scholarly journals High Dynamic Range Imaging with TDC-Based CMOS SPAD Arrays

Instruments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Zarghami ◽  
Leonardo Gasparini ◽  
Matteo Perenzoni ◽  
Lucio Pancheri
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Single Photon ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
High Dynamic Range ◽  
Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
High Dynamic

This paper investigates the use of image sensors based on complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in high dynamic range (HDR) imaging by combining photon counts and timestamps. The proposed method is validated experimentally with an SPAD detector based on a per-pixel time-to-digital converter (TDC) architecture. The detector, featuring 32 × 32 pixels with 44.64-µm pitch, 19.48% fill factor, and time-resolving capability of ~295-ps, was fabricated in a 150-nm CMOS standard technology. At high photon flux densities, the pixel output is saturated when operating in photon-counting mode, thus limiting the DR of this imager. This limitation can be overcome by exploiting the distribution of photon arrival times in each pixel, which shows an exponential behavior with a decay rate dependent on the photon flux level. By fitting the histogram curve with the exponential decay function, the extracted time constant is used to estimate the photon count. This approach achieves 138.7-dB dynamic range within 30-ms of integration time, and can be further extended by using a timestamping mechanism with a higher resolution.

scholarly journals High-flux ptychographic imaging using the new 55 µm-pixel detector `Lambda' based on the Medipix3 readout chip

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 552-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. Wilke ◽  
J. Wallentin ◽  
M. Osterhoff ◽  
D. Pennicard ◽  
A. Zozulya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Single Photon ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
High Dynamic Range ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Photon Flux Density ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Single Photon Detection ◽  
Pixel Detector ◽  
High Count

Suitable detection systems that are capable of recording high photon count rates with single-photon detection are instrumental for coherent X-ray imaging. The new single-photon-counting pixel detector `Lambda' has been tested in a ptychographic imaging experiment on solar-cell nanowires using Kirkpatrick–Baez-focused 13.8 keV X-rays. Taking advantage of the high count rate of the Lambda and dynamic range expansion by the semi-transparent central stop, a high-dynamic-range diffraction signal covering more than seven orders of magnitude has been recorded, which corresponds to a photon flux density of about 105 photons nm−2 s−1or a flux of ∼1010 photons s−1on the sample. By comparison with data taken without the semi-transparent central stop, an increase in resolution by a factor of 3–4 is determined: from about 125 nm to about 38 nm for the nanowire and from about 83 nm to about 21 nm for the illuminating wavefield.

scholarly journals High Dynamic Range Imaging at the Quantum Limit with Single Photon Avalanche Diode-Based Image Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neale Dutton ◽  
Tarek Al Abbas ◽  
Istvan Gyongy ◽  
Francescopaolo Mattioli Della Rocca ◽  
Robert Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Single Photon ◽  
High Dynamic Range ◽  
Image Sensors ◽  
Quantum Limit ◽  
High Dynamic Range Imaging ◽  
Range Imaging ◽  
Avalanche Diode ◽  
High Dynamic

scholarly journals Fast-Gated 16 × 1 SPAD Array for Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging Applications

Instruments ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Marco Renna ◽  
Ji Hyun Nam ◽  
Mauro Buttafava ◽  
Federica Villa ◽  
Andreas Velten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Photon ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Single Photon Detector ◽  
Single Photon Counting ◽  
Timing Resolution ◽  
Fast Gating ◽  
Non Line Of Sight

In this paper we present a novel single-photon detector specifically designed for Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) imaging applications within the framework of the DARPA REVEAL program. The instrument is based on a linear 16 × 1 Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array operated in fast-gated mode by a novel fast-gating Active Quenching Circuit (AQC) array, which enables the detectors with sub-ns transitions thanks to a SPAD-dummy approach. The detector exhibits a timing resolution better than 50 ps (Full Width at Half Maximum - FWHM) at a measurement repetition rate up to 40 MHz, and provides 16 independent outputs compatible with commercial Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting (TCSPC) instrumentation. The instrument has been experimentally characterized and operated in preliminary NLOS imaging acquisitions where a 40 × 60 cm hidden object is successfully reconstructed by scanning over a grid of 150 × 150 positions.

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