A VGA Indirect Time-of-Flight CMOS Image Sensor With 4-Tap 7-$\mu$ m Global-Shutter Pixel and Fixed-Pattern Phase Noise Self-Compensation

Abstract

A video graphics array (VGA) (640 × 480) indirect time-of-flight (ToF) CMOS image sensor has been designed with 4-tap 7-μm global-shutter pixel in 65-nm back-side illumination (BSI) process. With a 4-tap pixel structure, we achieved motion artifact-free depth map. Peak current during exposure time has been reduced by current spreading with constant delay chain in the photo-gate driver. Column fixed-pattern phase noise (FPPN) from the constant delay chain is self-compensated by the proposed time-interleaving technique with the two inversely directional clock chains in the photo-gate driver. Quantum efficiency (QE) and demodulation contrast (DC) have been optimized by using appropriate optical engineering techniques with an optimal silicon thickness. As a result, QE of 34% at 940-nm near-infrared and high DC of 86% at 100-MHz modulation frequency have been achieved. In addition, motion artifact and column FPPN are successfully removed in the depth map. The proposed ToF sensor shows depth noise less than 0.57% with 940-nm illuminator over the working distance up to 4 m, and consumes only 160 mW for VGA output at 60 frames/s.