Image sensor with integrated amplifiers for data acquisition
AssigneeThomson Tubes Electroniques
InventorsGuy Roziere, Bernard Munier
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Abstract
An image detector using arrays of photodiodes, and in particular to a radiological image detector. In the image detector, all the photodiodes of one and the same array are linked to adapter amplifiers embodied in the form of at least one integrated circuit. In each integrated circuit, an adapter amplifier, to which no photodiode is linked, delivers a voltage serving as a reference to define a bias voltage to be applied to the photodiodes. This arrangement makes it possible in particular to associate photosensitive arrays with amplifiers exhibiting different voltage thresholds.
Claims9
An image detector, comprising an array of photodiodes, plural adapter amplifiers integrated on one and the same substrate, configured to receive electric charges produced by the photodiodes, the electric charges being produced during an integration phase during which they are each biased by a bias voltage, each adapter amplifier having a first input and a second input, the bias voltage being applied to the cathode or anode of each photodiode by way of the first input of a respective adapter amplifier whose second input is linked to a drive input which is common to the plural adapter amplifiers of the same substrate and is brought to a drive voltage, and an additional adapter amplifier integrated on the same substrate, having its second input also receiving the drive voltage, and in that there is provided a circuit receiving the voltage present on the first input of the additional adapter amplifier as a reference potential and establishing between the cathodes or anodes of the photodiodes and the second inputs of the adapter amplifiers a potential difference referenced with respect to the reference potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.