Title :
A new readout circuit for an ultra high sensitivity CMOS image sensor
Author :
Watabe, T. ; Goto, M. ; Ohtake, H. ; Maruyama, H. ; Tanioka, K.
Author_Institution :
NHK Sci. & Tech. Res. Labs., Tokyo, Japan
Abstract :
We have developed a new readout circuit for highly sensitive CMOS image sensors. The circuit makes it possible to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) by effectively transferring signal charges accumulated in the photo-diode (PD) to a smaller capacitance. We fabricated and tested a CMOS image sensor with the readout circuit, and confirmed that it has higher sensitivity than conventional passive-type CMOS image sensors.
Keywords :
CMOS image sensors; image processing; image processing equipment; integrated circuit design; 138 pixel; 20 micron; CMOS image sensor; readout circuit; signal charge transfer; signal-to-noise ratio; CMOS image sensors; Capacitance; Charge transfer; Circuit testing; Digital cameras; Image sensors; Photoconductivity; Prototypes; Sensor phenomena and characterization; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Consumer Electronics, 2002. ICCE. 2002 Digest of Technical Papers. International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7300-6
DOI :
10.1109/ICCE.2002.1013918
