In ultra-low light conditions the presence of dark current becomes a major source of noise for a CMOS sensor. Standard
dark current compensation techniques, such as using a dark reference frame, bring significant improvements to dark
noise in typical applications. However, applications requiring long integration times mean that such techniques cannot
always be used. This paper presents a differential dark current compensating pixel. The pixel is made up of a differential
amplifier and two photodiodes: one light shielded photodiode connected to the non-inverting input of the opamp and a
light detecting photodiode connected to the inverting input of the opamp. An integrating capacitor is used in the feedback
loop to convert photocurrent to voltage, and a switched capacitor network is present in parallel with the light shielded
pixel, which is used to satisfy the output equation to compensate the dark current. The pixel uses 150 μm x 150 μm
photodiodes and is fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm, 6M1P, CMOS process. The results show that the pixel is light
sensitive and has a linear output as expected. However, the dark current is not predictably controlled. Further work will
be carried out on the pixel design, and particularly the switched capacitor circuit, to determine the cause of the non-predictability
of the pixel output.
Polarized light is a naturally occurring phenomenon that human vision does not discern, yet it can provide useful
supplementary information from an image or optical system. Polarization detection can be implemented using hybrid
sensors where additional polarizing material is mounted onto a standard sensor. However these types of sensor tend to
be expensive, requiring extra manufacturing and materials. Presented is a low cost polarization sensor which is
implemented using standard CMOS technology and manufacturing techniques, without the need for supplementary
implants or optical layers. The polarization sensor is realised using a polarization grating, formed from a standard metal
layer, above a CMOS sensor. To compensate for the loss of photons due to the polarization grating, a high dynamic
range sensor is implemented using large, 110 micron photodiodes. The photosensor is used in a "light to frequency
conversion pixel" where the photocurrent is converted to a digital square wave output with a frequency proportional to
the photon flux density. A modulation depth of 10% is achieved. A rotary encoder application implementing the
polarization sensor is discussed.
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