Single substrate camera device with CMOS image sensor

#The invention described herein was made in performance of work under NASA contract and is subject to the provisions of Public Law 96-517 (35 USC 202) in which the contractor has elected to retain title.

#The present invention relates to a single chip imaging sensor.

#Imaging technology is the science of converting an image to a signal indicative thereof. Imaging systems have broad applications in many fields, including commercial, consumer, industrial, medical, defense and scientific markets.

#FIG. 1 shows a basic block diagram of a CMOS active pixel circuit;

#FIG. 2 shows a graph of typical APS quantum efficiency;

#FIG. 3 shows the block diagram of the overall chip including drivers and controlling structures;

#An active pixel sensor is herewith described with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

#A block diagram of a CMOS active pixel circuit is shown in FIG. 1. The device has a pixel circuit 150, and a column circuit 155.

#Incident photons pass through the photogate (“PG”) 100 in the pixel circuit 150 and generate electrons which are integrated and stored under PG 100. A number of the pixel circuits are arranged in each row of the circuit. One of the rows is selected for readout by enabling the row selection transistor 102 (“RS”).