A 2.2 M pixel FT-CCD imager according to the Eureka HDTV standard

A very-high-performance HDTV image sensor is presented. The device tackles successfully a few typical HDTV challenges: the very high RC values of the CCD gates are drastically lowered by means of a new interconnect scheme; a dual horizontal output register is used to lower the output rate; the device is provided with an output amplifier characterized by low noise, high bandwidth, and high conversion efficiency: and the imager is designed with a very compact and efficient image cell, providing the functions of photoconversion, charge transport, highlight handling, charge resetting, and charge pumping. An imager with high resolution, no smear when used in a professional camera, no image lag, a simple charge-reset method or electronic shutter, and a high pixel uniformity with a fully linear response has been realized.<>