A miniaturized optical gas sensor for natural gas analysis

The depletion of domestic reserves and the growing use of sustainable resources forces a transition from the locally produced natural gas with a well-known composition toward the ‘new’ gas with a more flexible composition in the Netherlands. For safe combustion and proper billing, the natural gas must be monitored at both distribution points and...

Fundamental Characteristics of a Pinned Photodiode CMOS Pixels

This thesis gives an insightful analysis of the pinned photodiode 4T CMOS pixel from three different aspects. Firstly, from the charge accumulated aspect, the PPD full well capacity and related parameters of influence are investigated such as the pinning voltage, and transfer gate potential barrier. Secondly, from the charge transfer aspect, the...

Low Temperature PureB Technology for CMOS Compatible Photodetectors

In this thesis, conventional high temperature (HT, 700 °C) PureB technology is optimized in order to fabricate detectors with improved key parameters such as the spatial uniformity of the responsivity. A novel technology for low temperature (LT, 400 °C) boron deposition is developed providing a uniform, smooth, closed LT boron layer. This...

Performance Analysis of Si-Based Ultra-Shallow Junction Photodiodes for UV Radiation Detection

This thesis presents a performance investigation of newly-developed ultra-shallow junction photodiodes (PureB-diodes) for ultraviolet (UV) radiation detection. The photodiodes are fabricated by pure boron chemical vapor deposition (PureB CVD) technology, which can provide nanometer-thin boron capping layer and nanometer-deep defect-free p+n...

Low-Noise CMOS Image Sensors for Radio-Molecular Imaging

This thesis presents the development of low-noise CMOS image sensors for radio-molecular imaging. The development is described in two directions: firstly, from the technology point of view to reduce the pixel noise level, and secondly from the design point of view to reduce the pixel readout circuits noise level. With respect to the SNR and...

A Biologically Inspired CMOS Image Sensor

Biological systems are a source of inspiration in the development of small autonomous sensor nodes. The two major types of optical vision systems found in nature are the single aperture human eye and the compound eye of insects. The latter are among the most compact and smallest vision sensors. The eye is a compound of individual lenses with...

Charge-Transfer CMOS Image Sensors: Device and Radiation Aspects

The aim of this thesis was twofold: investigating the effect of ionizing radiation on 4-T CMOS image sensors and the possibility of realizing a CCD like sensor in standard 0.18-?m CMOS technology (for medical applications). Both the aims are complementary; borrowing and lending many aspects of radiation and device physics amongst each other.

Noise in sub-micron CMOS image sensors

CMOS image sensors are devices that convert illumination signals (light intensity) into electronic signals. The goal of this thesis has been to analyze dominate noise sources in CMOS imagers and to improve the image quality by reducing the noise generated in the CMOS image sensor pixels.

CMOS-based Integrated Wavefront Sensor

This thesis addresses the design, implementation and performance of an integrated Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor suitable for real-time operation and compatible with a standard technology. A wavefront sensor can be used for the detection of distortions in the profile of a light beam or of an optical component.With such a sensor, one can, for...