Title :
An artificial retina chip made of a 128 x 128 pn-np variable-sensitivity photodetector array
Author :
Funatsu, Eiichi ; Hara, Kunihiko ; Toyoda, Takashi ; Miyake, Yasunari ; Ohta, Jun ; Tai, Shuichi ; Kyuma, Kazuo
Author_Institution :
Semicond. Res. Lab., Mitsubishi Electr. Corp., Hyogo, Japan
Abstract :
An artificial retina chip is an image detection device that, like biological retinas, can extract essential features directly from projected images. This paper presents an artificial retina chip consisting of a 128/spl times/128 array of pn-np variable-sensitivity photodetectors (VSPD\´s). This photodetector (PD) utilizes pn junctions and thus avoids the rather inflexible memory effect encountered in our previously reported device, which used Schottky contacts in a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. We introduce a novel "filter division" method for arbitrary two-dimensional (2-D) filter operation, and successfully employ it in a 2-D edge extraction task.<>
Keywords :
computer vision; edge detection; image processing; integrated optoelectronics; photodetectors; sensitivity; spatial filters; 128/spl times/128 pn-np variable-sensitivity photodetector array; 2-D edge extraction task; artificial retina chip; computer vision; filter division; filter operation; image detection device; projected images; Electrodes; Feature extraction; Filters; Gallium arsenide; Image processing; Machine vision; Photodetectors; Retina; Schottky barriers; Substrates;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
