System for programmable gate array with sensor array

1. A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate;

forming a sensor array on the substrate, the sensor array including a column/row address decoder, a pixel array, a correlated double sampler and an analog to digital converter; and

forming a structured array of uncommitted logic surrounding the sensor array on the substrate;

wherein the structured array of uncommitted logic is configurable to define functions that support the operation of the sensor array.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein forming the sensor array on the substrate further comprises forming an active pixel sensor.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein forming the structured array of uncommitted logic, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array further comprises forming a gate array.

4. The method in claim 1 including providing electrical interconnects to the structured array of uncommitted logic by applying metal layers and vias.

5. The method in claim 1 further comprising providing I/O pads, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array and the structured array of uncommitted logic.

6. A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate;

forming a sensor array, further comprising forming an active pixel sensor on the substrate, the sensor array including a column/row address decoder, a pixel array, a correlated double sampler and an analog to digital converter; and

forming a structured array of uncommitted logic surrounding the sensor array on the substrate;

wherein the structured array of uncommitted logic is configurable to define functions that support the operation of the sensor array.

7. The method in claim 6 wherein forming the structured array of uncommitted logic, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array further comprises forming a gate array.

8. The method in claim 6 further comprising forming I/O pads, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array and the structured array of uncommitted logic.

9. The method in claim 6 wherein forming the active pixel sensor further comprises forming a pixel array.

10. The method in claim 6 wherein forming the sensor array as an optical sensor forms an optical system on a chip.

11. A semiconductor system comprising:

a substrate;

a sensor array on the substrate, the sensor array including a column/row address decoder, a pixel array, a correlated double sampler and an analog to digital converter; and

a structured array of uncommitted logic surrounding the sensor array on the substrate;

wherein the structured array of uncommitted logic is configurable to define functions that support the operation of the sensor array.

12. The system in claim 11 wherein the sensor array on the substrate further comprises a pixel array.

13. The system in claim 11 wherein a structured array of uncommitted logic, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array further comprises a gate array.

14. The system in claim 11 further comprising:

base logic circuits; and

electrical interconnects on the structured array of uncommitted logic that comprise metal layers and vias connecting the base logic circuits to form the functions that support the operation of the sensor arrays.

15. The system in claim 11 further comprising I/O pads, on the substrate, surrounding the sensor array and the structured array of uncommitted logic.

16. The system in claim 11 wherein the sensor array further comprises a sequence and timing block, and a signal multiplexer.

17. The system in claim 11 further comprises having a phase locked loop (PLL) for synchronizing the movement of pixel data within a chip.

18. The system in claim 11 wherein the structured array of uncommitted logic further comprises a micro-controller system configuration for managing movement of pixel data.

19. The system in claim 11 wherein the sensor array, on the substrate further comprises a scalable array size by the use of at least one of metal layers and vias or e-beam trimming.

20. The system in claim 11 further wherein the sensor array is an optical sensor for configuring an optical system on a chip.