A wide dynamic range checkered-color CMOS image sensor with IR-Cut RGB and visible-to-near-IR pixels

Abstract

A single-chip wide dynamic range (DR) CMOS image sensor is demonstrated with good color reproducibility imaging for the visible wave band, as well as a high sensitivity for the wide waveband coverage through visible to near infrared (Near-IR) wavebands. We succeeded in developing a checkered White-RGB (WRGB) CMOS image sensor based on the lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC) architecture with optimized capacitance value for each color pixel according to its sensitivity. Using the RGB pixels with an infrared cut (IR-Cut) filter, good color reproducibility for visible lights up to a high saturation light intensity, as well as a high sensitivity performance for visible to Near-IR wavebands by using the W pixels without IR-Cut filter are obtained. The image sensor is a 1/3.3-inch optical format, 1280H × 480V pixels, 4.2-µm effective pixel pitch with pixels placed along with 45° direction WRGB LOFIC CMOS image sensor. The wide DR property is 102-dB in one exposure.