Abstract

A 1/4 inch SVGA format 4.5 µm pixel pitch wide dynamic range (WDR) CMOS image sensor with resistance to high temperatures has been developed. This sensor maintains linear shrinkage to 4.5 µm pitch with the same 0.18 µm 2-poly-silicon 3-metal process technology node and a 5-transistor 1-photodiode 1-capacitor schematic, and employs an inorganic cap layer to protect against spectral response degradation due to high temperature. Through optimization of the readout circuitry, a low dark temporal noise of 2.3 e-rms is achieved, and the full well capacity (FWC) is increased to 154 ke-, about five times that of conventional CMOS image sensors at the same pixel pitch, extending the dynamic range to 96.5 dB.