Title :
Smart Reset Control for Wide-Dynamic-Range LWIR FPAs
Author :
Woo, D.H. ; Nam, I.K. ; Lee, H.C.
Author_Institution :
Sch. of Inf., Commun. & Electr. Eng., Catholic Univ. of Korea, Bucheon, South Korea
Abstract :
A new readout circuit involving a pixel-level reset control was studied for 2-D long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays. The integration time of each pixel can be optimized individually and automatically. Hence, the readout circuit has a wide dynamic range and good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) characteristics. The readout circuit was fabricated with a 0.35-μm 2-poly 4-metal CMOS process for a 128 × 128 LWIR HgCdTe array with a pixel size of 50 μm × 50 μm. The smart reset control with two-step background suppression improves the SNR to 87 dB and the dynamic range to 95.8 dB.
Keywords :
CMOS image sensors; II-VI semiconductors; cadmium compounds; detector circuits; focal planes; mercury compounds; readout electronics; 2D long wavelength infrared focal plane arrays; CMOS process; HgCdTe; pixel level reset control; readout circuit; size 0.35 mum; smart reset control; wide dynamic range LWIR FPA; Dynamic range; Latches; Photonics; Pixel; Sampling methods; Signal to noise ratio; Timing; Infrared (IR) focal plane array (FPA); readout circuit; wide dynamic range;
Journal_Title :
Sensors Journal, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/JSEN.2010.2052191
