An Optical Filter-Less CMOS Image Sensor with Differential Spectral Response Pixels for Simultaneous UV-Selective and Visible Imaging

This paper presents a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) capable of capturing UV-selective and visible light images simultaneously by a single exposure and without employing optical filters, suitable for applications that require simultaneous UV and visible light imaging, or UV imaging in variable light environment. The developed CIS is composed by high and low UV sensitivity pixel types, arranged alternately in a checker pattern. Both pixel types were designed to have matching sensitivities for non-UV light. The UV-selective image is captured by extracting the differential spectral response between adjacent pixels, while the visible light image is captured simultaneously by the low UV sensitivity pixels. Also, to achieve high conversion gain and wide dynamic range simultaneously, the lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) technology was introduced in both pixel types. The developed CIS has a pixel pitch of 5.6 µm and exhibits 172 µV/e− conversion gain, 131 ke− full well capacity (FWC), and 92.3 dB dynamic range. The spectral sensitivity ranges of the high and low UV sensitivity pixels are of 200–750 nm and 390–750 nm, respectively. The resulting sensitivity range after the differential spectral response extraction is of 200–480 nm. This paper presents details regarding the CIS pixels structures, doping profiles, device simulations, and the measurement results for photoelectric response and spectral sensitivity for both pixel types. Also, sample images of UV-selective and visible spectral imaging using the developed CIS are presented

A Highly Robust Silicon Ultraviolet Selective Radiation Sensor Using Differential Spectral Response Method

This paper presents a silicon ultraviolet radiation sensor with over 90% UV internal quantum efficiency (QE) and high selectivity to the UV waveband without using optical filters. The sensor was developed for applications that require UV measurement under strong background visible and near-infrared (NIR) lights, such as solar UV measurement, UV-C monitoring in greenhouses or automated factories, and so on. The developed sensor is composed of monolithically formed silicon photodiodes with different spectral sensitivities: a highly UV responsive photodiode with internal quantum efficiency (QE) of nearly 100% for UV light, and a lowly UV responsive photodiode with UV internal QE lower than 10%. The photodiodes were optimized to match their visible and NIR light responsivity, and the UV signal is extracted from the background radiation by using the differential spectral response method. With this approach, an internal QE of over 90% for UV light was obtained, with a residual internal QE to non-UV light lower than 20% for 400 nm, 5% for 500 nm, 2% for 600 nm and 0.6% to NIR light. The developed sensor showed no responsivity degradation after exposure towards strong UV light. It was confirmed by the simulation results that the residual responsivity is further suppressed by employing an on-chip band-rejection optical layer consisting of several layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride films

A Global Shutter Wide Dynamic Range Soft X-Ray CMOS Image Sensor With Backside- Illuminated Pinned Photodiode, Two-Stage Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor, and Voltage Domain Memory Bank

This article presents a prototype 22.4 μm pixel pitch global shutter (GS) wide dynamic range (WDR) soft X-ray CMOS image sensor (sxCMOS). Backside-illuminated (BSI) pinned photodiodes with a 45-μm thick Si substrate were introduced for low noise and high radiation hardness to high energy photons. Two-stage lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) and voltage domain memory bankwith high-densitySi trench capacitorswere introduced for WDR and for GS. The developed sxCMOS achieved maximum 21.9 Me− full well capacity with a single exposure 129 dB dynamic range by GS operation. Over 70% quantum efficiency (QE) toward soft X-ray was successfully achieved. The developed prototype sxCMOS is a step forwardtoward a 4 M pixel detector system to be utilized in next-generation synchrotron radiation facilities and X-ray free-electron lasers