Abstract: A method of sensing radiation in a pixel includes applying a transfer clock signal, applying a pixel reset clock signal, and applying a pixel reset voltage. The applying a transfer clock signal applies the transfer clock signal to a gate electrode of a transfer gate transistor. The applying a pixel reset clock signal applies the pixel reset clock signal to a gate electrode of the pixel reset transistor. The applying a pixel reset voltage applies the pixel reset voltage to a drain of the pixel reset transistor. The method further includes switching the transfer clock signal to a high state, switching the pixel reset clock signal to a high state, switching the pixel reset voltage to a low state, switching the pixel reset voltage to a high state, and switching the pixel reset clock signal to a low state at a beginning of an integration cycle.

Abstract: A line scan sensor includes first and second rows of pixels, corresponding first and second readout registers, and a first clocking structure disposed between the first row of pixels and the first readout register. The first clocking structure includes a transfer gate electrode and a delay well electrode. In an alternative embodiment, a method includes a first step followed by a second step. The first step includes transferring photo charges in a delay register into a first readout register, transferring photo charges in a first storage register into the delay register, and transferring photo charges in a second storage register into the second readout register. The second step includes collecting photo charges in the first storage register, collecting photo charges in the second register, shifting photo charges in a first readout register toward a first out put, and shifting photo charges in a second readout register toward a second output.

Abstract: A sensor formed in a substrate of a first conductivity type in a first concentration to express a first intrinsic potential includes CMOS circuitry to control the sensor, a first well of the first conductivity type in a second concentration (greater than the first concentration) formed in the substrate to express a second intrinsic potential, and a photodiode region of a second conductivity type formed in the first well. The first and second intrinsic potentials induce a field between the substrate and the first well that repels photo generated charge from drifting from the substrate into the first well. Alternatively, a sensor formed in a substrate of a first conductivity type includes CMOS circuitry to control the sensor, a first well of a second conductivity type formed in the substrate, a second well of the first conductivity type formed in the first well, and a photodiode region of the second conductivity type formed in the second well.

Abstract: A TDI sensor includes a column of pixels ordered from an initial pixel to a final pixel where each pixel includes reticulated clock conductors arranged to define a reticulation area and a pixel charge handling capacity. The reticulation area of a pixel increases from the final pixel to the initial pixel, and the pixel charge handling capacity increases from the initial pixel to the final pixel. The sensor includes a first bus structure of polysilicon, where the bus structure includes register element sets and each register element set includes a plurality of clock conductors. Each register element set includes a corresponding pixel reticulation area, and the pixel reticulation area of a first register element set is unequal to a pixel reticulation area of another register element set. The sensor also includes a second bus structure of metal disposed substantially diagonally to the first bus structure. The second bus structure includes clock bus sets, and each clock bus set includes bus conductors.

Abstract: A circuit includes a programmable delay circuit to provide a sequence of delayed pulses, an A/D circuit to convert a sequence of values into digital values sampled at times defined by the sequence of delayed pulses, and a jitter correction circuit to adjust the programmable delay circuit based on a sequence of digital values from the A/D circuit sampled at times defined by the sequence of delayed pulses.

Abstract: A pixel includes five transistors, a pinned photodiode and a storage node. A first transistor is coupled between the pinned photodiode and the storage node. A second transistor is coupled between the storage node and an output drain voltage. A third transistor is coupled between the pinned photodiode and a pixel reset voltage. The pixel reset voltage is different than the output drain voltage.

Abstract: A single phase charge-couple device (CCD) transfer device in a substrate of a first conductivity type. The device includes a gated region and a photo-diode region. The gated region includes a gated part and a gate electrode insulatively spaced over the gated part. The photo-diode region includes first, second, and third diode sub-regions. The second diode sub-region is formed of a second conductivity type; the third diode sub-region is formed of the first conductivity type in the second diode sub-region; and the first diode sub-region is formed of the first conductivity type in the second diode sub-region. The first and third diode sub-regions contain different dopant concentrations. The gated part is either a buried channel gated part or a surface channel gated part. The buried channel gated part includes a channel of the second conductivity type and a first gated sub-region formed in the channel.

Abstract: A TDI sensor includes a bias charge voltage circuit, a reset voltage circuit, a bucket brigade column having a plurality of nodes, and a plurality of pinned photodiodes. Each photodiode is formed integral with a corresponding node of the bucket brigade column. The bucket brigade column is coupled between the bias charge voltage circuit at an initial node and the reset voltage circuit at a final node. The bucket brigade column includes a plurality of first phase clock conductors, and a plurality of second phase clock conductors, and the first and second phase clock conductors are interdigitated and formed of poly-crystalline silicon. The TDI sensor is formed in a substrate of a first conductivity type, and a cathode of each pinned photodiode is formed of a second conductivity type, and each pinned photodiode includes a pinning layer of the first conductivity type.

Abstract: A charge coupled device includes first and second pluralities of column registers and first and second register segments. The first plurality of column registers are splayed with respect to and on one side of a column direction line, and the second plurality of column registers are splayed with respect to and on another side of the column direction line. The first register segment is coupled to the first plurality of column registers, and the second register segment is coupled to the second plurality of column registers. The second register segment is spaced apart from the first register segment so as to define a layout area between the first and second register segments where at least one of an isolation register element and an output node is disposed. Each column register of the first plurality of column registers includes a plurality of column element wells.

Abstract: A pixel includes a photon detecting element coupled between a node and a ground, a transistor structure coupled between the node and a first predetermined voltage to provide a logarithmic response region, and a reset transistor coupled between the node and a second predetermined voltage to provide a linear response region where the second predetermined voltage is greater than the first predetermined voltage.

Abstract: A bi-directional multi-tapped CCD sensor readout structure includes a well formed in a substrate, a channel formed in the well defining a channel direction, and a clocking structure disposed over the channel and oriented transversely to the channel direction. The clocking structure includes a plurality of register element sets. A first register element set includes a first floating sensing conductor and a plurality of clock signal conductors. The plurality of clock signal conductors includes a first clock signal conductor under which is defined a first junction at the electrical semiconductor junction between the well and the substrate and a second junction at the electrical semiconductor junction between the channel and the well. The first and second junctions define an inter-junction separation. The well is formed in the substrate and the channel is formed in the well so that a length of the inter-junction separation is controllable by a first clock signal applied to the first clock signal electrode.

Abstract: a pixel is formed in a substrate having a first conductivity type, the pixel being coupled to a register for output. The pixel includes a pixel channel of a second conductivity type formed in the substrate, a transfer gate electrode, a storage gate electrode and a photodiode. The pixel channel includes a transfer portion at a first end of the pixel channel proximal to the register, a diode portion at a second end distal to the register and a storage portion between the transfer portion and the diode portion. The transfer gate electrode is insulatively spaced over the transfer portion, and the storage gate electrode is insulatively spaced over the storage portion. The diode is formed within the diode portion using the storage gate electrode as a mask.

Abstract: A component package includes a case with a bond shelf and a conductive layer formed on the bond shelf. The bond shelf is characterized by an inward edge and an outward edge and at least one reticulation, each reticulation being characterized by an outward edge and an inward edge. The reticulation inward edge is co-linear with the bond shelf inward edge. The conductive layer includes a mounting pad for each reticulation and a serpentine conductor connecting the mounting pads, the mounting pad being disposed between the inward edge of the reticulation and the outward edge of the reticulation. The component package further includes a chip transistor mounted on a first mounting pad and a chip resistor mounted in a first reticulation. A semiconductor circuit mounted in the component package includes a bonding pad connected to a pad on the chip transistor and one end of the chip resistor.

Abstract: A CCD sensor includes a readout register formed in substrate, the readout register including a channel, a bus structure and a connection structure. The bus structure includes plural spaced element sets, each element set including a first clock conductor. The first clock conductor of a first element set is a dual function conductor. The connection structure isolates the dual function conductor while coupling together the first clock conductor of each other set of the element sets. Alternatively, the sensor includes vertical and readout registers formed in a well in a substrate. The vertical register includes a vertical channel, a vertical bus structure and a vertical connection structure, and the readout register includes a readout channel, a readout bus structure and a readout connection structure. The readout bus structure includes plural spaced readout element sets, each readout element set including a first readout clock conductor.

Abstract: A CCD structure includes a substrate in which a plurality of buried channels have been formed and a heat conductor disposed transversely to the buried channels and defining a longitudinal direction. A first channel defines a channel direction. The heat conductor includes a first segment and a second segment separated by a gap from the first segment. The heat conductor further includes a tab connected to the first segment. In the structure the tab is characterized by an extent along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction that is equal to an extent of the gap along the longitudinal direction, an extent along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is equal to a width of the heat conductor, and a shape that is a parallelogram, preferrably a rectangle. In the structure the gap is characterized by a gap predetermined shape, size and orientation, and the tab is characterized by a tab predetermined shape, size and orientation.

Abstract: A CCD shift register includes a continuous buried channel over a length of the shift register, a plurality of conductor segments, a plurality of narrow bus segments, and a plurality of wide busses. Each conductor segment includes a plurality of sets of conductors, and each set of conductors includes plurality of conductors, each conductor in a set corresponding to a respective clock signal of a plurality of clock signals. Each conductor of each set extends across the buried channel. A first narrow bus segment of the plurality of narrow bus segments includes a plurality of narrow busses that are disposed parallel to and offset from the buried channel, each narrow bus corresponding to a respective clock signal of the plurality of clock signals, and each narrow bus is coupled to a respective conductor of each set of a first conductor segment.

Abstract: A control structure for stage selection in a CCD sensor includes a well formed in a substrate and a channel formed in the well, the channel defining a channel direction. A bus structure is disposed over the channel and oriented transversely to the channel direction, the bus structure including a plurality of uniformly spaced register element sets. The plurality of uniformly spaced register element sets includes a first register element set and a plurality of remaining register element sets. The first register element set includes a first clock signal conductor and at least one other clock signal conductor. Each set of the plurality of remaining register element sets includes a first clock signal conductor and at least one other clock signal conductor.

Abstract: A fast frame interline transfer charge coupled device imaging sensor includes an imaging section and an storage section. The imaging section includes a plurality of interline transfer registers, each interline transfer register containing a plurality of interline register elements. The imaging section further includes an interline clocking structure, the interline clocking structure including polycrystalline silicon buss lines used as gate electrodes, the polycrystalline silicon buss lines being connected to a metal strapping network, the interline clocking structure causing charge to be transferred between interline register elements of each interline transfer register based on interline clocking signals. The storage section is coupled to the imaging section. The storage section includes a plurality of storage registers, each storage register containing a plurality of storage register elements. The storage section further includes a storage discharge structure and a storage clocking structure.

Abstract: In a charge coupled device having a plurality of output structures, the plurality of output structures including first and second output structures, a channel structure is defined in a channel region beneath a gate electrode and coupled to each of the plurality of output structures. The channel structure includes a plurality of area structures, each area structure being characterized by a uniform potential which is different from the potential characterizing each of the other area structures. The plurality of area structures are arranged within the channel region to define a first increasing stepped potential gradient from any point within the channel region to the first output structure and define a second increasing stepped potential gradient from any point within the channel region to the second output structure.

Abstract: Accordingly, the present invention is directed to providing methods and apparatus for detecting light energy in real-time while minimizing the effects of background charge accrual on the charge-coupled device. Exemplary embodiments provide relatively fast electronic shuttering and exposure control to minimize accrual of unwanted background illumination. Further, exemplary embodiments can be operated at relatively high speeds without increasing the complexity of electronics used to drive the charge-coupled device or process information produced by the charge-coupled device.