CMOS vision sensor with fully digital image process integrated into low power 1/8-inch chip

<正>A digital still camera image processing system on a chip,different from the video camera system,is presented for mobile phone to reduce the power consumption and size.A new color interpolation algorithm is proposed to enhance the image quality.The system can also process fixed patten noise(FPN) reduction, color correction,gamma correction,RGB/YUV space transfer,etc.The chip is controlled by sensor registers by inter-integrated circuit(I~2C) interface.The voltage for both the front-end analog and the pad circuits is 2.8 V,and the volatge for the image signal processing is 1.8 V.The chip running under the external 13.5-MHz clock has a video data rate of 30 frames/s and the measured power dissipation is about 75 mW.     

CMOS vision sensor with integrated into low fully digital image process power 1/8-inch chip

A digital still camera image processing system on a chip, different from the video camera system, is pre- sented for mobile phone to reduce the power consumption and size. A new color interpolation algorithm is proposed to enhance the image quality. The system can also process fixed patten noise （FPN） reduction, color correction, gamma correction, RGB/YUV space transfer, etc. The chip is controlled by sensor regis- ters by inter-integrated circuit （I2C） interface. The voltage for both the front-end analog and the pad cir- cuits is 2.8 V, and the volatge for the image signal processing is 1.8 V. The chip running under the external 13.5-MHz clock has a video data rate of 30 frames/s and the measured power dissipation is about 75 roW.     

基于CMOS图像传感器的可见光遥感相机原型系统设计

遥感器是遥感技术应用的基础设备,它决定了遥感系统的成像质量。介绍了光电传感器在可见光遥感中的应用,阐述了光电遥感器的结构与关键技术,提出了CMOS数字传感器在遥感领域应用中所具有的优势,设计并实现了基于CMOS传感器的光电成像原型系统。结果表明,遥感相机的图像获取、数据存储的基本功能为CMOS在可见光遥感应用中的相关问题提供了研究平台和技术储备。     

Picosecond wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifier integrated with microring resonator notch filter

Optical and Quantum Electronics - In this paper, we analyse the picosecond wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with a novel technique. For an accurate and precise...     

Development of an ultraviolet imprinting process for integrating a microlens array onto an image sensor

We analyzed the feasibility of using a UV imprinting process to integrate a microlens array onto an image sensor. A simulated wafer-scale image sensor chip array was fabricated for the implementation. A microlens array with a side length of 4.63 microm, a sag height of 1.416 microm, and a residual-layer thickness of 1.15 microm was integrated onto the simulated image sensor. The standard deviations of the sag height and the residual-layer thickness were less than 0.038 microm and less than 0.164 microm, respectively, in whole-wafer-scale samples. The measured beam spot size (FWHM) at the imaging plane was 1.19 microm, with a uniform intensity distribution and pitch in the array.     

一种基于CMOS图像传感器的大视场角度测量装置的误差校正方法

基于CMOS图像传感器的大视场角度测量装置的设计方案,重点研究了装配误差和图像畸变对角度测量精度的影响,得到了系统的综合误差模型。介绍了利用经纬仪校正自准直光路中装配误差和图像畸变误差的步骤,即通过抽取量程内若干控制点,再根据综合误差模型拟合得到整个量程的校正数据。仿真实验验证了此方法的适用性,并将此方法和常见的分段线性插值法以及多项式拟合法进行了性能对比。     

Validity of retinal oxygen saturation analysis: Hyperspectral imaging in visible wavelength with fundus camera and liquid crystal wavelength tunable filter

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the feasibility of a newly developed hyperspectral fundus imaging camera with a liquid crystal tunable filter. The intensities of different wavelengths of light transmitted through an artery, vein, and the area surrounding these vessels and reflected out were measured, and the differential spectral absorptions were analyzed. Measurements were made from 16 normal eyes and from two artificial capillaries. The ratios of absorption (ROA) of arteries to veins from 500 to 580 nm (range 1) and from 600 to 720 nm (range 2) were calculated. For all eyes, the ROA_range1 was larger than ROA_range2. The ROA obtained from the artificial capillary filled with blood saturated with oxygen or nitrogen was similar to that of simulated data of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin extinction rate. Most ROAs of human eyes were lower than those of the simulated data and the artificial capillaries. Oxygen saturation analysis by hyperspectral fundus imaging of retinal vessels were qualitatively in agreement with thein vitro analysis or simulated values. However, further improvements are necessary to evaluate the oxygen saturation quantitatively in the retinal blood vessels.     

32 × 32 SOI CMOS image sensor with pinned photodiode on handle wafer

We have fabricated a 32 × 32 silicon on insulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel image sensor with a pinned photodiode on a handle wafer. The structure of one pixel is a four-transistor type active pixel sensor (APS) which consists of a reset and a source follower transistor on a seed wafer, and is comprised of a photodiode, a transfer gate, and a floating diffusion on the handle wafer. The photodiode could be optimized for better quantum efficiency and low dark currents because its process on the handle wafer is independent of that of transistors on a seed wafer. Most of the wavelengths are absorbed within the visible range, because the optimized photodiode is located on the handle wafer. The image has been captured by the fabricated 32 × 32 SOI CMOS image sensor with array pixels, vertical scanner, horizontal scanner, and delta-difference sampling circuit.     

High-speed wavelength-swept semiconductor laser with a polygon-scanner-based wavelength filter

Ultrahigh-speed tuning of an extended-cavity semiconductor laser is demonstrated. The laser resonator comprises a unidirectional fiber-optic ring, a semiconductor optical amplifier as the gain medium, and a novel scanning filter based on a polygonal scanner. Variable tuning rates up to 1150 nm/ms (15.7-kHz repetition frequency) are demonstrated over a 70-nm wavelength span centered at 1.32 microm. This tuning rate is more than an order of magnitude faster than previously demonstrated and is facilitated in part by self-frequency shifting in the semiconductor optical amplifier. The instantaneous linewidth of the source is <0.1 nm for 9-mW cw output power and a low spontaneous-emission background of -80 dB.     

Concept of a high-resolution miniature spectrometer using an integrated filter array

A high-resolution miniature spectrometer has been demonstrated by utilizing a 128-channel integrated filter array, fabricated by using the combinatorial deposition technique, as a dispersive component whose passbands range from 722.0 to 880.0 nm with a bandwidth (or spectral resolution) from 1.7 to 3.8 nm and an average channel interval of 1.2 nm. The miniature spectrometer is smaller than 1 cm3 without any moving parts. This kind of miniature spectrometer has the advantages of very low payload, high resolution, and high reliability simultaneously, which are especially urgently needed for space applications.     

Experimental demonstration of 1535-1555-nm simultaneous optical wavelength interchange with a nonlinear photonic crystal

We present results of what is to our knowledge the first experimental demonstration of simultaneous optical wavelength interchange by use of a two-dimensional second-order nonlinear photonic crystal. Fabrication and performance parameters of a 1535-1555-nm wavelength interchange nonlinear photonic crystal fabricated in lithium niobate are discussed.     

Photonic generation of microwave signals using a dual-transmission-band FBG filter with controllable wavelength spacing

Two π-phase shifts are introduced in a uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structure and a dual-transmission-band opens in the stopband of FBG. When incorporating this kind of FBG filter in a fiber ring cavity with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) acted as gain medium, a stable dual-wavelength lasing with wavelength spacing of 0.032, 0.052 and 0.068 nm is achieved, respectively. Therefore, the laser output is heterodyned on a photodetector and desired microwave frequencies of 3.15, 6.16 and 8.08 GHz are generated. PACS 41.20.-q; 42.55.Wd; 42.81.-i     

Experimental study on narrow spectral width FP lasers with a wavelength detuned band-pass filter

In this paper, a 1310 nm InAlGaAs/InP multiple quantum well ridge waveguide FP laser with a built-in wavelength detuned band-pass filter has been fabricated and investigated in experiments. When compared to the reference FP laser fabricated in the same wafer, it is observed that the root-mean-square spectral width can be approximately reduced to half; and moreover, significant improvements on the transmission performances in terms of the power penalty at given transmission distance and the longest transmission distance at given bit error rate, have been achieved for the proposed laser at the same fabrication cost.     

Frequency doubling of wavelength locked laser diOde with a transmission-type filter in a confocal optical configuratiOn

Direct frequency doubling of a wavelength locked laser diode with an optical bandpass filter in a confocal optical configuration is demonstrated. The wavelength of the laser diode was locked in single longitudinal mode oscillation and tuned to phase-matching wavelength of a quasi-phase-matched second harmonic generation device based on a LiTaO₃ Waveguide. Stable blue light of 4.2 mW was obtained for incident power of 48 mW.     

All-optical NRZ-to-RZ format conversion with dual channel wavelength multicasting functions exploiting cross-phase modulation in a dispersion-flattened nonlinear photonic crystal fiber

All-optical single-to-dual channel format conversion from NRZ to RZ at 10 Gbit/s using cross phase modulation (XPM) in dispersion flattened highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (DF-HNL-PCF) is demonstrated. Format conversion with dual channels signal multicasting function is achieved by filtering simultaneously the blue- and red-chirped components of broadened optical spectrum induced by XPM between NRZ signal and clock light. Moreover, the wavelength tunability and dynamics characteristics of proposed format converter are also exploited experimentally by using NRZ signal light with different central wavelength and varying input power. Our results show that a wide wavelength operation range of 21.2 nm, extinction ratio (ER) and Q factor of over 10.9 dB and 6.1 are obtained. Furthermore, the influence of central wavelength offset of optical bandpass filter on converted RZ signal quality is investigated. The proposed scheme is simple, robust, and transparent to bit rate, which makes it very potential for application in future photonic networks.     

Micromachined ultrasound transducers with improved coupling factors from a CMOS compatible process

For medical high frequency acoustic imaging purposes the reduction in size of a single transducer element for one-dimensional and even more for two-dimensional arrays is more and more limited by fabrication and cabling technology. In the fields of industrial distance measurement and simple object recognition low cost phased arrays are lacking. Both problems can be solved with micromachined ultrasound transducers (MUTs). A single transducer is made of a large number of microscopic elements. Because of the array structure of these transducers, groups of elements can be built up and used as a phased array. By integrating parts of the sensor electronics on chip, the cabling effort for arrays can be reduced markedly. In contrast to standard ultrasonic technology, which is based on massive thickness resonators, vibrating membranes are the radiating elements of the MUTs. New micromachining technologies have emerged, allowing a highly reproducible fabrication of electrostatically driven membranes with gap heights below 500 nm. A microelectronic BiCMOS process was extended for surface micromechanics (T. Scheiter et al., Proceedings 11th European Conference on Solid-State Transducers, Warsaw, Vol. 3, 1997, pp. 1595-1598). Additional process steps were included for the realization of the membranes which form sealed cavities with the underlying substrate. Membrane and substrate are the opposite electrodes of a capacitive transducer. The transducers can be integrated monolithically on one chip together with the driving, preamplifying and multiplexing circuitry, thus reducing parasitic capacities and noise level significantly. Owing to their low mass the transducers are very well matched to fluid loads, resulting in a very high bandwidth of 50-100% (C. Eccardt et al., Proceedings Ultrasonics Symposium, San Antonio, Vol. 2, 1996, pp. 959-962; P.C. Eccardt et al., Proceedings of the 1997 Ultrasonics Symposium, Toronto, Vol. 2, 1997, pp. 1609-1618). In the following it is shown how the BiCMOS process has been modified to meet the demands for ultrasound generation and reception. Bias and driving voltages have been reduced down to the 10 V range. The electromechanical coupling is now almost comparable with that for piezoelectric transducers. The measurements exhibit sound pressures and bandwidths that are at least comparable with those of conventional piezoelectric transducer arrays.     

Fabrication of an integrated Raman sensor by selective surface metallization using a femtosecond laser oscillator

We demonstrate that a Raman sensor integrated with a micro-heater, a microfluidic chamber, and a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate can be fabricated in a glass chip by femtosecond laser micromachining. The micro-heater and the SERS substrate are fabricated by selective metallization on the glass surface using a femtosecond laser oscillator, whereas the microfluidic chamber embedded in the glass sample is fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation using a femtosecond laser amplifier. We believed that this new strategy for fabricating multifunctional integrated microchips has great potential application for lab-on-a-chips.     

Laser Doppler perfusion imaging with a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor

We utilized a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor video camera for fast flow imaging with the laser Doppler technique. A single sensor is used for both observation of the area of interest and measurements of the interference signal caused by dynamic light scattering from moving particles inside scattering objects. In particular, we demonstrate the possibility of imaging the distribution of the moving red blood cell concentration. This is a first step toward laser Doppler imaging without scanning parts, leading to a much faster imaging procedure than with existing mechanical laser Doppler perfusion imagers.     

A novel humidity sensor using yb-doped SrCeO3 ionic conductor with a au-pd filter

A novel humidity sensor operating at T<580K using Yb-doped SrCeO₃ ionic conductor with a Au-Pd chemical filter has been developed. In this unique design, both the electrodes are exposed to the same test gas and therefore do not require separation of working and reference compartments. A thin layer of impervious Au-Pd alloy on one surface of the perovskite electrolyte allows selective access to oxygen gas, while the other surface coated with porous Pt is exposed to both H₂O and oxygen. Sensor emfs are found to be directly proportional to log pH₂O and independent of pO₂. The design aspects of the sensor, the experimental set-up, some typical results and a postulated mechanism of sensor operation are described in this paper. Paper presented at the 3rd Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Teulada, Sardinia, Italy, Sept. 15–22, 1996