A NEW CMOS READOUT CIRCUIT FOR VO2-BASED UNCOOLED FOCAL PLANE ARRAYS

A new CMOS readout circuit for VO₂-based uncooled FPAs is presented in this paper. The on-chip readout circuit consists of three major parts: An input circuit of BCDI structure, a column-shared integration circuit of CTIA structure, and a common CDS output circuit. The simple configuration of the input circuit makes it possible to operate more circuits in parallel, and increases the integration time and number of pixels, the column-shared integration circuit which is suitable for small pixel size provides low noise, high gain, a highly stable detector bias, and high photon current injection efficiency, and the common CDS output circuit is utilized to reduce or eliminate low-frequency noise of the readout circuit. An experimental readout chip for 50-μm-pitch 32×32 element VO₂-based uncooled FPAs has been fabricated. The measurement results of the fabricated readout chip have successfully verified its readout function and excellent performance.     

非制冷红外探测器读出电路的非均匀性研究

对于长线列的非制冷红外探测器组件, 不同探测元之间的非均匀性是衡量电路设计的关键指标. 为了实现长线列非制冷红外探测器的高性能读出, 本文设计了一种基于电流镜方式的非制冷红外探测器160线列读出电路, 电路由电流镜输入模块、电容负反馈互导放大器模块及相关双采样输出模块组成. 电路采用0.5 μm工艺制作完成. 通过合理设置电路中MOS管的参数和布局电流镜版图, 电路的非均匀性有了明显地改善. 通过测试, 电路的非均匀性小于1%, 器件总功耗约为100 mW, 并具有良好的低噪声特性, 输出噪声小于1 mV, 输出摆幅大于2 V. 该电路与160线列非制冷红外探测器互连后, 能较好地完成红外信号的读出, 在积分时间为20 μups的情况下, 器件的响应为0.294 mV/Ω, 整体性能良好. 该电路的研制对超长线列的非制冷红外冷探测器读出电路研制奠定了重要的技术基础.     

20MPixel/s高速红外焦平面读出电路设计

针对中大规模红外焦平面对高速读出的需求,研究并设计了一款20MPixel/s红外焦平面高速读出电路。读出电路单元电路由电容负反馈运放输入级、相关双采样、源随输出级电路组成,总线输出级采用基于低功耗推挽运放的跟随器结构。研究了输出级运放像元信号建立时间和负载电容的关系,给出了20 MPixel/s高速读出的负载电容适用范围。采用0.5μm Mixed Signal CMOS工艺研制了一款红外焦平面高速读出电路芯片,和InGaAs光敏芯片耦合后实测读出速率达到20MPixel/s,像元信号之间最大上升时间为17ns。     

High-speed CMOS readout integrated circuit for large-scale and high-resolution microbolometer array

A new CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for microbolometric focal plane array (FPA) is proposed in this paper. By applying multiple-module parallel working technique, the pixel readout speed of the CMOS ROIC can reach 10 MHz, which is very suitable for large-scale microbolometer array. The CMOS ROIC of each parallel working module consists of three major parts: direct injection (DI) input circuits, column-shared integrating circuits, and common noise-suppressing circuits. The readout structure of the ROIC is simple because of the DI input, shared and common circuits, and this makes the ROIC satisfy the requirements of small-pixel microbolometric FPA. Furthermore, the voltage signals from different working modules can be output according to a certain order through a high-speed output circuit. An experimental readout chip based on the proposed ROIC has been designed and fabricated to verify its readout function and performance. The measurement results of the experimental readout chip have successfully proved that the proposed CMOS ROIC can be applied to high-speed, low-noise, large-scale and high-resolution microbolometric FPA.     

面向实时视觉芯片的高速CMOS图像传感器

提出了一种面向实时视觉芯片的高速CMOS图像传感器.该高速图像传感器主要包括CMOS像素单元阵列、相关双采样(CDS)阵列、可编程增益放大(PGA)阵列、单次比较模数转换(ADC)阵列和控制模块.该传感器集成了光信号采集和行并行信号处理等功能,以大于1000 frame/s的速度输出数字信号或数字图像,同时实现了行并行...     

红外焦平面探测器的读出电路

红外焦平面阵列是现代红外成像系统的关键元件 ,不论是混合式还是单片式红外焦平面阵列 ,都采用读出电路来实现信号的多路传输以减少阵列输出信号线的数目。论述了读出电路在焦平面信号传输中的作用 ;讨论了用于实现红外焦平面阵列读出电路的一些实施技术 ;提出了红外焦平面阵列读出电路今后的研究方向     

多通道热释电IRFPA图像拼接采集系统

为了实现分辨率高的大规模热释电IRFPA探测器,设计了多路通道并行输出的读出电路。针对多路输出的热释电IRFPA探测器,依据热释电探测的时序要求,设计了图像拼接采集系统。利用外部驱动信号控制采集卡的触发及采样时钟,由斩波器同步信号判断热释电探测器的亮场及暗场信号。构造PC-DAQ虚拟仪器系统对多通道输出的热释电型IRFPA进行多路并行图像采集,并对每路图像信号进行亮、暗场判断后进行差分处理,通过软件拼接处理成一副完整的图像,最终在软件平台上显示。对实验室研制的160列120行双通道读出及320列120行四通道读出的热释电读出电路进行了图像采集实验,对于同样阵列大小的单通道读出探测器,双通道结构读出速度提高了1倍,四通道结构读出速度提高了3倍。通过采集成像实验验证了系统的可行性。     

A Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Vision Chip for Edge and Motion Detection with a Function for Output Offset Cancellation

We have designed and fabricated a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) vision chip by modeling cells of the human retina as hardware that are involved in edge and motion detection. There are several fluctuation factors which affect the characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) through the CMOS fabrication process and this effect appears as the output offset of the vision chip, which is composed of pixel arrays and readout circuits. The vision chip which detects edge and motion information from an input image is used for the input stage of other systems. Therefore, the output offset of the vision chip determines the efficiency of the entire system. In order to eliminate the offset at the output stage, we designed a vision chip utilizing the correlated double sampling (CDS) technique. The chip has been fabricated using a 0.6 m standard CMOS process. With reliable output characteristics, this chip can be used at the input stage for various applications. © 2005 The Optical Society of Japan     

积分时间对红外焦平面成像系统的影响

结合电容反馈互导放大结构读出电路,理论上分析了积分时间与红外成像系统输出信号之间的关系,在电路参数固定的情况下得出：输出电压的变化和积分时间的变化成正比。以电子数法分析了积分时间与噪声及比探测率之间的关系,推导出积分时间、噪声和比探测率之间的非线性关系。分析了积分时间变化对非均匀性的影响,并通过试验对其变化趋势和影响效果进行了验证。说明了积分时间选取对红外焦平面成像系统设计的重要性。     

Stripe noise removal for infrared image by minimizing difference between columns

This paper introduces a novel approach to eliminate stripe noise in infrared images. The differences between bias voltages in column readout circuit of uncooled infrared sensors result in strong stripe noise which changes slowly in time. The problem can be solved by estimating the bias of each column of infrared images and correcting infrared images with the estimated biases. The bias estimation is translated into an energy optimization problem in the paper. The optimization aims to minimize difference between neighboring columns of images. Our approach can be processed on a single image, or in a recursive way in order to significantly reduce the computation in one frame time. Our approach is compared to the state-of-the-art the stripe noise removal method using realistic infrared images, and the experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiencies of our proposed approach.     

La détection infrarouge avec les plans focaux non refroidis : état de l'artUncooled focal plane infrared detectors: the state of the art

The emergence of uncooled detectors has opened new opportunities for IR detection for both military and commercial applications. Development of such devices involves a lot of trade-offs between the different parameters that define the technological stack. These trade-offs explain the number of different architectures that are under worldwide development. The key factor is to find a high sensitivity and low noise thermometer material compatible with silicon technology in order to achieve high thermal isolation in the smallest area as possible. Ferroelectric thermometer based hybrid technology and electrical resistive thermometer based (microbolometer) technology are under development. LETI and ULIS have chosen from the very beginning to develop first a monolithic microbolometer technology fully compatible with commercially available CMOS technology and secondly amorphous silicon based thermometer. This silicon approach has the greatest potential for reducing infrared detector manufacturing cost. After the development of the technology, the transfer to industrial facilities has been performed in a short period of time and the production is now ramping up with ULIS team in new facilities. LETI and ULIS are now working to facilitate the IRFPA integration into equipment in order to address a very large market. Achievement of this goal needs the development of smart sensors with on-chip advanced functions and the decrease of manufacturing cost of IRFPA by decreasing the pixel pitch and simplifying the vacuum package. We present in this paper the technology developed by CEA/LETI and its improvement for being able to designs 384×288 and 160×120 arrays with a pitch of 35 μm. Thermographic application needs high stability infrared detector with a precise determination of the amount of absorbed infrared flux. Hence, infrared detector with internal temperature stabilized shield has been developed and characterized. These results will be presented. To cite this article: J.-L. Tissot, C. R. Physique 4 (2003).     

A 128 × 128 Pixel Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensor with an Improved Pixel Architecture for Detecting Modulated Light Signals

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor for the detection of modulated light under background illumination has been developed. When an object is illuminated by a modulated light source under background illumination the sensor enables the object alone to be captured. This paper describes improvements in pixel architecture for reducing fixed pattern noise (FPN) and improving the sensitivity of the image sensor. The improved 128 × 128 pixel CMOS image sensor with a column parallel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit was fabricated using 0.35-mm CMOS technology. The resulting captured images are shown and the properties of improved pixel architecture are described. The image sensor has FPN of 1/28 that of the previous image sensor and an improved pixel architecture comprising a common in-pixel amp and a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit. The use of a split photogate increases the sensitivity of the image sensor to 1.3 times that of the previous image sensor.     

Ultrahigh-sensitivity infrared detection system using an InGaAs p-i-n photodiode with low dielectric polarization noise

We developed a highly sensitive infrared photodetection system using an InGaAs p-i-n photodiode. The temperature and data sampling rate dependences of the readout noise were measured to determine the optimum temperature for low-noise detection. The optimum temperature for sampling rates below 100 Hz was 100 K, and the readout noise at 1 Hz was 2.5 e. The readout noise at 1 MHz and 140 K was 49.4 e. The light detection limit of the system was 8.2×10(-19) W at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. The spectral noise densities of a readout circuit were measured in order to determine the origin of noise.     

大面阵非制冷红外热像仪的噪声等效温差精度分析

分析了采用脉冲偏置电压读出电路的大面阵(320×240)凝视型非制冷焦平面的原理。根据处于脉冲偏置的红外热像仪噪声等效温差的表达式,分析了影响噪声等效温差的几个因素。数值计算表明:脉冲偏置时非制冷焦平面温度升高带来的误差,是影响热像仪噪声等效温差精度的主要因素。     

A germanium photodetector array for the near infrared monolithically integrated with silicon CMOS readout electronics

Near infrared (NIR) detectors, operating in the 1.3–1.6 μm region, are key elements in a number of applications ranging from optical communications to remote sensing. InGaAs and Ge are currently the materials of choice for the fabrication of NIR detectors due to their good absorption and transport properties. However, as the required performances increase (bit-rate in optical communications, number of pixels in imaging, etc.), it becomes more and more important to reduce the separation from detectors and driving/biasing and amplifying electronics, by integrating the two components on the same chip.We demonstrate an array of NIR detectors monolithically integrated with standard silicon CMOS readout electronics. The employed low temperature process allowed the integration of the detectors as the last step of chip fabrication. The integrated micro-system consists of a linear array of 120×120 μm² pixels, an analog CMOS multiplexer and a transimpedance amplifier. The chip exhibits a good photoresponse in the NIR, with responsivities as high as 43 V/W at 1.3 μm, dark currents of 1 mA/cm² and inter-pixel cross-talk better than −20 dB.     

光学读出微梁阵列红外成像及性能分析

在构建的光学读出微梁阵列(焦平面阵列FPA)非制冷红外成像系统中，实现了无硅基底FPA置于空气中对人体的热成像. 通过FPA在不同真空度环境条件下的成像结果进行比较，分析了热导和系统噪声值随气压变化的关系，以及对系统成像性能的影响，并对气体分子热运动自由程大于空气传热层特征尺度时的气体热传导模型进行了修正分析和实验验证. 实验结果表明：FPA置于空气中时，气体分子撞击微梁引起的微梁反光板无序振动产生的光学读出噪声成为系统噪声的主要来源. 当真空度小于1Pa时，总热导和光学读出噪声值的变化都趋于平缓；当真空度小于10^-2Pa时，空气热导的影响可忽略，总热导降低到微梁感热像素的辐射极限，光学读出噪声也降低到一极小值. 实验结果与理论分析相符合. 关键词： 非制冷红外成像 光学读出 双材料微梁阵列 热导     

Analog Integrated Circuit for Motion Detection of Approaching Object Based on the Insect Visual System

A network for detection of an approaching object was proposed and fabricated based on the transient response of a descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD) existing in the brain of locusts. The proposed network was constructed with simple analog circuits. The experimental results of a test chip fabricated with a 1.2 $mUm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and the results with a simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) showed that the proposed network is able to detect the approach by generating a peak current just before collision; the peak current allows detection of the approaching velocity and direction without collision. The proposed network could be applied to two-dimensional arrays for three-dimensional motion detection.     

A new circuit model of HgCdTe photodiode for SPICE simulation of integrated IRFPA

We propose a novel sub circuit model to simulate HgCdTe infrared photodiodes in a circuit simulator, like PSPICE. We have used two diodes of opposite polarity in parallel to represent the forward biased and the reverse biased behavior of an HgCdTe photodiode separately. We also connected a resistor in parallel with them to represent the ohmic shunt and a constant current source to represent photocurrent. We show that by adjusting the parameters in standard diode models and the resistor and current values, we could actually fit the measured data of our various HgCdTe photodiodes having different characteristics. This is a very efficient model that can be used for simulation of readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for HgCdTe IR photodiode arrays. This model also allows circuit level Monte Carlo simulation on a complete IRFPA at a single circuit simulator platform to estimate the non-uniformity for given processes of HgCdTe device fabrication and Si ROIC fabrication.     

2维位置灵敏中子探测器读出

 介绍了基于厚型气体电子倍增探测器(THGEM)的位置灵敏热中子探测器中,采用专用集成电路的阵列电荷灵敏前置放大和可编程器件的读出电子学设计。专用集成电路采用VA64TA2,64通道输入电荷灵敏放大成型,触发输出。控制电路使用了现场可编程器件。两者结合,显著减少了读出电路在探测器内所占据的空间。介绍了VA64TA2裸片的封装,给出了电路的原理和时序,进行了线性和电子学噪声试验,结果表明电路具有16 fC的线性动态范围,电子学噪声仅为75个电子电荷。