• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2009

As infrared light radiates, the CMOS Readout IC (ROIC) for the microbolometer typed infrared sensor detects voltage or current which is caused by the variation of resistance in the bolometer sensor. A serious problem we may have in designing the ROIC is the value of bolometer and reference resistors will be changed due to process variation. Since each pixel does not have the same value of resistance, fixed pattern noise problems happen during the sensor operations. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to compensate the fluctuation of reference resistance with taking account of process variation. By using a comparator and a cross coupled latch, we will make the value of reference resistor same as the bolometer's.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.349-353
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• 2016

Recently, research on bolometer-type uncooled infrared image sensor which is made for industrial applications has been increasing. In general, it is difficult to calibrate fixed pattern noise (FPN) of bolometer array. In this paper, average-current calibration algorithm is presented for reducing bolometer resistance offset. A resistor which is produced by standard CMOS process, on the average, has a deviation. We compensate for deviation of each resistor using average-current calibration algorithm. The proposed algorithm has been implemented by a chip which is consisted of a bolometer pixel array, average current generators, current-to-voltage converters (IVCs), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). These bolometer-resistor array and readout circuit were designed and manufactured by $0.35{\mu}m$ standard CMOS process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.148-149
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• 2008

As infrared light is radiated, the CMOS Readout IC (ROIC) for the microbolometer type infrared sensor detects voltage or current when the resistance value in the bolometer sensor varies. One of the serious problems in designing the ROIC is that resistances in the bolometer and reference resistor have process variation. This means that each pixel does not have the same resistance, causing serious fixed pattern noise problems in sensor operations. In this paper, Reference resistor compensation technique was proposed. This technique is to compensate the reference resistance considering the process variation, and it has the same reference resistance value as a bolometer cell resistance by using a comparator and a cross coupled latch.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.357-361
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• 2018

This paper presents an averaging current adjustment technique for reducing the pixel resistance variation in a bolometer-type uncooled infrared image sensor. Each unit pixel was composed of an active pixel, a reference pixel for the averaging current adjustment technique, and a calibration circuit. The reference pixel was integrated with a polysilicon resistor using a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, and the active pixel was applied from outside of the chip. The averaging current adjustment technique was designed by using the reference pixel. The entire circuit was implemented on a chip that was composed of a reference pixel array for the averaging current adjustment technique, a calibration circuit, and readout circuits. The proposed reference pixel array for the averaging current adjustment technique, calibration circuit, and readout circuit were designed and fabricated by a $0.35-{\mu}m$ standard CMOS process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-92
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• 2010

A bolometer sensor used in an infrared thermal imaging system has many advantages on the process because it does not need a separate cooling system and its manufacturing is easy. However the sensitivity of the bolometer is low and the fixed pattern noise(FPN) is large, because the bolometer sensor is made by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). These problems can be fixed-by using the high performance readout integrated circuit(ROIC) with noise reduction techniques. In this paper, we propose differential delta sampling circuit to remove the mismatch noise of ROIC itself, the FPN of the bolometer. And for reduction of FPN noise, the reference signal compensation circuit which compensate the reference signal by using on-resistance of MOS transistor was proposed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.23-25
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• 2005

Infrared bolometer sensor's variation is detected by voltage drop between reference resistor and bolometer resistor in this architecture. One of the serious problems in this architecture is that these resistors value has a process variation. So common-mode level could be different from expectation in room temperature. Different common-mode level could lead to wrong output at the end of readout circuit. We suggest useful method to solve this problem. Difference correction using capacitor has reduced CM level difference to 86% for 1 $M\Omega$. bolometer and reference resistor's 10% variation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.7-8
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• 2009

In the presence of infrared light, a CMOS Readout IC (ROIC) for a microbolometer typed infrared sensor detects the voltage or current that is caused by the changing in resistance in the bolometer sensor. A serious problem in designing the ROIC is how the value of the bolometer and reference resistors vary because of variations in manufacturing process. Since different pixel have different, resistance values, sensor operations must contend with fixed pattern noise (FPN) problems. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to compensate for the fluctuation in reference resistance by tiling into account the process variation. By using constant current source basing and correlated double sampling, we solved FPN.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.180-182
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• 2005

비냉각형 적외선 검출 회로 설계 시 공정상 변화에 의해 발생하는 센서의 저항값 변동이 크다. 본 논문에서는 이것을 해결하기 위해 차동적 입력 수신 구조를 이용한 방법을 제시하였다. 볼로미터 타입 비냉각형 적외선 영상 센서 회로는 입사된 적외선 에너지 양에 따라 센서의 저항값이 변하는 특성을 이용하며 그에 따른 전압 또는 전류의 변화를 측정하여 적외선의 파장을 알아내는 방식으로 검출회로 설계 시 가장 큰 문제점인 공정상의 변화 등으로 인한 신호검출 회로의 오동작을 개선하기 위하여 검출회로의 입력단을 차동적으로 받아들이도록 설계하였다.