A CMOS image sensor with nearly unity-gain source follower and optimized column amplifier

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Abstract

This paper presents a CMOS image sensor with in-pixel nearly unity-gain pMOS transistor based source followers and optimized column-parallel amplifiers. The prototype sensor has been fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. By eliminating the body effect of the source follower transistor, the voltage gain for the pixel-level readout circuitry approaches unity. The use of a single-ended common-source cascode amplifier with ground rail regulation improves the PSRR of the column-parallel analog front-end circuitry and further the noise performance. Electrical characterization results show that the proposed pixel improves the conversion gain after the in-pixel source follower by 42% compared to that of the conventional structure. The prototype sensor with proposed readout architecture reaches a 1.1e- input-referred temporal noise with a column-level ×16 analog gain.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2016 IEEE Sensors Proceedings
EditorsE. Fontana, C. Ruiz-Zamarreno
Place of PublicationPiscataway, NJ
PublisherIEEE
Pages1-3
Number of pages3
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-4799-8287-5
ISBN (Print)978-1-4799-8288-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016
EventIEEE Sensors 2016: 15th IEEE Sensors Conference - Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center, Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: 30 Oct 20162 Nov 2016
Conference number: 15

Conference

ConferenceIEEE Sensors 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando, FL
Period30/10/162/11/16

Keywords

  • CMOS image sensor
  • source follower
  • amplifier
  • regulator
  • noise

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