Zhibin Yao

Displacement damage effects on CMOS APS image sensors induced by neutron irradiation from a nuclear reactor

The experiments of displacement damage effects on CMOS APS image sensors induced by neutron irradiation from a nuclear reactor are presented. The CMOS APS image sensors are manufactured in the standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The flux of neutron beams was about 1.33 × 108 n/cm2s. The three samples were exposed by 1 MeV neutron equivalent-fluence of 1 × 1011, 5 × 1011, and 1 × 1012 n/cm2, respectively. The mean dark signal (KD), dark signal spike, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), noise (VN), saturation output signal voltage (VS), and dynamic range (DR) versus neutron fluence are investigated. The degradation mechanisms of CMOS APS image sensors are analyzed. The mean dark signal increase due to neutron displacement damage appears to be proportional to displacement damage dose. The dark images from CMOS APS image sensors irradiated by neutrons are presented to investigate the generation of dark signal spike.

Research on proton radiation effects on CMOS image sensors with experimental and particle transport simulation methods

Recently, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors (CISs) have become a key element of the imaging instrument and have been widely used in many scientific applications [1, 2] such as space remote sensing, medical imaging, and nuclear power plant monitoring. However, CISs used in these harsh radiation environments are susceptible to damage by particles or rays. This radiation damage includes the total ionizing dose (TID) damage, displacement dose (DD) damage, and single event transient (SET) damage. Damage by any of these would lead to image quality degradation or even functional failure. Therefore, in-deep analyses of the radiation effects on CISs are very important for the improvement of the performance of CISs under the radiation environments.

Modeling dark signal of CMOS image sensors irradiated by reactor neutron using Monte Carlo method

The dark signal degradation of the CMOS image sensor (CIS) was induced by neutron radiation, and it was modeled by Geant4, which is a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code. The simplified model of the CIS array was established according to the actual pixel geometry, material, and doping concentration. Nuclear elastic interaction and capture interaction were included in the physical processes, and the displacement damage dose in the space charge region of the pixel was calculated. The mean dark signal and dark signal distribution were modeled using Geant4, and the physical mechanisms were analyzed. The modeling results were in good agreement with the experimental and theoretical results.

Proton Radiation Effects on Dark Signal Distribution of PPD CMOS Image Sensors: Both TID and DDD Effects

Four-transistor (T) pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) with four-megapixel resolution using 11µm pitch high dynamic range pixel were radiated with 3 MeV and 10MeV protons. The dark signal was measured pre- and post-radiation, with the dark signal post irradiation showing a remarkable increase. A theoretical method of dark signal distribution pre- and post-radiation is used to analyze the degradation mechanisms of the dark signal distribution. The theoretical results are in good agreement with experimental results. This research would provide a good understanding of the proton radiation effects on the CIS and make it possible to predict the dark signal distribution of the CIS under the complex proton radiation environments.

Theoretical and experimental study of the dark signal in CMOS image sensors affected by neutron radiation from a nuclear reactor

The CMOS image sensors (CISs) are irradiated with neutron from a nuclear reactor. The dark signal in CISs affected by neutron radiation is studied theoretically and experimentally. The Primary knock-on atoms (PKA) energy spectra for 1 MeV incident neutrons are simulated by Geant4. And the theoretical models for the mean dark signal, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU) and dark signal distribution versus neutron fluence are established. The results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental outputs. Finally, the dark signal in the CISs under the different neutron fluence conditions is estimated. This study provides the theoretical and experimental evidence for the displacement damage effects on the dark signal CISs.

Evaluation of the Degradation on a COTS Linear CCD Induced by Total Ionizing Dose Radiation Damage

The evaluation of the degradation on a COTS linear Charge Coupled Device (CCD) induced by total ionizing dose (TID) radiation damage was presented. The radiation experiments were carried out at a 60Co γ-ray source. The parameters of DALSA’s linear CCD were measured at the CCD test systems as the EMVA1288 standard before and after the radiation. The dark current, dark signal nonuniformity (DSNU), photo response nonuniformity (PRNU), saturation output, full-well capacity (FWC), quantum efficiency (QE), and responsivity versus the TID were analyzed. The behavior of the tested CCD had shown a remarkable degradation after radiation. The degradation mechanisms of the CCD induced by TID damage were also discussed.

Characterization of total ionizing dose damage in COTS pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

The characterization of total ionizing dose (TID) damage in COTS pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) is investigated. The radiation experiments are carried out at a 60Co γ-ray source. The CISs are produced by 0.18-μm CMOS technology and the pixel architecture is 8T global shutter pixel with correlated double sampling (CDS) based on a 4T PPD front end. The parameters of CISs such as temporal domain, spatial domain, and spectral domain are measured at the CIS test system as the EMVA 1288 standard before and after irradiation. The dark current, random noise, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), photo response non-uniformity (PRNU), overall system gain, saturation output, dynamic range (DR), signal to noise ratio (SNR), quantum efficiency (QE), and responsivity versus the TID are reported. The behaviors of the tested CISs show remarkable degradations after radiation. The degradation mechanisms of CISs induced by TID damage are also analyzed.

Neutron radiation effects on linear CCDs at different clock pulse frequency

The experiments of reactor neutron radiation effects on linear CCDs are presented. The output voltage in dark field after neutron radiation are presented and compared at different clock pulse frequency. The degradation phenomena are analyzed in depth. The mean dark signal (KD) and dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU) versus neutron fluence is investigated at different clock pulse frequency. The degradation mechanisms of the dark signal and DSNU in linear CCDs are analyzed. The flux of the reactor neutron beams was about 1.33 × 108 n/cm2/s. The samples were exposed to 1MeV neutron-equivalent fluences of 1 × 1011, 5 × 1011, and 1 × 1012 n/cm2, respectively.

Dose rate effects on array CCDs exposed by Co-60 γ rays induce saturation output degradation and annealing tests

The experimental tests of dose rate and annealing effects on array charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are presented. The saturation output voltage (VS) versus the total dose at the dose rates of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 and 50 rad(Si)/s are compared. Annealing tests are performed to eliminate the time-dependent effects. The VS degradation levels depend on the dose rates. The VS degradation mechanism induced by dose rate and annealing effects is analyzed. The VS at 20 krad(Si) with the dose rate of 0.03 rad(Si)/s are supplemented to assure the degradation curves between the dose rates of 0.1 and 0.01 rad(Si)/s. The CCDs are divided into two groups, with one group biased and the other unbiased during 60Co γ radiation. The VS degradation levels of the biased CCDs during radiation are more severe than that of the unbiased CCDs.