Interpreting Activation Energies In Digital Image Sensors

• doi: 10.1109/TED.2015.2451661
• title: Interpreting Activation Energies in Digital Image Sensors
• publisher: IEEE
• isbn:
• issn: 1557-9646
• rank: 2824
• access_type: LOCKED
• content_type: Journals
• abstract: We present a study demonstrating the dependence of apparent activation energies on signal charge in digital image sensors. The data presented in this paper are for a charge-coupled device imager, but the analysis can be applied to CMOS sensors or generally to any system that shows nonlinearity with respect to time. Activation energies for some pixels are observed to vary between values at about half the bandgap of silicon, when calculated at low signal-charge levels, to values approaching the bandgap when calculated at high signal-charge levels. As such, the traditional method of calculating activation energies using a single exposure time at varying temperatures will result in different activation energies dependent on the exposure time chosen, making it difficult to draw physically meaningful conclusions from its value. Therefore, a method of calculating activation energies using a single signal-charge level is proposed, making it easier to correlate activation energies with impurities. Further, we demonstrate how a model of a pixel with a fixed location impurity in conjunction with a moving depletion edge, due to a changing depletion region size, can lead to this behavior.
• article_number: 7166302
• pdf_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=7166302
• html_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7166302/
• abstract_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7166302/
• publication_title: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
• conference_location:
• conference_dates:
• publication_number: 16
• is_number: 7365508
• publication_year: 2016
• publication_date: Jan. 2016
• start_page: 26
• end_page: 31
• citing_paper_count: 5
• citing_patent_count: 0
• download_count: 591
• insert_date: 20150724
• index_terms:
  • ieee_terms:
    • Impurities
    • Dark current
    • Temperature sensors
    • Photonic band gap
    • Temperature measurement
    • Digital images
  • author_terms:
    • Activation energies
    • Arrhenius equation charge-coupled device (CCD)
    • CCDs
    • dark current
    • digital image sensors
    • impurities
    • noise.
    • Activation energies
    • Arrhenius equation charge-coupled device (CCD)
    • CCDs
    • dark current
    • digital image sensors
    • impurities
    • noise
  • dynamic_index_terms:
    • Digital Images
    • Activation Energy
    • Digital Image Sensor
    • Exposure Time
    • Band Gap
    • Depletion Region
    • Space Charge Region
    • Depletion Layer
    • Depletion Zone
    • Apparent Activation Energy
    • Signal-to-noise
    • Signal-to-noise Ratio
    • Straight Line
    • Count Levels
    • Arrhenius Equation
    • Arrhenius Law
    • Edge Region
    • Arrhenius Plot
    • Arrhenius Relationship
    • Dark Current
    • Dark Energy
    • Activation Energy Values
    • Dark Count
    • Empty Regions
    • Series Of Frames
• authors:
  • Author Name: Justin C. Dunlap
    Affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37682058800
    ID: 37682058800
    Order: 1
    Author Affiliations:
    • Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
  • Author Name: Morley M. Blouke
    Affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37424556100
    ID: 37424556100
    Order: 2
    Author Affiliations:
    • Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
  • Author Name: Erik Bodegom
    Affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37321263100
    ID: 37321263100
    Order: 3
    Author Affiliations:
    • Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
  • Author Name: Ralf Widenhorn
    Affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37317878800
    ID: 37317878800
    Order: 4
    Author Affiliations:
    • Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

Image Sensor

• sensor_type: Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)
• resolution: 1.6 Megapixels
• dynamic_range: Not specified in detail
• pixel_size: Not specified
• dark_current: Not specified but relates to activation energy calculations and performance analysis of pixels with varying dark current characteristics.

Optical Data

• focal_length: Not specified
• aperture: Not specified
• field_of_view: Not specified
• distortion: Not specified

Performance Metrics

Applications & Benefits

• cell_imaging: Not specified
• benefits: The study highlights the importance of understanding dark current characteristics and variations across individual pixels for better interpretation of activation energies and dark current performance associated with impurities.

Supporting Organizations

• supported_by: Portland State University, Smith Kamback Fund, MJ Murdock Charitable Trust (grants 2011356 and 2013354).

Manuscript Details

• publication_date: Jan. 2016

Relevancy Score

• score: 8
• missing_fields:
  • resolution
  • dark_current
  • pixel_size
  • focal_length
  • aperture
  • field_of_view
  • distortion
  • frame_rate
  • signal_to_noise_ratio
  • sensitivity
  • shutter_speed
  • power_consumption
  • noise

Processed JSON Filename

request_7cf39da7-ace9-4d3b-b263-bcb19d598aee-interpreting_activation_energies_in_digital_image_sensors.json