A wide dynamic range CMOS image sensor with improved heat-resistance and image quality at high temperatures

A 1/4-inch VGA wide-dynamic-range complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor with resistance to high temperatures has been developed using a lateral overflow capacitor in a pixel, a very low dark-current front-end-of-line (VLDC FEOL), and either an inorganic cap layer on an on-chip-micro-lens (OCML) or a metal hermetically sealed package to suppress the degradation of the spectra response of the OCML and color filter. The dark current level was reduced to 25e^-/sec/pixel at 60° C. Sensor chips with no cap and ones with the inorganic cap layer on the OCML were assembled into either a metal hermetically sealed package or a conventional package. The chips with the inorganic cap layer and the ones with the metal hermetically sealed package showed no significant degradation of the spectra response in any of the R/G/B pixels even after a thermal stress test at 150° C. Improved image sensing performances were observed up to 85° C, and the dynamic range was extended to 94dB.