Abstract: A pixel element for an imaging sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate, a radiation-sensitive element configured to generate electric charges in response to incident radiation, a charge accumulation region provided in the semiconductor substrate configured to accumulate at least a portion of the electric charges, and an electrode arranged on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the charge accumulation region. The electrode is electrically insulated from the semiconductor substrate such as to form an inversion region in the semiconductor substrate that connects to the charge accumulation region when a voltage is applied to said electrode.

Abstract: A stacked image sensor comprises an array of tiles, each comprising a sensor array layer tile comprising a plurality of sensing elements for receiving radiation, one or more electronics layer tiles comprising at least one read-out circuit, connected to at least one subgroup of sensing elements of the sensor array layer tile, a photonics layer tile comprising at least one waveguide and one or more modulators, each connected to the one or more electronics layer tiles. The modulators are adapted for modulating an optical signal travelling within the at least one waveguide. The electronics layer tile comprises at least one driver for driving an optical modulator in the photonics layer tile in accordance with the signals received in each sensing element of the sensor array layer tile. At least one of the layer tiles (sensor array layer, electronics layer and/or photonics layer tiles) is implemented in a single integrated circuit.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor having one or more pixels, e.g. in an array, whereby each of the pixels having two or more sub-pixel elements for generating charge according to incident light intensity as well as a common charge sensitive device such as an amplifier coupled to two or more sub-pixel elements of a respective pixel. Charges generated by the two or more sub-pixel elements are added and integrated over respective integration time periods, to provide a signal representing the integrated charges. The circuit can be configured so that the two or more sub-pixel elements have different integration time periods. By combining charges at the charge sensitive device rather than combining outputs of multiple such devices, the amount of read noise can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides an array of pixels for the detection of a flash of electromagnetic radiation or a cloud of impinging high energy particles. Each pixel in the array comprises a radiation receptor for converting the electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles into a radiation signal, and a converter for converting the radiation signal into pulses. The array further comprises a circuit for comparing one or more of the criteria pulse amplitude, pulse arrival time, time to convert a pulse in a digital signal, pulse duration time, pulse rise and fall time or integral of pulse over time for pulses coinciding on pixels in a predetermined neighborhood. The array also comprises a circuit for suppressing those pulses that are compared negatively versus the corresponding pulses in another pixel of the neighborhood for the same one or more criteria. A corresponding method is also provided.

Abstract: A pixel for the detection of electromagnetic radiation or high energy particles or charge packets, in particular for detecting X-ray photons, comprises a radiation receptor for converting the radiation into a sensing signal, the pixel being adapted for performing both pulse detection and integration of the same sensing signal.

Abstract: A pixel for the detection of electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles, in particular for detecting X-ray photons, including a radiation receptor for converting the electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles into a radiation signal, a converter for converting the radiation signal into a pulse train, and an analog accumulator for accumulating the pulses of a pulse train to an analog signal for readout. The analog accumulator is adapted such that the analog signal is non-linearly proportional to the pulse count. Such non-linear analog accumulator has the advantage of an large dynamic range.