Granted Patent B2

US 6,914,230 · App. 10/374,279 · Granted Jul 5, 2005

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A system for reducing illumination-dependent trapped charge effects in a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photodetector, the system comprising:

a negative-polarity voltage source connected to the photodetector via a first switch operable during a first time period to forward-bias the photodetector, the forward-biasing charging charge traps in the photodetector; and

a positive-polarity voltage source connected to the photodetector via a second switch operable during a second time period to reverse bias the photodetector, the reverse-biasing removing charge from the photodetector except the charge trapped in the charge traps.

2. The system of claim 1 , in which:

the negative-polarity voltage source comprises a voltage source having a polarity opposite to the positive-polarity voltage source; and

the first switch comprises no more than a single pole and is connected between the negative-polarity voltage source and the photodetector.

3. The system of claim 1 , in which:

the negative-polarity voltage source includes a capacitor; and

the first switch comprises a double-pole changeover switch arranged to connect the capacitor to the positive-polarity voltage source during a third time period prior to the first time period and to connect the capacitor to the photodetector with a reversed polarity during the first time period.

4. A system for reducing illumination-dependent trapped charge effects in a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photodetector, the system comprising:

means for forward biasing the photodetector during a first time period to charge charge traps in the photodetector; and

means for reverse biasing the photodetector during a second time period to remove charge from the photodetector except the charge trapped in the charge traps.

5. The system of claim 4 , in which:

the system further comprises means for accumulating charge during a third time period; and

the means for forward biasing the photodetector comprises means for applying the accumulated charge with reversed polarity to the photodetector.

6. The system of claim 5 , in which the means for forward biasing the photodetector and the means for reverse biasing the photodetector comprise switch means.

7. A method for reducing illumination-dependent trapped charge effects in a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photodetector, comprising:

forward biasing the photodetector during a first time period to charge charge traps in the photodetector; and

reverse biasing the photodetector during a second time period to remove charge from the photodetector except the charge trapped by the charge traps.

8. The method of claim 7 , in which forward biasing the photodetector comprises:

accumulating charge during a third time period; and

applying the accumulated charge with a reversed polarity to the photodetector during the first time period.

9. The method of claim 7 , in which forward biasing the photodetector comprises:

charging an electrical storage element prior to forward biasing the photodetector; and

using a charge stored in the electrical storage element to forward bias the photodetector.

10. A method for reducing image lag in an array of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photodetectors, the method comprising:

forward biasing the photodetectors during a first time period to charge charge traps in the photodetectors; and

reverse biasing the photodetectors during a second time period to remove charge from the photodetectors except the charge trapped in the charge traps.

11. The method of claim 10 , in which forward biasing the photodetectors comprises:

accumulating charge during a third time period; and

applying the accumulated charge with a reversed polarity to the photodetectors during the first time period.

12. The method of claim 10 , in which forward biasing the photodetector comprises:

charging an electrical storage element; and

using charge stored in the electrical storage element to forward bias the photodetector.

13. An image sensor having reduced image lag, the image sensor comprising:

first traces connectable to receive a positive-polarity voltage; and

a two-dimensional array of picture elements each connected to at least one of the first traces, each of the picture elements comprising a photodetector;

a first switch array operable during a first time period to forward bias the photodetectors, the forward biasing charging charge traps in the photodetectors; and

a second switch array operable during a second time period to connect the photodetectors to the first traces during the second time period to reverse bias the photodetectors, the reverse biasing removing charge from the photodetectors except the charge trapped in the charge traps.

14. The image sensor of claim 13 , in which:

the image sensor additionally comprises at least one second trace connectable to receive a negative-polarity voltage; and

the first switch array comprises switches each having no more than a single pole, the switches connected between the at least one second trace and the photodetectors.

15. The image sensor of claim 13 , in which:

each of the picture elements additionally comprises a capacitor; and

the first switch array comprises double-pole changeover switches arranged to connect each capacitor to the one of the first traces during a third time period prior to the first time period and to connect the capacitor with reversed polarity to a respective one of the photodetectors during the first time period.

16. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein the first switch array is operable to charge the charge traps in all the photodetectors substantially uniformly during the first time period.

Assignments (8)