Virtual phase technology: A new approach to fabrication of large-area CCD´s

This article presents a new technology for fabrication of a single-phase CCD. This new technology called virtual phase (VP) employs only a single level gate structure, and is, therefore, ideally suited for fabrication of large-area high-performance devices with high yield, The fundamentals of operation of VP CCD´s are discussed, and the advantages and limitations of this new technology are presented. The design, fabrication, and operation of a 490 × 328 TV compatible VP imager is described, and performance parameters as well as imagery are presented.