A wide dynamic range CMOS image sensor with 200-1100nm spectral sensitivity and high robustness to UV right exposure

A highly UV-light sensitive and sensitivity robust CMOS image sensor with a wide dynamic range (DR) was developed and evaluated. The developed CMOS image sensor includes a lateral overflow integration capacitor in each pixel in order to achieve a high sensitivity and a wide DR simultaneously. As in-pixel photodiodes (PDs), buried pinned PDs were formed on flattened Si surface. The PD has a thin surface p⁺ layer with a steep dopant concentration profile to form an electric field that drifts photoelectrons to the pinned n layer. This structure improves UV-light sensitivity and its stability. In addition, a buried channel source follower driver was introduced to achieve a low pixel noise. This CMOS image sensor was fabricated by a 0.18-μm 1-polycrystalline silicon 3-metal CMOS process technology with buried pinned PD. The fabricated image sensor has a high sensitivity for 200-1100nm light wave band, high robustness of sensitivity and dark current toward UV-light exposure and a wide DR of 97 dB. In this paper, the PD structures, the circuit, the operation sequence and the measurement results of this CMOS image sensor are discussed.