IEM Distinguished Lecturers Seminar: Is the end of CMOS Image Sensor R&D coming near ?
Abstract
Is the perfect CMOS image sensor available today ? Looking at the performance of today’s CMOS image sensors (quantum efficiency over 80 %, dynamic range over 80 dB, temporal noise below 1 electron, fixed-pattern noise below visibility, parasitic light sensitivity below -100 dB, etc.) one may conclude that perfection is being reached. Does that mean that few new developments can be expected ? Or, is the perfect image sensor much further away than we think ?
In this presentation certain performance parameters will be analysed in more detail and suggestions will be made for further improvement. The good news: there are still great and many challenges ahead for imaging engineers!
Bio
Albert J.P. Theuwissen received the degree in electrical engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) in 1977, and obtained the Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in electrical engineering in 1983. In 1983, he joined Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), as a member of the scientific staff. In 1991 he became Department Head of the division Imaging Devices. In April 2002, he joined DALSA Corp. to act as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. In September 2004 he retired as CTO and became Chief Scientist of DALSA Semiconductors. After he left DALSA in September 2007, he started his own company “Harvest Imaging”, focusing on training coaching in the field of solid-state imaging technology (www.harvestimaging.com).
He is author or coauthor of over 280 technical papers in the solid state imaging field and issued several patents. He is co-editor of IEEE Micro special issue on Digital Imaging, Nov./Dec. 1998 and of the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices special issues on Solid State Image Sensors, May 1991, October 1997, January 2003, November 2009, and he acted as chief guest-editor of the special issue on Solid-State Image Sensors January 2016. In 1995, he authored a textbook "Solid State Imaging with Charge Coupled Devices" and in 2011 he co-edited the book "Single-Photon Imaging". In 1998, 2007 and 2015 he became an IEEE ED and SSCS distinguished lecturer.
He acted as general chairman of the International Image Sensor Workshop (formerly IEEE International Workshop on Charge-Coupled Devices and Advanced Image Sensors) in 1997, 2003, 2009 and 2015. He is member of the Steering Committee of the aforementioned workshop and founder of the Walter Kosonocky Award, which highlights the best paper in the field of solid-state image sensors. From 1999 till 2010 he was a member of the technical committee of the International Solid-State Circuits Conference. For the same conference he acted as secretary, vice-chair and chair in the European ISSCC Regional Committee and since 2002 he was a member of the overall ISSCC Executive Committee. He has been elected to be International Technical Program Chair vice-chair and chair for respectively the ISSCC 2009 and ISSCC 2010.
From March 2001 till September 2023, he was appointed as part-time professor at the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. At this University he taught courses in solid-state imaging; coached MSc and PhD students in their research on CMOS image sensors.
In 2006 he co-founded (together with his peers Eric Fossum and Nobukazu Teranishi) ImageSensors, Inc. (a Californian non-profit public benefit company) to address the needs of the image sensor community (www.imagesensors.org). In 2017 he was appointed as the president of the International Image Sensor Society (IISS).
In 2008, he received the SMPTE’s Fuji Gold medal for his contributions to the research, development and education of others in the field of solid-state image capturing. In 2011 he was elected as “Electronic Imaging Scientist of the Year”, in 2013 he received the Exceptional Service Award of the International Image Sensor Society, in 2014 he was awarded with the SEMI Award. Albert is an IEEE Life Fellow.
Is the perfect CMOS image sensor available today ? Looking at the performance of today’s CMOS image sensors (quantum efficiency over 80 %, dynamic range over 80 dB, temporal noise below 1 electron, fixed-pattern noise below visibility, parasitic light sensitivity below -100 dB, etc.) one may conclude that perfection is being reached. Does that mean that few new developments can be expected ? Or, is the perfect image sensor much further away than we think ?
In this presentation certain performance parameters will be analysed in more detail and suggestions will be made for further improvement. The good news: there are still great and many challenges ahead for imaging engineers!
Bio
Albert J.P. Theuwissen received the degree in electrical engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) in 1977, and obtained the Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in electrical engineering in 1983. In 1983, he joined Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), as a member of the scientific staff. In 1991 he became Department Head of the division Imaging Devices. In April 2002, he joined DALSA Corp. to act as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. In September 2004 he retired as CTO and became Chief Scientist of DALSA Semiconductors. After he left DALSA in September 2007, he started his own company “Harvest Imaging”, focusing on training coaching in the field of solid-state imaging technology (www.harvestimaging.com).
He is author or coauthor of over 280 technical papers in the solid state imaging field and issued several patents. He is co-editor of IEEE Micro special issue on Digital Imaging, Nov./Dec. 1998 and of the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices special issues on Solid State Image Sensors, May 1991, October 1997, January 2003, November 2009, and he acted as chief guest-editor of the special issue on Solid-State Image Sensors January 2016. In 1995, he authored a textbook "Solid State Imaging with Charge Coupled Devices" and in 2011 he co-edited the book "Single-Photon Imaging". In 1998, 2007 and 2015 he became an IEEE ED and SSCS distinguished lecturer.
He acted as general chairman of the International Image Sensor Workshop (formerly IEEE International Workshop on Charge-Coupled Devices and Advanced Image Sensors) in 1997, 2003, 2009 and 2015. He is member of the Steering Committee of the aforementioned workshop and founder of the Walter Kosonocky Award, which highlights the best paper in the field of solid-state image sensors. From 1999 till 2010 he was a member of the technical committee of the International Solid-State Circuits Conference. For the same conference he acted as secretary, vice-chair and chair in the European ISSCC Regional Committee and since 2002 he was a member of the overall ISSCC Executive Committee. He has been elected to be International Technical Program Chair vice-chair and chair for respectively the ISSCC 2009 and ISSCC 2010.
From March 2001 till September 2023, he was appointed as part-time professor at the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. At this University he taught courses in solid-state imaging; coached MSc and PhD students in their research on CMOS image sensors.
In 2006 he co-founded (together with his peers Eric Fossum and Nobukazu Teranishi) ImageSensors, Inc. (a Californian non-profit public benefit company) to address the needs of the image sensor community (www.imagesensors.org). In 2017 he was appointed as the president of the International Image Sensor Society (IISS).
In 2008, he received the SMPTE’s Fuji Gold medal for his contributions to the research, development and education of others in the field of solid-state image capturing. In 2011 he was elected as “Electronic Imaging Scientist of the Year”, in 2013 he received the Exceptional Service Award of the International Image Sensor Society, in 2014 he was awarded with the SEMI Award. Albert is an IEEE Life Fellow.
Practical information
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- Free