California Institute of Technology

Christopher James Wrigley

Thomas J Cunningham

Bruce R Hancock

Kenneth W Newton

Bedabrata Pain

Michael E Hoenk

Shouleh Nikzad

Todd J Jones

Chao Sun

Matthew R Dickie

A method and device for imaging or detecting electromagnetic radiation is provided. A device structure includes a first chip interconnected with a second chip. The first chip includes a detector array, wherein the detector array comprises a plurality of light sensors and one or more transistors. The second chip includes a Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) that reads out, via the transistors, a signal produced by the light sensors. A number of interconnects between the ROIC and the detector array can be less than one per light sensor or pixel.

Sparsely-bonded CMOS hybrid imager

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts pixel voltages from a CMOS image into a digital output. A voltage ramp generator generates a voltage ramp that has a linear first portion and a non-linear second portion. A digital output generator generates a digital output based on the voltage ramp, the pixel voltages, and comparator output from an array of comparators that compare the voltage ramp to the pixel voltages. A return lookup table linearizes the digital output values.

Mixed linear/square-root encoded single slope ramp provides a fast, low noise analog to digital converter with very high linearity for focal plane arrays

Growing community of inventors

La Crescenta, CA, United States of America

Christopher James Wrigley