The active pixel CID-a new approach in electronic imaging

A new type of sensor has been developed for applications in high radiation environments such as space, nuclear reactors or for machine vision. In this paper we present the pixel structure, fabrication cycle and measured performance of a family of active pixel charge injection devices (AP-CID) designed in PMOS and respectively CMOS technology. A simple 8/spl times/8 prototype was developed in 1996. This was followed by a 40/spl times/54 array having 90 /spl mu/m pixel size. This device has address decoders integrated on chip and, a transfer gate included in each pixel in order to eliminate the feed-through noise. These circuits were fabricated at RIT using a 6 /spl mu/m PMOS double polysilicon technology. A third 128/spl times/128 array having 41 /spl mu/m pixel size has been designed and manufactured at a commercial foundry using 2 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The on-chip decoders allow resetting of selective regions of the chip. The circuits showed low power consumption, good linearity and a dynamic range in excess of 70 dB.