CMOS active pixel sensors (APS) have performance competitive with charge-coupled device (CCD) technology, and offer advantages in on-chip functionality, system power reduction, cost, and miniaturization. This paper discusses the requirements for CMOS image sensors and their historical development, CMOS devices and circuits for pixels, analog signal chain, and on-chip analog-to-digital conversion are reviewed and discussed.

CMOS image sensors: electronic camera-on-a-chip

An object of the present invention is to decrease the resistance of a power supply line, to suppress a voltage drop in the power supply line, and to prevent defective display. A connection terminal portion includes a plurality of connection terminals. The plurality of connection terminals is provided with a plurality of connection pads which is part of the connection terminal. The plurality of connection pads includes a first connection pad and a second connection pad having a line width different from that of the first connection pad. Pitches between the plurality of connection pads are equal to each other.

Semiconductor device and display device

CMOS image sensors: Electronic camera-on-a-chip

Preface DIGITAL STILL CAMERAS AT A GLANCE Kenji Toyoda What Is a Digital Still Camera? History of Digital Still Cameras Variations of Digital Still Cameras Basic Structure of Digital Still Cameras Applications of Digital Still Cameras OPTICS IN DIGITAL STILL CAMERAS Takeshi Koyama Optical System Fundamentals and Standards for Evaluating Optical Performance Characteristics of DSC Imaging Optics Important Aspects of Imaging Optics Design for DSCs DSC Imaging Lens Zoom Types and Their Applications Conclusion References BASICS OF IMAGE SENSORS Junichi Nakamura Functions of an Image Sensor Photodetector in a Pixel Noise Photoconversion Characteristics Array Performance Optical Format and Pixel Size CCD Image Sensor vs. CMOS Image Sensor References CCD IMAGE SENSORS Tetsuo Yamada Basics of CCDs Structures and Characteristics of CCD Image Sensor DSC Applications Future Prospects References CMOS IMAGE SENSORS Isao Takayanagi Introduction to CMOS Image Sensors CMOS Active Pixel Technology Signal Processing and Noise Behavior CMOS Image Sensors for DSC Applications Future Prospects of CMOS Image Sensors for DSC Applications References EVALUATION OF IMAGE SENSORS Toyokazu Mizoguchi What is Evaluation of Image Sensors? Evaluation Environment Evaluation Methods COLOR THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION TO DIGITAL STILL CAMERAS Po-Chieh Hung Color Theory Camera Spectral Sensitivity Characterization of a Camera White Balance Conversion for Display (Color Management) Summary References IMAGE-PROCESSING ALGORITHMS Kazuhiro Sato Basic Image-Processing Algorithms Camera Control Algorithm Advanced Image Processing: How to Obtain Improved Image Quality References IMAGE-PROCESSING ENGINES Seiichiro Watanabe Key Characteristics of an Image-Processing Engine Imaging Engine Architecture Comparison Analog Front End (AFE) Digital Back End (DBE) Future Design Engines References EVALUATION OF IMAGE QUALITY Hideaki Yoshida What is Image Quality? General Items or Parameters Detailed Items or Factors Standards Relating to Image Quality SOME THOUGHTS ON FUTURE DIGITAL STILL CAMERAS Eric R. Fossum The Future of DSC Image Sensors Some Future Digital Cameras References

Image Sensors and Signal Processing for Digital Still Cameras

A photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer.

Materials, systems and methods for optoelectronic devices

When pixels are simply skipped while keeping both an order of pixel information and a spatial positional relation the same as those in all-pixel readout, since a distance between pixels to be read out increases, the Nyquist frequency decreases and aliasing noise increases A 5×5 pixel block is set as a unit pixel block and pieces of pixel information in first, third, and fifth columns of first, third, and fifth rows of a pixel arrangement are added and outputted as an output in an ath row and an ath column of the unit pixel block Then, pieces of pixel information in sixth, eighth, and tenth columns of the first, the third, and the fifth rows of the pixel arrangement are added and outputted as an output in the ath row and a bth column of the unit pixel block Subsequently, pieces of pixel information are added and outputted up to a last column or a column near the last column Thereafter, pieces of pixel information in the first, the third, and the fifth columns of the sixth, the eighth, and the tenth rows of the pixel arrangement are added and outputted as an output in a bth row and the ath column of the unit pixel block Subsequently, all arbitrary pixels are read out while repeating the same operation and skipping and adding pieces of pixel information

Solid-state image pickup device and drive method thereof

Forming a back-illuminated type CMOS image sensor, includes process for formation of a registration mark on the wiring side of a silicon substrate during formation of an active region or a gate electrode A silicide film using an active region may also be used for the registration mark Thereafter, the registration mark is read from the back side by use of red light or near infrared rays, and registration of the stepper is accomplished It is also possible to form a registration mark in a silicon oxide film on the back side (illuminated side) in registry with the registration mark on the wiring side, and to achieve the desired registration by use of the registration mark thus formed

Solid state image pickup device and method of producing solid state image pickup device

This invention realizes an editing system and control method thereof capable of significantly improving working efficiency of editing work. A proxy editing terminal device creates an EDL with low-resolution video/audio data, resulting in reducing time to create the EDL. Further, the low-resolution video/audio data and high-resolution video/audio data having the same contents and different resolutions are previously stored, so that the creation of a final edit list with the high-resolution video/audio data based on the EDL can be started in a short time after the EDL is created with the low-resolution video/audio data. Thus working efficiency of the editing work can be significantly reduced with reducing time to create the EDL and the final edit list.

Editing system and control method thereof

A high-sensitivity CMOS image sensor using gain-adaptive column amplifiers is presented and tested. The use of high gain for the column amplifier reduces input-referred random noise, and when coupled with a column-based digital noise cancellation technique, also reduces fixed pattern noise. An experimental application of the circuit using 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS technology with pinned photodiodes gave an rms random noise of 263 /spl mu/V and an rms fixed pattern noise of 50 /spl mu/V.

A high-sensitivity CMOS image sensor with gain-adaptive column amplifiers

An MOS-type solid-state imaging apparatus includes an imaging region formed by two-dimensionally arranging unit cells serving as photoelectric conversion portions on a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of vertical address lines arranged in a row direction of the imaging region to select a row of unit cells to be addressed, a plurality of vertical signal lines arranged in a column direction of the imaging region to read out signals from the unit cells in each column, a plurality of load transistors each connected to one end of each of the vertical signal lines, and a plurality of horizontal selection transistors each connected to the other end of each of the vertical signal lines. In this apparatus, each unit cell includes a photodiode serving as a photoelectric conversion portion, an amplification transistor having a gate to which an output from the photodiode is supplied, and a source and a drain respectively connected to the vertical signal line and the vertical address line, an address capacitor connected between the gate of the amplification transistor and the vertical address line, and a reset transistor connected in parallel with the address capacitor.

Nobuo Nakamura

Papers

Solid-state image pickup device and drive method thereof

Solid state image pickup device and method of producing solid state image pickup device

Editing system and control method thereof

A high-sensitivity CMOS image sensor with gain-adaptive column amplifiers

MOS-type solid-state imaging apparatus