CCD412
512 x 1024 Pixel Image Area
Frame Transfer CCD Image Sensor
FEATURES
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512 x 1024 Photosite CCD Array
15
µm
x 15
µm
Pixels
15.36mm x 15.36mm Image Area
Frame Transfer Architecture
100% Fill Factor
Three Phase Buried Channel NMOS
Multi-Pinned Phase (MPP) Operation
-
Readout Noise Less Than 4 e at 50k pixels/sec
4 Output Amplifiers
Space Qualified
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The CCD412 is a 512 x 1024 active element solid state Charge Coupled
Device (CCD) Frame Transfer sensor.
This CCD was designed
specifically for space applications. The CCD412 is organized as an array
of 512 horizontal by 1024 vertical imaging elements. The image area is
512 x 512. The pixel pitch is 15µm with a 100% fill factor. Three-phase
clocking is employed in the imaging area as well as in the serial readout
registers. The device is configured in a frame transfer architecture with
the image area and frame store area defined by optical shielding. This
frame transfer architecture allows high frame rate operation. Bussing of
the parallel and serial clocks shall allow for imaging in either the top or
bottom half of the parallel register with readout through one or two output
ports, or imaging in the central half of the parallel register with read-out
in four-quadrant format through four output ports. The device includes a
temporary window (as shown in photo at right).
The output amplifiers feature a two-stage source follower design. The
nominal read noise of the low-noise and high-speed output amplifiers is
-
-
respectively 3.6 e and 4.8 e at a pixel rate of 50 kHz.
The CCD412 is normally available mounted in a solid-sidewall Kovar tub
package with 48-pins.
CCD412 Mounted in a Kovar Package
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
The following functional elements are illustrated in the block diagram:
Image Sensing Elements:
Incident photons pass through a
transparent polycrystalline silicon gate structure creating electron
hole pairs. The resulting photoelectrons are collected in the
photosites during the integration period. The amount of charge
accumulated in each photosite is a linear function of the localized
incident illumination intensity and integration period.
The photosite structure is made up of contiguous CCD elements with
no voids or inactive areas. In addition to sensing light, these
elements are used to shift the image signal vertically. As a
consequence, the device needs to be shuttered during readout.
Vertical Charge Shifting:
The frame storage architecture of the
CCD412 provides video information as a single sequential readout of
512 lines containing 512 photosensitive elements. At the end of an
integration period, the
φ
V
1
,
φ
V
2
, and
φ
V
3
clocks are used to transfer
charge vertically through the CCD array to the horizontal readout
register. Vertical columns are separated by a channel stop region to
prevent charge migration. The image area is divided into an upper
and lower half. Each 512 x 512 halve may be clocked independently
or together.
The Vertical Transfer Gate (
φ
VTG) is the final array gate before
charge is transferred to the serial horizontal shift registers. For
simplified operation
φ
VTG may be tied to
φ
V
3.
Horizontal Charge Shifting:
φ
H
1
,
φ
H
2
, and
φ
H
3
are polysilicon gates
used to transfer charge horizontally to the output amplifiers. The
horizontal transport register is twice the size of the photosite to
accommodate vertical binning. In binned mode, the array can be
operated normally at full resolution, as a 512 x 512, 512 x 256, 256 x
256 or some other resolution. The charge may be read out through
one, two or four amplifiers.
The transfer of charge into the horizontal register is the result of a
vertical shift sequence. This register has 20 additional register cells
between the first pixel of each line and the output gate. The output
from these locations contains no signal and may be used as a dark
level reference.
The last clocked gate in the horizontal registers is twice as large as
the others and can be used to horizontally bin charge. This gate
requires its own clock, which may be tied to
φ
H
3
for normal full
CCD Package Configuration
Fairchild Imaging, Inc., 1801 McCarthy Blvd, Milpitas 95035, (800) 325-6975, (408) 433-2500, Rev A, 1 of 4
resolution readout. The output video is available following the high to low
transition of
φ
SG.
The reset FET in the horizontal readout, clocked appropriately with
φ
R,
allows binning of adjacent pixels.
Output Amplifier:
The CCD412 has an output amplifier at each end of
the horizontal registers for a total of four output ports. They are dual-
stage floating diffusion amplifiers with a reset MOSFET tied to the input
gate.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Charge-Coupled Device
A charge-coupled device is a monolithic
silicon structure in which discrete packets of electron charge are
transported from position to position by sequential clocking of an
array of gates.
Vertical Transport Clocks
φ
V
1,
φ
V
2
,
φ
V
3
the clock signals applied to
the vertical transport register.
Horizontal Transport Clocks
φ
H
1
,
φ
H
2
,
φ
H
3
the clock signals
applied to the horizontal transport registers.
CCD412 TIMING DIAGRAM (One port timing – output C shown)
A1=A1U+F1U A2=A2U+F2U A3=A3U+F3U
F1=F1L+A1L F2=F2L+A2L F3=F3L+A3L
Charge packets are clocked to a pre-charged capacitor whose potential
changes linearly in response to the number of electrons delivered. This
potential is applied to the input gate of an NMOS amplifier producing a
signal at the output V
out
pin. The capacitor is reset with
φ
R to a pre-
charge level prior to the arrival of the next charge packet except when
horizontally binning. It is reset by use of the reset MOSFET.
The output amplifier drain is tied to VDD. The source is connected to an
external load resistor to ground. The source constitutes the video output
from the device.
Multi-Pinned Phase:
MPP is a CCD technology, which significantly
reduces the dark current generation rate. CCDs are endowed with this
capability by the addition of an ion implant step during the semiconductor
manufacturing process.
This implant creates a virtual well in the array, which allows charge
integration while maintaining pixel integrity with the Vertical clocks in the
low state. Leaving the Vertical clocks in the low state during the
integration cycle is the method used to implement MPP mode.
A drawback to utilizing the MPP mode is reduced full well capacity. The
virtual well created by MPP implant does not hold as much charge as the
normal buried channel operating mode which leaves one Vertical clock in
the high state during integration. The CCD447 may be operated in the
conventional buried channel mode with an increase in charge capacity
over the MPP mode.
Reset Clock
φ
R
the clock applied to the reset switch of the output
amplifier.
Dynamic Range
The ratio of saturation output voltage to RMS noise
in the dark. The peak-to-peak random noise is 4-6 times the RMS
noise output.
Saturation Exposure
The minimum exposure level that produces
and output signal corresponding to the maximum photosite charge
capacity. Exposure is equal to the product of light intensity and
integration time.
Responsivity
The output signal voltage per unit of exposure.
Spectral Response Range
The spectral band over, which the
response per unit of radiant power is, more than 10% of the peak
response.
Photo-Response Non-Uniformity
The difference of the response
levels between the most and the least sensitive regions under
uniform illumination (excluding blemished elements) expressed as a
percentage of the average response.
Dark Signal
The output signal in the dark which is caused by
thermally generated electrons. Dark signal is a linear function of
integration time and an exponential function of chip temperature.
Vertical Transfer Gate
φ
VTG
Gate structures adjacent to the end
row of photosites and the horizontal transport registers. The charge
Fairchild Imaging, Inc., 1801 McCarthy Blvd, Milpitas 95035, (800) 325-6975, (408) 433-2500, Rev A, 2 of 4
packets accumulated in the photosites are shifted vertically through the
array. Upon reaching the end row of photosites, the charge is transferred
in parallel via the transfer gates to the horizontal transport shift registers
whenever the transfer gate voltage goes low.
Pixel
Picture element or sensor element, also called photoelement or
photosite.
Device Architecture
Array Size
Pixel Size
Serial Register
Serial Pixels
Output Ports
Output Amplifiers
Optical Shield
Optical Density
Shield Alignment
Performance Characteristics
Quantum Efficiency
Dark Current
High Frequency Dark Signal Non-Uniformity
Low Frequency Dark Signal Non-Uniformity
Hot Pixels
Hot Columns
Read Noise
Full Well Capacity
Conversion Gain
High Frequency PRNU
Dark Pixels
Dark Columns
Spacing Between Dark or Defective Columns
Vertical CTE
Horizontal CTE
Vertical CTE
Horizontal CTE
Nonlinearity
1024 x 512
15µm x 15µm
Two
552
Four
Two stage
Over frame store and serials
>3
+ 5 microns
Image and Frame Storage
One top and one bottom
20 extended at each
output
Two for each serial mux
SEL immunity in mind
400-5000nm
Between rows 512 & 513
30% - 34%
2
< 10pA/cm @ -10°C
< 25 electrons rms @ -10°C
< 25 electrons rms @ -10°C
< 100 @ -10°C
< 100 @ -10°C
< 45e- @ 25°C
> 85ke
> 3.0µV per electron
< 5% rms
< 500
< 10
> 25
> 0.99995 per transfer
> 0.99995 per transfer
> 0.99995 per transfer (-10°C)
> 0.99995 per transfer (-10°C)
< + 3%
500-900um
>10x ADS
> 10 hot pixels
RMS
< 20% of average
response
60k electrons, EPER
60k electrons, EPER
6k electrons, Cd 109
6k electrons, Cd 109
Electrical Characteristics
DC Biases
Clock Levels
< 24 Volts
All between + 10 volts
Goals: OD=22, OTG=+1V,
RD=15V, LD=4.2V
Goals: +4V, -8V ph 1&2,
+6V, -8V ph3, +5V, -5V
horizontal
Clock Timing
DC Resistance
Amplifier Bias Current
Output Impedance
Array Power Dissipation
Gate Capacitance
Operating Temperature
Storage Temperature
Performance Temperature
< 20nsec rise and fall times
10 Mohm isolation
5 mA max
< 2kohms
< 50mW with 3lohn load
5000+500pF Image or Storage
150+15pF Serial
-55°C to +125°C
-65°C to +150°C
-10°C to +40°C
One output
Per Phase
Performance verification
@ -20°C
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT
All of our area array CCDs may be backside thinned for optimum QE.
Incident light enters through the backside of the array, and since
photons are not absorbed in the heavily doped polysilicon gate
structures, the device quantum efficiency is optimized. In this
configuration, the response at shorter wavelengths (400nm and below)
is greatly enhanced.
COSMETIC GRADING
Device grading helps to establish a ranking for the image quality that a
CCD will provide. Blemishes are characterized as spurious pixels
exceeding 10% of V
SAT
with respect to neighboring elements. Blemish
content is determined in the dark, at various illumination levels and at
different operating temperatures.
Fairchild Imaging, Inc., 1801 McCarthy Blvd, Milpitas 95035, (800) 325-6975, (408) 433-2500, Rev A, 3 of 4
The CCD412 is available in several different grades, as well as custom
selected grades. Consult Sales representative for available grading
information and custom selections.
WARRANTY
Within twelve months of delivery to the end customer, Fairchild
Imaging will repair or replace, at our option, any Fairchild Imaging
camera product if any part is found to be defective in materials or
workmanship. Contact Customer Service for assignment of warranty
return number and shipping instructions to ensure prompt repair or
replacement.
CERTIFICATION
Fairchild Imaging certifies that all products are carefully inspected and
tested at the factory prior to shipment and will meet all requirements of
the specifications under which it is furnished.
Fairchild Imaging, Inc., 1801 McCarthy Blvd.,
Milpitas, CA 95035 (800) 325-6975, (408) 433-2500
This product is designed, manufactured and distributed utilizing the
ISO 9001:2008 Business Management System.
©
2001 Fairchild Imaging reserves the right to make changes to its
products and/or their specifications at any time without notice. Printed
in the U.S.A.
Fairchild Imaging, Inc., 1801 McCarthy Blvd, Milpitas 95035, (800) 325-6975, (408) 433-2500, Rev A, 4 of 4