Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1997 · 54 citations · 3 references
EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMicroelectronicsSemiconductor DevicesSensorsCmos Circuit DesignDetector TechnologyLow-noise Circuit DesignNoise In Electronic DevicesNoise In Semiconductor DevicesPhotodetectorsLight LevelsLow-noise DesignNoise In PhotodetectorsNoise In PhotodiodesRead NoiseResponsivitySensor Noise ModelSignal Chain Design
In this paper, we present results of the investigation of the design and operation of CMOS active pixel sensors for detection of ultra-low light levels. We present a detailed noise model of APS pixel and signal chain. Utilizing the noise model, we have developed APS pixel designs that can achieve ultra-low noise and high responsivity. We present results from two test chips, that indicate (1) that less than 5 electrons of read noise is possible with CMOS APS by reducing the size of the pixel transistors, and (2) that high responsivity can be achieved when the fill-factor of the photodiode is reduced.
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