• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.12 no.7
• /
• pp.1235-1242
• /
• 2008

In this paper, x-ray image sensor of photon counting type having a $32{\times}32$ pixel array is designed with $0.18{\mu}m$ triple-well CMOS process. Each pixel of the designed image sensor has an area of loot $100{\times}100\;{\mu}m2$ and is composed of about 400 transistors. It has an open pad of an area of $50{\times}50{\mu}m2$ of CSA(charge Sensitive Amplifier) with x-ray detector through a bump bonding. To reduce layout size, self-biased folded cascode CMOS OP amp is used instead of folded cascode OP amp with voltage bias circuit at each single-pixel CSA, and 15-bit LFSR(Linear Feedback Shift Register) counter clock generator is proposed to remove short pulse which occurs from the clock before and after it enters the counting mode. And it is designed that sensor data can be read out of the sensor column by column using a column address decoder to reduce the maximum current of the CMOS x-ray image sensor in the readout mode.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.322-329
• /
• 2007

A single pixel photon counting type image sensor which is applicable for medical diagnosis with digitally obtained image and industrial purpose has been designed with $0.18{\mu}m$ triple-well CMOS process. The designed single pixel for readout chip is able to be operated by single supply voltage to simplify digital X-ray image sensor module and a preamplifier which is consist of folded cascode CMOS operational amplifier has been designed to enlarge signal voltage(${\Delta}Vs$), the output voltage of preamplifier. And an externally tunable threshold voltage generator circuit which generates threshold voltage in the readout chip has been newly proposed against the conventional external threshold voltage supply. In addition, A dark current compensation circuit for reducing dark current noise from photo diode is proposed and 15bit LFSR(Linear Feedback Shift Resister) Counter which is able to have high counting frequency and small layout area is designed.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.2369-2379
• /
• 2013

A CMOS x-ray line scan sensor which is used in both medical imaging and non-destructive diagnosis is designed. It has a pixel array of 512 columns ${\times}$ 4 rows and a built-in DC-DC converter. The pixel circuit is newly proposed to have three binning modes such as no binning, $2{\times}2$ binning, and $4{\times}4$ binning in order to select one of pixel sizes of $100{\mu}m$, $200{\mu}m$, and $400{\mu}m$. It is designed to output a fully differential image signal which is insensitive to power supply and input common mode noises. The layout size of the designed line scan sensor with a $0.18{\mu}m$ x-ray CMOS image sensor process is $51,304{\mu}m{\times}5,945{\mu}m$.

• Journal of IKEEE
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.193-200
• /
• 2015

In this paper, we propose the radiation measuring algorithm and the device composition using CMOS image sensor. The radiation measuring algorithm using CMOS image sensor is based on the radiation particle distinguishing algorithm projected to the CMOS image sensor and accumulated and average number of pixels of the radiation particles projected to dozens of images per second with CMOS image sensor. The radiation particle distinguishing algorithm projected to the CMOS image sensor measures the radiation particle images by dividing them into R, G and B and adjusting the threshold value that distinguishes light intensity and background from the particle of each image. The radiation measuring algorithm measures radiation with accumulated and average number of radiation particles projected to dozens of images per second with CMOS image sensor according to the preset cycle. The hardware devices to verify the suggested algorithm consists of CMOS image sensor and image signal processor part, control part, power circuit part and display part. The test result of radiation measurement using the suggested CMOS image sensor is as follows. First, using the low-cost CMOS image sensor to measure radiation particles generated similar characteristics to that from measurement with expensive GM Tube. Second, using the low-cost CMOS image sensor to measure radiation presented largely similar characteristics to the linear characteristics of expensive GM Tube.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.2237-2246
• /
• 2012

A bias circuit required for an oral sensor is manufactured inside the oral sensor chip to reduce its size and cost. The proposed DC-DC converter supplies the required reference and bias currents for their corresponding regulators by using IREF of the reference current generator. Their target voltages of the voltage regulators are regulated by the negative mechanism by generating their reference voltages required for their corresponding regulators. In addition, a constant current IB0/IB1 is supplied by being mirrored by a current mirror ratio and then VREF is generated. It is confirmed by measurements that the average volatge, ${\sigma}$, and $4{\sigma}$ of the designed DC-DC converter for intra oral sensors with a $0.18{\mu}m$ X-ray CMOS process are within their required ranges. And the line-pair pattern image shows a high-resolution characteristic without blurring. Also, a good oral image can be obtained.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.330-336
• /
• 2007

A single pixel photon counting type image sensor which is applicable for medical diagnosis with digitally obtained image and industrial purpose has tern designed with $0.18{\mu}m$ triple-well CMOS process. The designed single pixel for readout chip is able to be operated by single supply voltage to simplify digital X-ray image sensor module and a preamplifier which is consist of folded cascode CMOS operational amplifier has been designed to enlarge signal voltage(${\Delta}Vs$), the output voltage of preamplifier. And an externally tunable threshold voltage generator circuit which generates threshold voltage in the readout chip has been newly proposed against the conventional external threshold voltage supply. In addition, A dark current compensation circuit for reducing dark current noise from photo diode is proposed and 15bit LFSR(Linear Feedback Shift Resister) Counter which is able to have high counting frequency and small layout area is designed.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2015

The trend of x-ray image sensor has been evolved from an amorphous silicon sensor to a crystal silicon sensor. A crystal silicon X-ray sensor, meaning a X-ray CIS (CMOS image sensor), is consisted of three transistors (Trs), i.e., a Reset Transistor, a Source Follower and a Select Transistor, and a photodiode. They are highly sensitive to radiation exposure. As the frequency of exposure to radiation increases, the quality of the imaging device dramatically decreases. The most well known effects of a X-ray CIS due to the radiation damage are increments in the reset voltage and dark currents. In this study, a pixel array of a X-ray CIS was made of $20{\times}20pixels$ and this pixel array was exposed to a high radiation dose. The radiation source was Co-60 and the total radiation dose was increased from 1 to 9 kGy with a step of 1 kGy. We irradiated the small pixel array to get the increments data of the reset voltage and the dark currents. Also, we simulated the radiation effects of the pixel by MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) simulation. From the comparison of actual data and simulation data, the most affected location could be determined and the cause of the increments of the reset voltage and dark current could be found.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
• /
• 2006.06a
• /
• pp.563-564
• /
• 2006

A single photon counting type image sensor which is applicable for medical diagnosis with digitally obtained image and industrial purpose has been designed using $0.25{\mu}m$triple well CMOS process.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2012

A image quality is limited by a sample-and-hold circuit of the X-ray CMOS image sensor even though simple mos switch or bootstrapped clock circuit are used to get high quality sampled signal. Because distortion of sampled signal is produced by the charge injection from sample-and-hold circuit even using bootstrapped. This paper presents the 3D micro-inductor design methode in the CMOS process. Using this methode, it is possible to increase the ENOB (effective number of bit) through the use of micro-inductor which is calculated and designed in standard CMOS process in this paper. The ENOB is improved 0.7 bit from 17.64 bit to 18.34 bit without any circuit just by optimized inductor value resulting in verified simulation result. Because of this feature, micro-inductor methode suggested in this paper is able to adapt a mamography that is needed high resolution so that it help to decrease patients dose amount.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.31-40
• /
• 2012

There are two methods to fabricate the readout electronic to a large-area CMOS image sensor (LACIS). One is to design and manufacture the sensor part and signal processing electronics in a single chip and the other is to integrate both parts with bump bonding or wire bonding after manufacturing both parts separately. The latter method has an advantage of the high yield because the optimized and specialized fabrication process can be chosen in designing and manufacturing each part. In this paper, LACIS chip, that is optimized design for the latter method of fabrication, is presented. The LACIS chip consists of a 3-TR pixel photodiode array, row driver (or called as a gate driver) circuit, and bonding pads to the external readout ICs. Among 4 types of the photodiode structure available in a standard CMOS process, $N_{photo}/P_{epi}$ type photodiode showed the highest quantum efficiency in the simulation study, though it requires one additional mask to control the doping concentration of $N_{photo}$ layer. The optimized channel widths and lengths of 3 pixel transistors are also determined by simulation. The select transistor is not significantly affected by channel length and width. But source follower transistor is strongly influenced by length and width. In row driver, to reduce signal time delay by high capacitance at output node, three stage inverter drivers are used. And channel width of the inverter driver increases gradually in each step. The sensor has very long metal wire that is about 170 mm. The repeater consisted of inverters is applied proper amount of pixel rows. It can help to reduce the long metal-line delay.