Large area visible arrays: performance of hybrid and monolithic alternatives

CMOS-based imaging system-on-chip (i-SoC) technology is successfully producing large monolithic and hybrid FPAs that are superior in many respects to competing CCD-based imaging sensors. The hybrid approach produces visible 2048 by 2048 FPAs with <6 e- read noise and quantum efficiency above 80% from 400 nm to 920 nm; 4096 by 4096 mosaics are now being developed. The monolithic approach produces visible 12-bit imaging system-on-chips such as a 1936 by 1088 with higher quantum efficiency than mainstream CCDs, <25 e- read noise, <0.02% fixed pattern noise, automatic identification and replacement of defective pixels, black-level clamping, total power dissipation of only 180 mW, and various programmable features. Several successors having ≥12 Mpixels are in development. In both cases low-light-level performance is boosted by coupling the sensors to image intensifiers.

[1]  Donald N. B. Hall,et al.  2048x2048 HgCdTe focal plane arrays for astronomy applications , 1999, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[2]  Lester J. Kozlowski,et al.  Theoretical basis and experimental confirmation: why a CMOS imager is superior to a CCD , 1999, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[3]  G.E. Moore,et al.  Cramming More Components Onto Integrated Circuits , 1998, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[4]  Shimon Elkind,et al.  Focal plane processor with a digital video output for InSb detectors , 2003, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[5]  Lester J. Kozlowski,et al.  Development of hybrid CMOS visible focal plane arrays at Rockwell , 2000, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[6]  Lester J. Kozlowski.  Low-noise capacitive transimpedance amplifier performance versus alternative IR detector interface schemes in submicron CMOS , 1996, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[7]  Markus Loose,et al.  SIDECAR low-power control ASIC for focal plane arrays including A/D conversion and bias generation , 2003, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[8]  Barry Fowler,et al.  A 640×512 CMOS Image Sensor with Ultra Wide Dynamic Range Floating-Point Pixel-Level ADC , 1999 .

[9]  A. Tomasini,et al.  Performance limits in visible and infrared imager sensors , 1999, International Electron Devices Meeting 1999. Technical Digest (Cat. No.99CH36318).

[10]  L. J. Kozlowski,et al.  1 2 / 3 ? CMOS Imaging Sensor for High Definition Television , 2001 .

[11]  Markus Loose,et al.  HAWAII-2RG: a 2k x 2k CMOS multiplexer for low and high background astronomy applications , 2003, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.