Dark Current Random Telegraph Signals in Solid-State Image Sensors

This paper focuses on the Dark Current-Random Telegraph Signal (DC-RTS) in solid-state image sensors. The DC-RTS is investigated in several bulk materials, for different surface interfaces and for different trench isolation interfaces. The main parameter used to characterize the DC-RTS is the transition maximum amplitude which seems to be the most appropriate for studying the phenomenon and identifying its origin. Proton, neutron and Co-60 Gamma-ray irradiations are used to study DC-RTS induced by both Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and Displacement damage (Dd) dose. Conclusions are drawn by analyzing the correlation between the exponential slope of the transition maximum amplitude histogram and the location of the DC-RTS-induced defects. The presented results can be extrapolated to predict DC-RTS distributions in various kinds of solid state image sensors.