A 1/4´´ 720(H) ?ƒ\x97 576 (V) Two-Phase FT-CCD Imager with On-Chip Vertical Drivers

A 2-phase S-VHS compatible 720(H) × 576(V) FT-CCD imager with on-chip drivers, designed for compact, low-cost applications, is presented. Important new features are: 2-phase image, storage and serial clocks for low pin count, on-chip image and storage clock-drivers and 3.3V clock swing for the serial register. All essential sensor characteristics such as optical sensitivity, highlight handling, electronic shutter, efficient transport, etc. are maintained. The on-chip drivers allow high-speed frame shift for low-smear operation without mechanical shutter. The pixel size of this 1/4´´ imager, meant for consumer applications, is 5.1(H) × 9.4(V) ¿m². The maximum charge capacity is approximately 33 000 electrons. The use of on-chip level-shifters/drivers has a considerable impact on the operation of the new device. 3-D transient simulations were essential to optimize the CCD performance, and circuit simulations were used in the design of the drivers.