Design of a readout circuit incorporating a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter for cooled infrared focal plane array

Cen, Yiqun; Zhang, Junling; Chen, Honglei; Ding, Ran

doi:10.1007/s11082-019-2084-5

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 14 publications

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“…Among those sensors having some degree of integration, none can be fabricated without changes to the standard CMOS process: breaking some design rules, adjusting process steps/sequence or by performing post-processing steps [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 17 , 18 ]. Besides the uncooled thermal image sensors, there have been developments in the cooled infrared sensors, even though they are more expensive and usually not integrated with CMOS signal processing circuits [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. These thermal image sensors have been developed to acquire images of objects at a distance, that is, not in contact with the sensor, and based on microbolometers, quantum-well detectors, and materials other than silicon, resulting in imagers with reduced resolution compared to cameras for the visible spectrum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current-Mode Self-Amplified CMOS Sensor Intended for 2D Temperature Microgradients Measurement and Imaging

Santos

Monteiro

Salles

2020

Sensors

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This paper presents the design of a current-mode CMOS self-amplified imager operating in dark conditions, for thermal imaging, which provides an innovative solution for precision thermal contact mapping. Possible applications of this imager range from 3D CMOS integrated circuits to the study of in-vivo biological samples. It can provide a thermal map, static or dynamic, for the measurement of temperature microgradients. Some adaptations are required for the optimization of this self-amplified image sensor since it responds exclusively to the dark currents of the photodiodes throughout the array. The sensor is designed in a standard CMOS process and requires no post-processing steps. The optimized image sensor operates with integration times as low as one μs and can achieve both SNR and dynamic range compatible to those of sensors available on the market, estimated as 87dB and 75dB, respectively; noise equivalent temperature difference can be as low as 10mK; and detection errors as low as ±1%. Furthermore, under optimal conditions the self-amplification process enables a simple form of CDS, enhancing the overall sensor noise performance.

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