A 1/2-in 1.3 M-pixel progressive-scan IT-CCD for digital still camera applications

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices 2001-02, Vol.48 (2), p.222-230
• Main Authors: Yamada, T., Hatano, K., Morimoto, M., Furumiya, M., Nakashiba, Y., Uchiya, S., Tanabe, A., Kawakami, Y., Nakano, T., Kawai, S., Suwazono, S., Utsumi, H., Katoh, S., Syohji, D., Taniji, Y., Mutoh, N., Orihara, K., Teranishi, N., Hokari, Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Cameras; Color; Devices; Differential scanning calorimetry; Digital; Electric potential
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/16.902720

A 1/2-in 1.3 M-pixel progressive-scan interline-transfer charge-coupled-device (IT-CCD) image sensor has been developed for small, low-power mega-pixel digital still cameras (DSCs). The pixel size as small as 5 /spl mu/m square makes small-size progressive-scan IT-CCD (8.3/spl times/7.1 mm/sup 2/) for the SXGA format. A two-phase-drive horizontal-CCD with phosphorus-implanted storage regions helps reduce the driving voltage to 2.5 V, resulting in the power consumption of the device being as low as 146 mW. A new source-follower amplifier with separate p-well driver transistors achieves 12% higher gain than that obtained using a conventional amplifier. An overflow drain with a self-adjusting potential barrier can instantly remove superfluous charges in vertical-CCDs just before an exposure period, which enables DSCs to perform such functions as quick auto-focusing and dark-current removal. New dual operation modes for still and motion pictures can provide not only high-resolution color signals in a 15-frame/s 1050-line progressive mode but also wide-dynamic-range color signals in a 30-frame/s 525-line progressive mode. The latter mode employs a pixel-exchange-and-mix readout operation that helps halve the number of scanning lines with no loss in sensitivity and color information.