Digest of Technical Papers (Cat. No.00CH37056).

[42]  G. E. Smith,et al.  Charge coupled semiconductor devices , 1970, Bell Syst. Tech. J..

[43]  A. El Gamal,et al.  Trends in CMOS image sensor technology and design , 2002, Digest. International Electron Devices Meeting,.

[44]  Bedabrata Pain,et al.  Progress in CMOS active pixel image sensors , 1994, Electronic Imaging.

[45]  P. Noble,et al.  Self-scanned silicon image detector arrays , 1968 .

[46]  Paula Lopez,et al.  Closed-Form and Explicit Analytical Model for Crosstalk in CMOS Photodiodes , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[47]  S. G. Chamberlain Photosensitivity and Scanning of Silicon Image Detector Arrays , 1969 .

[48]  Richard Hornsey,et al.  Characterization and deblurring of lateral crosstalk in CMOS image sensors , 2003 .

[49]  R. Hornsey,et al.  Photoresponse of photodiode arrays for solid-state image sensors , 2000 .

[50]  Kiat Seng Yeo,et al.  An Accurate Photodiode Model for DC and High Frequency SPICE Circuit Simulation , 2001 .

[51]  Jianqi Zhang,et al.  Performance Simulation and Architecture Optimization for CMOS Image Sensor Pixels Scaling Down to 1.0 $\mu\hbox{m}$ , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[52]  H. Holloway,et al.  Peripheral photoresponse of a p–n junction , 1983 .

[53]  F. Jih,et al.  A CMOS photodiode model , 2001, Proceedings of the Fifth IEEE International Workshop on Behavioral Modeling and Simulation. BMAS 2001 (Cat No.01TH8601).

[54]  J. Shappir,et al.  The response of small photovoltaic detectors to uniform radiation , 1977, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[55]  P. W. Fry,et al.  Fixed-pattern noise in photomatrices , 1970 .

[56]  I. Kidron,et al.  Three-dimensional analytical simulation of self- and cross-responsivities of photovoltaic detector arrays , 1987, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[57]  Donald B. Hondongwa,et al.  A Review of the Pinned Photodiode for CCD and CMOS Image Sensors , 2014, IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society.

[58]  Bedabrata Pain,et al.  Design of a low-light-level image sensor with on-chip sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion , 1993, Electronic Imaging.

[59]  R. H. Dyck,et al.  Integrated arrays of silicon photodetectors for image sensing , 1968 .

[60]  A new analytical compact model for two-dimensional finger photodiodes , 2008 .

[61]  C. Mouli,et al.  CMOS imager technology shrinks and image performance , 2004, 2004 IEEE Workshop on Microelectronics and Electron Devices.

[62]  G. P. Weckler,et al.  Operation of p-n Junction Photodetectors in a Photon Flux Integrating Mode , 1967 .

[63]  François Pêcheux,et al.  VHDL-AMS and Verilog-AMS as alternative hardware description languages for efficient modeling of multidiscipline systems , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems.

[64]  Diego Cabello,et al.  Modeling and simulation of CMOS APS , 2009, 2009 Spanish Conference on Electron Devices.

[65]  G. Strull,et al.  A monolithic mosaic of photon sensors for solid state imaging applications , 1965 .

[66]  Suat U. Ay,et al.  Spectral response improvement of CMOS APS pixel through lateral collection , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems.

[67]  D. Cabello,et al.  Bottom collection of photodiode-based CMOS APS , 2008, 2008 International Conference on Advanced Semiconductor Devices and Microsystems.

[68]  Pierre Magnan,et al.  Pixel crosstalk and correlation with modulation transfer function of CMOS image sensor , 2005, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.