A 1.2-V 0.25-/spl mu/m clock output pixel architecture with wide dynamic range and self-offset cancellation

Abstract

A 10T/pixel CMOS digital pixel sensor with clock count output, ultra low supply voltage, and wide dynamic range is presented. The pixel fabricated by a standard 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS logic process comprises a reset transistor, a photo-diode, a comparator, and an inverter with pixel size of 9.4/spl times/9.4 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and 24% fill factor. The amplified logarithmic output response similar to the light response of human eye is demonstrated in this work. The pixel can operate at a supply voltage as low as 1.2 V without affecting its output characteristics. The dynamic range of this cell limited by either the subsequent analog-to-digital circuit resolution or the rising and falling time of output clock is higher than 90 dB with an 8-bit resolution.