Miniature TV compatible CCD camera

The circuitry of a sensor and related components used in a TV miniature compatible CCD camera is discussed. The development of the camera included the design and fabrication of a 490 x 327 (160, 230 pixels) 2-phase, large-area CCD array operating in a frame-store mode. As Figure 1 illustrates, the sensor contains not only an imager array, but also a 245 x 327 memory array, a serial readout and an on-chip amplifier stage. The sensor has a CTE greater than 0.9999 at a 5MHz data rate. Good dcvices have dark current less than 10 nA/cm2 with a best ever value of 2nA/cm2. Pictures of the sensor imaging and its dark current pattern arc shown. The integration time was 70 ms with a data rate of 6.2 MHz.