Design of a Prototype 64−Channel ROIC for SWIR Imaging Sensor Applications

Dong-Yeon Lee; Min-Jun Park; Sang-Jun Lee; Hyeon-Junk Kim

doi:10.23075/jicas.2024.10.4.004

Dong-Yeon Lee Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Min-Jun Park Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Sang-Jun Lee Department of Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
Hyeon-Junk Kim Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23075/jicas.2024.10.4.004

Keywords: Short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging technology, Readout integrated circuit (ROIC), Conversion gain control, Sensitivity adjustment

Abstract

This paper presents the design and validation of a 64-channel prototype Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC) for InGaAs-based compound semiconductor pixels, specifically aimed at Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) imaging systems. The ROIC, fabricated using a 0.18μm CMOS process, features an array of channels with a pitch of 50μm and a total chip area of 5 × 2.5 mm². Comprehensive silicon-level validation has been performed to ensure stability and performance reliability. The ROIC exhibits a random noise level of 116.28 μV_rms and operates with a total power consumption of 22.55 mW, demonstrating its suitability for infrared imaging applications. The study highlights the innovative approach of incorporating variable conversion gain and sensitivity adjustment to accommodate different pixel signal characteristics, thereby enhancing the overall imaging performance.

Author Biographies

Dong-Yeon Lee, Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology

Dong-Yeon Lee received the B.S. degree from the Division of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineering at Kangwon National University in Samcheok, South Korea, in 2023. He is currently pursuing a combined M.S./Ph.D. degree in the Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea. His current research interests include CMOS image sensor systems for infrared imaging systems.

Min-Jun Park, Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology

Min-Jun Park received the B.S. degree from the Division of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineering at Kangwon National University in Samcheok, South Korea, in 2023. He is currently pursuing a combined M.S./Ph.D. degree in the Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea. His current research interests include CMOS image sensor systems for machine vision and infrared imaging systems.

Sang-Jun Lee, Department of Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science

Sang-Jun Lee received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in physics from Kyunghee University, Suwon, South Korea, in 1995, 1997, and 2004, respectively. He was a Visiting Researcher at the Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA, in 2005, 2006, and 2008. He is currently a Principal Research Scientist of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, South Korea, and a Professor of the University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea. His research interests include the epitaxial growth, fabrication, characterization of quantum-structure-based infrared sensors, the compound semiconductor based solar cell, and the application of the plasmonics to a specific infrared sensor.

Hyeon-Junk Kim, Department of Semiconductor Engineering at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology

Hyeon-June Kim received the B.S. degree from the Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi, South Korea, in 2010, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea, in 2012 and 2017, respectively. In 2017, he joined SK Hynix, Icheon, South Korea, where he worked on the product development of commercial CISs. From 2020 to 2023, he was with the Department of Electronics Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok, South Korea, as an assistant professor. He has been with the Department of Semiconductor Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea, since 2023, where he is currently an assistant professor. His current research interests include low-power mixed-signal ICs, RF ICs, CMOS image sensors, neuromorphic sensors, and object detection sensor systems.

Homepage : https://issl.seoultech.ac.kr/