Mesa Imaging Ag

Anadec Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Microimaging Gmbh

Csem Centre Suisse D'electronique Et De Microtechnique Sa

Csem Centre Suisse D'electronique Et De Microtechnique Sa Recherche Et Developpement

Heptagon Micro Optics Pte. Ltd.

Felix Lustenberger

Thierry Oggier

Peter Seitz

Markus Helfenstein

Hans-Andrea Loeliger

Felix Tark&ouml;y

Laurent Lamesch

Bernhard Buettgen

Michael Lehmann

Bernhard Büttgen

Simon Neukom

Guido Becker

Alessandro Esposito

Fred Silvester Wouters

Bernhard Buttgen

A pixel for detecting incident radiation (In) over a large area with high sensitivity and low power consumption. The pixel comprises a semiconductor substrate (), covered by a thin insulating layer (), on top of which a dendritic or arborescent gate structure () is arranged. The dendritic gate () is electrically connected at two or more contacts (C, C) with voltage sources, leading to the flow of a current and a position-dependent potential distribution in the gate (). Due to the use of arborescent structures and various materials (), the pixel can be optimized for a certain application, in particular in terms of the electric field distribution, the RC time constant, the power consumption and the spectral sensitivity. Due to its compact size, the photo sensor can be arranged in linear or two-dimensional manner for the realization of line and area sensors.

Large-area pixel for use in an image sensor

A demodulation device () in semiconductor technology is disclosed. The device () is capable of demodulating an injected modulated current. The device () comprises an input node (IN), a sampling stage (DG, IG, GS, IG, DG) and at least two output nodes (D, D). The sampling stage DG, IG, GS, IG, DG) comprises transfer means (GL, GM, GR) for transferring a modulated charge-current signal from the input node (IN) to one of the output nodes (D, D) allocated to the respective time interval within the modulation period. The small size and the ability to reproduce the device () in standard semiconductor technologies make possible a cost-efficient integration of the device ().

Device and method for the demodulation of modulated electric signals

A solid-state image sensor () with very high sensitivity approaching the single-photon limit is realized with three modular building blocks: (a) a pixel (. . . ) with a photo-site, intermediate photo-charge storage capability as used for correlated double sampling, and an electronic circuit for signal buffering or amplification, (b) a column or row signal line () to which a plurality of such pixels (. . . ) is connected using transistor switches, incorporating a low-pass filter (), and (c) a readout circuit () to which the row signal lines (. . . ) are connected, consisting of a plurality of analog amplifiers (. . . ) with an analog multiplexer (). Photo-generated signals are read out and the reset level is subtracted either in the analog or in the digital domain, to implement a correlated-double-sampling method.

Highly sensitive solid-state image sensor

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful technique increasingly used in the life sciences during the past decades. An all-solid-state fluorescence-lifetime-imaging microscope () with a simple lock-in imager () for fluorescence lifetime detection is described. The lock-in imager (), originally developed for 3D vision, embeds all the functionalities required for FLIM in a compact system. Its combination with a light-emitting diode () yields a cost-effective and user-friendly FLIM unit for wide-field microscopes. The system is suitable for nanosecond lifetime measurements and achieves video-rate imaging capabilities.

Apparatus and method for all-solid-state fluorescence lifetime imaging

The method serves for canceling errors caused by mismatch of different signal paths in a photodetector with a plurality (k) of storage elements for the photogenerated signals, as typically used in phase-measurement systems. The signal-capturing process is performed in at least two measurement cycles (j) . A first cycle (j=1) is executed with the conventional setup with no phase delay in the control signals. It is followed by further measurement cycles (j=2, 3, 4) which use control signals shifted by a constant phase shift (90&#xb0;). Corresponding signals are read out through different signal paths. At the end, the signals corresponding to a certain phase (&#x3a6;) are added, thus canceling possible offset values.

Method and device for redundant distance measurement and mismatch cancellation in phase-measurement systems

The method serves to add at least two values by means of a circuit. Both input values and output values are represented in differential form, either as a pair of voltages or as a pair of currents. The circuit consists of four transistors; it has a pair of current inputs for one of the input values, a pair of voltage inputs for the other input value, and a pair of current outputs for the output value. The voltage between the two voltage inputs corresponds to the first input value; the quotient of the currents through the two current inputs corresponds to the exponential of the other input value; and the quotient of the currents through the two current outputs corresponds to the exponential of the sum of the two input values. Values represented by voltages are easily transformed into current representation, and vice versa. The method is suitable for a variety of applications and the circuit can be cascaded both with copies of itself and with other circuits.

Method for mathematically processing two quantities in an electronic circuit

A circuit module for data processing comprises several first inputs (I,), several second inputs (I,) and several outputs (I,). First transistors (T,) combine the first and second inputs. Each of the first transistors (T,) is connected at its emitter or source with a first input and at its base or gate with a second input. Each second input is further connected to the base or gate and the emittor or source of a second transistor (T,). The currents of the outputs correspond to the product of the currents through the individual inputs. By combining the outputs sum products can be calculated, especially for computing discrete probability distributions. The combination of several circuit modules allows to solve complex signal processing tasks.

Method and electronic circuit for signal processing, in particular for the computation of probability distributions

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Cham, Switzerland

Felix Lustenberger