Design and fabrication of a high-dynamic-range image sensor in TFA technology

Author

Lulé, Tarek ; Schneider, Bernd ; Böhm, Markus

Author_Institution

Silicon Vision GmbH, Siegen, Germany

Volume

34

Issue

5

fYear

1999

fDate

5/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

704

Lastpage

711

Abstract

Image sensors in thin film on ASIC (TFA) technology are composed of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film detectors on top of crystalline ASIC´s. With regard to advanced imaging systems, TFA provides enhanced performance and more flexibility than conventional technologies. Extensive on-chip signal processing is feasible, as well as small pixels for high-resolution imagers. Several prototypes of TFA sensors have been developed, optimized for considerably different applications. This paper focuses on a TFA sensor for automotive vision systems that allows each pixel to adapt its individual sensitivity to the local illumination intensity. By this means, a dynamic range of 120-dB minimum along with high local contrast is achieved. The recent second prototype array consists of 368×256 pixels with an area of 40×38 μm² each. The ASIC´s were fabricated in a 0.7-μm CMOS technology, whereupon the a-Si:H thin film was deposited in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition cluster system

Keywords

CMOS image sensors; adaptive systems; amorphous semiconductors; application specific integrated circuits; hydrogen; integrated circuit design; integrated circuit technology; plasma CVD coatings; semiconductor thin films; silicon; 0.7 micron; 256 pixel; 368 pixel; 94208 pixel; CMOS technology; PECVD cluster system; Si:H; Si:H thin film deposition; TFA technology; a-Si:H thin-film detectors; adaptive pixels; advanced imaging systems; amorphous Si:H thin-film detectors; automotive vision systems; chemical vapor deposition; crystalline ASIC; fabrication; high local contrast; high-dynamic-range image sensor; high-resolution imagers; local illumination intensity sensitivity; onchip signal processing; plasma-enhanced CVD; prototype array; thin film on ASIC technology; Amorphous silicon; Application specific integrated circuits; CMOS technology; Crystallization; Detectors; Fabrication; Image sensors; Prototypes; Semiconductor thin films; Thin film sensors;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9200

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/4.760382

Filename

760382