High-speed, high-sensitivity charge-coupled device with independent pixel control of charge collection and storage

US7091530B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · US

Inventors

• Robert K. Reich · Tyngsborough, US
• Bernard B. Kosicki · Acton, US
• Jonathan Twichell · Cedar Park, US
• Barry E. Burke · Spring, US
• Dennis D. Rathman · Ashland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 2, 2003
• Grant date: Aug 15, 2006
• Expiry date: Jul 2, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F77/147

Abstract

A charge-coupled device imager including an array of super pixels disposed in a semiconductor substrate having a surface that is accessible to incident illumination. For each super pixel there is provided a plurality of subpixels which each correspond to one in the sequence of image frames. Each subpixel includes a doped photogenerated charge collection channel region opposite the illumination-accessible substrate surface, a charge collection channel region control electrode, doped charge drain regions adjacent to the channel region, a charge drain region control electrode, and a doped charge collection control region. To each subpixel are provided channel region and drain region control voltage connections, for independent collection and storage of photogenerated charge from the substrate at the charge collection channel region of a selected subpixel during one in the sequence of image frames and for drainage of photogenerated charge from the substrate to a drain region.