CMOS IMAGE SENSORS - An introduction to the techology, design, and performance limits, presenting recent developments and future directions

摘要

The market for solid-state image sensors has been experiencing explosive growth in recent years due to the increasing demands of mobile imaging, digital still and video cameras, Internet-based video conferencing, surveillance, and biometrics. With over 230 million parts shipped in 2004 and an estimated annual growth rate of over 28 (In-Stat/MDR), image sensors have become a significant silicon technology driver. Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) have traditionally been the dominant image-sensor technology. Recent advances in the design of image sensors implemented in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies have led to their adoption in several high-volume products, such as the optical mouse, PC cameras, mobile phones, and high-end digital cameras, making them a viable alternative to CCDs. Additionally, by exploiting the ability to integrate sensing with analog and digital processing down to the pixel level, new types of CMOS imaging devices are being created for man-machine interface, surveillance and monitoring, machine vision, and biological testing, among other applications.