The Design Of CMOS Image Sensor Chip

The Image sensor is a device which can convert optical signal into electrical signal. It is widely used in telecommunication and digital TV. CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor, as a traditional image sensor, has better performance and lower noise compared with CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Image Sensor. However, the cost of CCD is high and it is difficult to integrate CCD with outside circuits in a chip. Consequently, CMOS Image Sensor is becoming more and more popular. This thesis has brought out comparison between the principals of these two Image Sensors. In addition, it describes the pixel structure of CMOS Image Sensor. Based on the pixel structure, the thesis, in essence, explains the VLSI design for a high integrated CMOS Image Sensor. The testing results of a tape-out showed that the performance of the designed chip for CMOS Image Sensor is good, it is able to sample clear photos and meets the design requirements.