The experiments of displacement damage effects on CMOS APS image sensors induced by neutron irradiation from a nuclear reactor are presented. The CMOS APS image sensors are manufactured in the standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The flux of neutron beams was about 1.33 × 108 n/cm2s. The three samples were exposed by 1 MeV neutron equivalent-fluence of 1 × 1011, 5 × 1011, and 1 × 1012 n/cm2, respectively. The mean dark signal (KD), dark signal spike, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), noise (VN), saturation output signal voltage (VS), and dynamic range (DR) versus neutron fluence are investigated. The degradation mechanisms of CMOS APS image sensors are analyzed. The mean dark signal increase due to neutron displacement damage appears to be proportional to displacement damage dose. The dark images from CMOS APS image sensors irradiated by neutrons are presented to investigate the generation of dark signal spike.

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The dark signal degradation of the CMOS image sensor (CIS) was induced by neutron radiation, and it was modeled by Geant4, which is a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code. The simplified model of the CIS array was established according to the actual pixel geometry, material, and doping concentration. Nuclear elastic interaction and capture interaction were included in the physical processes, and the displacement damage dose in the space charge region of the pixel was calculated. The mean dark signal and dark signal distribution were modeled using Geant4, and the physical mechanisms were analyzed. The modeling results were in good agreement with the experimental and theoretical results.

Four-transistor (T) pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) with four-megapixel resolution using 11µm pitch high dynamic range pixel were radiated with 3 MeV and 10MeV protons. The dark signal was measured pre- and post-radiation, with the dark signal post irradiation showing a remarkable increase. A theoretical method of dark signal distribution pre- and post-radiation is used to analyze the degradation mechanisms of the dark signal distribution. The theoretical results are in good agreement with experimental results. This research would provide a good understanding of the proton radiation effects on the CIS and make it possible to predict the dark signal distribution of the CIS under the complex proton radiation environments.

11This paper presents an investigation of total ionizing dose (TID) induced image lag sources in pinned photodiodes (PPD) CMOS 12image sensors based on radiation experiments and TCAD simulation. The radiation experiments have been carried out at the Cobalt 13 -60 gamma-ray source. The experimental results show the image lag degradation is more and more serious with increasing TID. 14 Combining with the TCAD simulation results, we can confirm that the junction of PPD and transfer gate (TG) is an important region 15 forming image lag during irradiation. These simulations demonstrate that TID can generate a potential pocket leading to incomplete 16transfer. 17 18Keywords-CMOS image sensors; total ionizing dose; image lag; pinned photodiodes 19 20 21