Current-mode CMOS hybrid image sensor

Digital imaging is growing rapidly making Complimentary Metal-Oxide-Semi conductor (CMOS) image sensor-based cameras indispensable in many modern life devices like cell phones, surveillance devices, personal computers, and tablets. For various purposes wireless portable image systems are widely deployed in many indoor and outdoor places such as hospitals, urban areas, streets, highways, forests, mountains, and towers. However, the increased demand on high-resolution image sensors and improved processing features is expected to increase the power consumption of the CMOS sensorbased camera systems. Increased power consumption translates into a reduced battery life-time. The increased power consumption might not be a problem if there is access to a nearby charging station. On the other hand, the problem arises if the image sensor is located in widely spread areas, unfavorable to human intervention, and difficult to reach. Given the limitation of energy sources available for wireless CMOS image sensor, an energy harvesting technique presents a viable solution to extend the sensor life-time. Energy can be harvested from the sun light or the artificial light surrounding the sensor itself. In this thesis, we propose a current-mode CMOS hybrid image sensor capable of energy harvesting and image capture. The proposed sensor is based on a hybrid pixel that can be programmed to perform the task of an image sensor and the task of a solar cell to harvest energy. The basic idea is to design a pixel that can be configured to exploit its internal photodiode to perform two functions: image sensing and energy harvesting. As a proof of concept a 40 x 40 array of hybrid pixels has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.5 µm CMOS process. Measurement results show that up to 39 µW of power can be harvested from the array under 130 Klux condition with an energy efficiency of 220 nJ /pixel /frame. The proposed image sensor is a current-mode image sensor which has several advantages over the voltage-mode. The most important advantages of using current-mode technique are: reduced power consumption of the chip, ease of arithmetic operations implementation, simplification of the circuit design and hence reduced layout complexity.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Benyhesan, Mohammad Kassim

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• León-Salas, Walter D. (Walter Daniel)

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10355/35743

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/35743