A single chip camera which includes an intergrated integrated image acquisition portion and control portion and which has double sampling/noise reduction capabilities thereon. Part of the intergrated integrated structure reduces the noise that is picked up during imaging.
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31. A method of controlling a single chip camera, comprising:
integrating, on a single substrate, an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS, said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors with output nodes, and a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors and a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors, and also integrating at least two charge storage elements on said substrate;
first, shorting together specified nodes of said two charge storage elements;
after said first shorting, sampling voltages on said charge storage elements, said voltages being related to one another.
9. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors; and
a circuit, integrated on said substrate, which reduces a fixed pattern noise including at least one charge storage device, sampling a level indicative of reset.
7. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors; and
a circuit, integrated on said substrate, which reduces a fixed pattern noise,
wherein said timing circuit controls readout from said chip in a correlated double sampling mode.
33. A single chip camera device, comprising: a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS; said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors and a noise reduction circuit;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals;
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors to output a plurality of outputs at a time and controlling an operation of said noise reduction circuit to occur during a time when signals are not being read from said array of photodetectors.
1. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors; and
a circuit, integrated on said substrate, which reduces a fixed pattern noise, wherein said signal controlling device includes a column-parallel read out device, which reads out a row of said photoreceptors at substantially the same time.
14. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors arranged in rows and columns;
a charge storage element, associated with each said column;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors;
said control portion including logic elements to control a double delta sampling, integrated on the chip, which shorts sampled signals during the readout cycle, thereby reducing column fixed pattern noise.
10. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors; and
a circuit, integrated on said substrate, which reduces a fixed pattern noise, including at least two charge storage devices, one controlled by said timing circuit to first sample a level indicative of reset, and another controlled by said timing circuit to second sample a level indicative of a charged device.
6. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and a control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors;
a circuit, integrated on said substrate, which reduces a fixed pattern noise; and
a mode selector device, selecting a mode of operation of said chip, wherein said photoreceptors are either photogates or photodiodes, and said mode selector device selects a first mode of operation for operation with photogates, and a second mode of operation, different than said first mode of operation, for operation with photodiodes.
24. A single chip camera device, comprising:
a substrate, having integrated thereon an image acquisition portion and control portion, both of which are formed using a logic family that is compatible with CMOS;
said image acquisition portion integrated in said substrate including an array of photoreceptors in rows and columns;
first and second charge storage elements, associated with each said column;
said control portion integrated in said substrate including a signal controlling device,
said control portion also including, integrated in said substrate, a timing circuit integrated within the same substrate that houses the array of photoreceptors, controlling a timing of operation of said array of photoreceptors, controlling said photoreceptors to output their signals such that said first charge storage element receives the signal indicative of reset and said second charge storage element receives a signal indicative of a charged state;
said control portion including a shorting element, formed on said substrate which shorts between said first and second charge storage elements to reduce noise produced thereby.
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sampling a reset value as a first sample;
allowing said photoreceptors to accumulate charge, after resetting said output nodes;
sampling said output nodes after accumulating said charge, producing output signals indicative of a difference between said reset value and said sampled value after accumulating said charge.
34. A device as in
35. A device as in
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This a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/120,856, filed Jul. 21 1998
where n is number of columns, I is the load transistor bias, V is the supply voltage, and d is the duty cycle. Using n=512, I=μA, V=5V and d=10%, a value for Ps of 2.5 mW is obtained.
A load current of 1 mA or more is needed to drive the horizontal bus lines at the video scan rate. The power dissipated is typically 5 mW.
Quantum efficiency measured in this CMOS APS array is similar to that for interline CCDs. A typical response curve is shown in
The inventors postulate the following reason. The transistor gate and channel absorb photons with short absorption lengths (i.e. blue/green). However, longer wavelength photons penetrate through these regions. The subsequently-generated carriers diffuse laterally and are subsequently collected by the photogate.
Thus, despite a fill factor of 25%-30%, the CMOS APS achieves quantum efficiencies that peak between 30%-35% in the red and near infrared. Microlenses are preferably added to refract photoelectrons from the dead part to a live part and hence improve quantum efficiency.
An important feature of the system described herein is the integration of on-chip timing and control circuits within the same substrate that houses the pixel array and the signal chain electronics. A block diagram of the chip architecture is shown in
The analog outputs VS_out (signal) and VR_out (reset) are as described above. The digital outputs include FRAME and READ. Most of the inputs to the chip are asynchronous digital signals, as described herein.
The chip includes a pixel array 300, which is driven by on-chip electronics. Timing and control circuit 302 drives row electronics 310, and column electronics 320.
The control circuits can command read-out of any area of interest within the array. Row decoder 312 controls row drivers 314 which can select a certain row for readout. A specific row is selected by entry of a row value 316 which is output from timing and control 302. Row value 316 is stored in latch 318 which drives counter 319. Counter 319 can allow selection of subsequent rows that follow the current row. Similarly, columns can be selected and accessed by latches 322, counter 324, decoder 326 and column signal conditioning 328.
Each of the decoder counters can be preset to start and stop at any value that has been loaded into the chip via the 8-bit data bus 330. Therefore, as described above, selection of a row commands pixels in that row to be transferred to the appropriate row decoding elements, e.g., capacitors. Preferably there is one capacitor associated with each column. This provides for the sequential readout of rows using the column. The capacitors are preferably included within the column signal conditioner 328. Column decoders 326 also allow selection of only a certain column to be read. There are two parts of each column selection: where to start reading, and where to stop reading. Preferably the operation is carried out using counters and registers. A binary up-counter within the decoder 326 is preset to the start value. A preset number of rows is used by loading the 2's compliment. The up counter then counts up until an overflow.
An alternate loading command is provided using the DEFAULT LOAD input line 332. Activation of this line forces all counters to a readout window of 128×128.
A programmable integration time is set by adjusting the delay between the end of one frame and the beginning of the next. This parameter is set by loading a 32-bit latch via the input data bus 330. A 32-bit counter operates from one-fourth the clock input frequency and is preset at each frame from the latch. The counter can hence provide vary large integration delays. The input clock can be any frequency up to about 10 MHZ. The pixel readout rate is tied to one-fourth the clock rate. Thus, frame rate is determined by the clock frequency, the window settings, and the delay integration time. The integration time is therefore equal to the delay time and the readout time for a 2.5 MHZ clock. The maximum delay time is 232/2.5 MHz, or around 28 minutes. These values therefore easily allow obtaining a 30 Hz frame.
The timing and control circuit controls the phase generation to generate the sequences for accessing the rows. The sequences must occur in a specified order. However, different sequences are used for different modes of operation. The system is selectable between the photodiode mode of operation and the photogate mode of operation. The timing diagrams for the two gates are respectively shown in
The column signal conditioning circuitry contains a double-delta sampling fixed pattern noise (“FPN”) suppression stage that reduces FPN to below 0.2% sat with a random distribution. Since the APS is formed of a logic family that is compatible with CMOS, e.g., NMOS, the circuitry can be formed of CMOS. This allows power dissipation in the timing and control digital circuitry to be minimized and to scale with clock rate.
An active pixel sensor includes both a photodetector and the readout amplifier integrated within the same substrate as the light collecting device, e.g., the photodiode. The readout amplifier is preferably within and/or associated with a pixel.
A first embodiment of the present invention is a 128×128 CMOS photodiode type active pixel sensor that includes on chip timing, control and signal train electronics. A more detailed drawing of the chip is shown in
Where α is the gain of the pixel source follower 508, β is the gain of the column source follower 526, and Vpdr is the voltage on the photodiode after reset, Vtpix is the threshold voltage of the pixel source follower and channel transistor, and Vtcolr is the threshold voltage of the column source follower p-channel transistor.
Using similar reasoning, the output voltage of the signal branch of the column circuit is
Vcol_S≅β{α[Vpds−Vtpix]−Vtcols}
where Vpds is the voltage on the photodiode with the signal charge present and Vtcols is the threshold voltage of the column source-follower p-channel transistor.
The inventors have found experimentally that the peak-to-peak variation Vtcolr−Vtcols is typically between 10 and 20 millivolts. This, however, is a source of column to column fixed pattern noise. The inventors herein suggest a double delta sampling technique to eliminate this column to column noise. The present approach represents an improved version of the previously-described double delta sampling circuitry. The operation proceeds as follows. A column is first selected. After a settling time equivalent to half of the column selection period, a special double delta sampling technique is performed to remove the column fixed pattern noise. Therefore, the varying thresholds on the different transistors cause varying outputs. According to this aspect, the threshold outputs of these transistors are equalized using a capacitor to equalize the charge. The capacitor is applied with the charge before and after the voltage change. Therefore, the output of the capacitor represents the difference between before and after, and the fixed pattern noise component drops out of the equation.
This system uses a DDS switch 520 and first and second column select switches 522, 524 to short across the respective capacitors. All three switches are turned on to short across the two sample and hold capacitors 510. This clamp operation is shown in line 8 of
Prior to the DDS operation, the reset and signal column components, Vcol_R and Vcol_S include their signal values plus a source follower voltage threshold component from the appropriate source follower. The object of the special following circuit of the present invention is to remove that source follower threshold component. The operation proceeds as follows. Prior to the beginning of some operation, the capacitors are precharged through clamp transistors to a clamp voltage Vcl. This is maintained by turning on clamp transistors 550 and 552 to connect the appropriate capacitors to the voltage Vcl. The clamp operation is shown on line 8 of
VR_OUT≅γ(Vcl−Vtr)
and
VS_OUT≅γ(Vcl−Vts)
where γ is the gain of the third stage source-follower, Vcl is the clamp voltage, and Vtr and Vts are the threshold voltages of the third stage source-follower n-channel transistors, reset and signal branch respectively. Deactivation of the clamp circuit and simultaneous activation of the DDS switch causes several changes. The voltages in the two column branch sampling circuits equalize becoming:
Vc3=Vcr=α[Vpdr−Vtpix+Vpds−Vtpix]/2
This in turn causes a change in Vcol_S and Vcol_R to:
Vcol_R′≅β{α[Vpdr−Vtpix+Vpds−Vtpix]/2−Vtcolr}
and
Vcol_S′≅β{α[Vpdr−Vtpix+Vpds−Vtpix]/2−Vtcols}
Consequently, the voltage outputs change to:
VR_OUT≅γ(Vcl−Vcol_R′−Vcol_R−Vtr)
and
VS_OUT≅γ(Vcl−Vcol_S′−Vcol_S−Vts)
We note
Vcol_S′−Vcol_S=β{α[Vpds−Vpdr]/2}
and
Vcol_R′−Vcol_R=β{α[Vpdr−Vpds]/2}
When the outputs are differentially amplified off-chip, the common clamp voltage Vcl is removed, leaving only the difference between signal and reset. The net differential output voltage is given by:
VR_OUT−VS_OUT=αβγ(Vpdr−Vpds=Vconst)
A second embodiment uses similar design techniques to produce a 256×256 array size. This embodiment also uses a pixel with a photogate imaging element along with four transistors to perform the functions of readout, selection, and reset. Readout is preferably achieved using a column parallel architecture which is multiplexed one row at a time and then one column at a time through an on-chip amplifier/buffer. An important part of this embodiment, like the first embodiment, is the use of a chip common logic elements to control row and address decoders and delay counters.
This embodiment allows use in three modes of operation: Photogate mode, photodiode mode and differencing mode. The photogate mode is the standard mode for this chip. The photodiode mode alters the readout timing to be similar to that for photodiode operation. The differencing mode alters the readout timing in such a way that the value of each pixel output is the difference between the current frame and the previous frame. The chip inputs that are required are a single +5 V power supply, start command, and parallel data load commands for defining integration time and windowing parameters. The output has two differential analog channels.
The second embodiment uses the block diagram of the chip architecture shown in
A programmable integration time is set by adjusting the delay between the end of one frame and the beginning of the next. This parameter is set by loading a 32-bit latch via the input data bus. A 32-bit counter operates from one-fourth the clock input frequency and is preset at each frame from the latch. This counter allows forming very large integration delays. The input clock can be any frequency up to about 10 MHZ. The pixel readout rate is tied to one fourth the clock rate. Thus, frame rate is determined by the clock frequency, the window settings, and the delay integration time. A 30 HZ frame rate can be achieved without difficulty.
The chip is idle when the RUN command is deactivated. This is the recommended time for setting the operating parameters. However, these parameters can be set at any time because of the asynchronous nature of operation. When RUN is activated, the chip begins continuous readout of frames based on the parameters loaded in the control registers. When RUN is deactivated, the frame in progress runs to completion and then stops.
The 256×256 CMOS APS uses a system having a similar block diagram to those described previously. The pixel unit cell has a photogate (PG), a source-follower input transistor, a row selection transistor and a reset transistor. A load transistor VLN and two output branches to store the reset and signal levels are located at the bottom of each column of pixels. Each branch has a sample and hold capacitor (CS or CR) with a sampling switch (SHS or SHR) and a source-follower with a column-selection switch (COL). The reset and signal levels are read out differentially, allowing correlated double sampling to suppress 1/f noise and fixed pattern noise (not kTC noise) from the pixel.
A double delta sampling (DDS) circuit shorts the sampled signals during the readout cycle reducing column fixed pattern noise. These readout circuits are common to an entire column of pixels. The load transistors of the second set of source followers (VLP) and the subsequent clamp circuits and output source followers are common to the entire array. After a row has been selected, each pixel is reset (RESET) and the reset value is sampled (SHR) onto the holding capacitor CR. Next, the charge under each photogate in the row is transferred to the floating diffusion (FD). This is followed by sampling this level (SHS) onto holding capacitor CS. These signals are then placed on the output data bus by the column select circuitry. In the Photodiode mode this process, is reversed; first the charge under the photogate is read out and then the reset level is sampled. This non-correlated double sampling mode would be primarily used with a photodiode, i.e., non active pixel sensor, pixel.
In the differencing mode, the capacitors CS and CR are used to store the signal from the previous frame and the current frame. This is achieved by altering the timing in the following way: Rather than starting with a reset operation, the signal on the floating diffusion is read out to one of the sample and hold capacitors. This represents the previous pixel value. The reset is then performed followed by a normal read operation. This value is then stored on the other sample and hold capacitor. The difference between these two signals is now the frame to frame difference.
A simplified expression for the output of the reset branch of the column circuit is given by:
Vcol_R≅β{α[Vr−Vtpix]−Vtcolr}
where α is the gain of the pixel source-follower; β is the gain of the column source-follower, Vr is the voltage on the floating diffusion after reset, Vtpix is the threshold voltage of the pixel source-follower n-channel transistor, and Vtcolr is the threshold voltage of the column source-follower p-channel transistor. Similarly, the output voltage of the signal branch of the column circuit is given by:
Vcol_S≅β{α[Vs−Vtpix]−Vtcols}
where VS is the voltage on the floating diffusion wish the signal charge present and Vtcols is the threshold voltage of the column source-follower p-channel transistor. Experimentally, the peak to peak variation in Vtcolr−Vtcols is typically 10-20 mV. It is desirable to remove this source of column-to-column fixed pattern noise FPN. JPL has previously developed a double delta sampling (DDS) technique to eliminate the column-to-column FPN. This approach represented an improved version of the DDS circuitry.
Sequential readout of each column is as follows. First a column is selected. After a settling time equivalent to one-half the column selection period, the DDS is performed to remove column fixed pattern noise. In this operation, a DDS switch and two column selection switches on either side are used to short the two sample and hold capacitors CS and CR. Prior to the DDS operation the reset and signal outputs (Vcol_R and VCOL_S) contain their respective signal values plus a source follower voltage threshold component. The DDS switch is activated immediately after CLAMP is turned off. The result is a difference voltage coupled to the output drivers (VR_OUT and VS_OUT) that is free of the voltage threshold component.
This chip uses a similar pixel cell to that shown in
According to another feature, a logo can be formed on the acquired image by using a light blocking metal light shield. The light shield is formed to cover certain pixels in the shape of the logo to be applied. This blocks out those underlying pixels in the array, thereby forming a logo in the shape of the blocked pixels.
The output saturation level of the sensor is 800 mv when operated from a 5 V supply. Saturation is determined by the difference between the reset level on the floating diffusion node (e.g. 3 V) and the minimum voltage allowed on the pixel source follower gate (e.g. threshold voltage of approx. 0.8 volts). This corresponds to a full well of approximately 75,000 electrons. This can be increased by operating at a larger supply voltage, gaining about 47,000 per supply volt.
Dark current was measured at less than 500 pA/cm2.
Conversion gain (μV/e−) was obtained per pixel by plotting the variance in pixel output as a function of mean signal for flat field exposure. The fixed pattern noise arising from dispersion in conversion gain was under 1%—similar to the value found in CCDs and consistent with the well-controlled gain of a source-follower buffer.
The quantum efficiency of the detector was measured using a CVI ¼ m monochromator and a tungsten/halogen light source, calibrated using a photodiode traceable to NIST standards.
Fossum, Eric R., Nixon, Robert
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