Development of ultra high-speed silicon image sensor with temporal resolution of 10Gfps and its application to advanced measurement technology

• Project/Area Number: 19H02204
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21060:Electron device and electronic equipment-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Shimonomura Kazuhiro 立命館大学, 理工学部, 教授 (80397679)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 江藤 剛治 立命館大学, 総合科学技術研究機構, 教授 (20088412) ; 安藤 妙子 立命館大学, 理工学部, 教授 (70335074)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,960,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥6,630,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,530,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥6,240,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,440,000)
• Keywords: 超高速撮像 / 撮像素子 / マルチ電荷収集ゲート撮像素子 / マルチ電荷収集ゲート構造 / シリコン撮像素子

Outline of Research at the Start

超高速撮像素子は，蛍光寿命や飛行時間計測に基づく時間計測型先端分析機器を，面的に同時に時間計測できる時空間計測型へと革新する．FLIMやDPSPでは，蛍光の減衰特性を利用して特定の分子の存在や環境を測定する．TOF-MSではイオンの質量による飛行速度差で分子を分別する．多くは1ns以下の時間分解能を必要とする．また，大型加速器を使った高時間分解能のX線や中性子撮影の気運が世界中で高まっており，産業応用も視野に入れた超高速連続X線撮像技術が求められている．
本研究は，これらの背景とこれまでの研究成果に基づいて，開口率100％で時間分解能100psの超高速撮像素子を開発することを目指している．

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have proposed a Backside Illuminated Multi-Collection-Gate Image Sensor and developed an ultra high-speed image sensor with a temporal resolution of 100 Mfps. In this study, we proposed a branching structure that branches the charge collection gates in each pixel, and showed that horizontal mixing of electrons in the center of the pixel, which can be a factor of limitation of the temporal resolution, can be suppressed by employing resistive gates in this structure. Furthermore, we have shown through simulation that the use of germanium as a photodiode, which has a higher absorption coefficient than that of silicon, can significantly improve the temporal resolution in the photoelectric conversion layer. The combination of these elements shows the prospect of achieving a temporal resolution of 100 ps.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

撮像素子の理論的限界時間分解能を示し，それに迫るための要素技術を提案した．超高速撮像素子は，蛍光寿命計測や飛行時間計測のような時間計測型の先端分析機器を時空間計測型へと進化させ，FLIM（蛍光寿命顕微法）やDPSP（ダイナミック感圧塗料計測），TOF-MS（飛行時間型質量分析）などの発展に寄与する．

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] CERN(スイス)
• [Journal Article] Toward Super Temporal Resolution by Suppression of Mixing Effects of Electrons (2022)
  • Author(s): Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Takeharu Goji Etoh, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Taeko Ando, Yoshiyuki Matsunaga, Takayoshi Shimura, Heiji Watanabe, Hideki Mutoh, Yoshinari Kamakura, Edoardo Charbon
  • Journal Title: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Pages: 2879-2885
  • DOI: 10.1109/ted.2022.3168617
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A Pixel Design of a Branching Ultra-Highspeed Image Sensor (2021)
  • Author(s): Ngo Nguyen Hoai, Shimonomura Kazuhiro, Ando Taeko, Shimura Takayoshi, Watanabe Heiji, Takehara Kohsei, Nguyen Anh Quang, Charbon Edoardo, Etoh Takeharu Goji
  • Journal Title: Sensors Volume: 21 Issue: 7 Pages: 2506-2506
  • DOI: 10.3390/s21072506
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Monolithic CMOS sensors for sub-nanosecond timing (2020)
  • Author(s): Thanushan Kugathasan, Taeko Ando, Dominik Dannheim, Takeharu Goji Etoh, Magdalena Munker, Heinz Perneggera, Angelo Rivetti, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Walter Snoeys
  • Journal Title: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Volume: 979 Pages: 164461-164461
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2020.164461
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Toward the Super Temporal Resolution Image Sensor with a Germanium Photodiode for Visible Light (2020)
  • Author(s): Ngo Nguyen Hoai, Nguyen Anh Quang, Bufler Fabian M., Kamakura Yoshinari, Mutoh Hideki, Shimura Takayoshi, Hosoi Takuji, Watanabe Heiji, Matagne Philippe, Shimonomura Kazuhiro, Takehara Kohsei, Charbon Edoardo, Etoh Takeharu Goji
  • Journal Title: Sensors Volume: 20 Issue: 23 Pages: 6895-6895
  • DOI: 10.3390/s20236895
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Light-in-Flight imaging by a silicon image sensor: Toward the theoretical highest frame rate (2019)
  • Author(s): Takeharu Goji Etoh, Tomoo Okinaka, Yasuhide Takano, Kohsei Takehara, Hitoshi Nakano, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Taeko Ando, Nguyen Ngo, Yoshinari Kamakura, Dao Vu Truong Son, Anh Quang Nguyen, Edoardo Charbon, Chao Zhang, Piet De Moor, Paul Goetschalckx, Luc Haspeslagh
  • Journal Title: Ｓｅｎｓｏｒｓ Volume: 19(10) Issue: 10 Pages: 1-16
  • DOI: 10.3390/s19102247
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Flying Light Captured with a Multi-framing Image Sensor Operating at 10 ns (2019)
  • Author(s): 高野 保英, 沖中 知雄, 竹原 幸生, 中野 人志, 下ノ村 和弘, 林 直樹, 三井 鷹, 江藤 剛治
  • Journal Title: Transactions of the Visualization Society of Japan Volume: 39 Issue: 9 Pages: 35-40
  • DOI: 10.3154/tvsj.39.35
  • NAID: 130007698460
  • ISSN: 1346-5260
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] レジスティブゲートを備えるブランチング撮像素子 (2022)
  • Author(s): 江藤剛治，ゴ ホアイ グエン，渡部平司，志村考功，松永誠之，廣瀬裕，武藤秀樹，下ノ村和弘
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] 信号電子の混合効果の抑制によるスーパー時間分解を目指して (2022)
  • Author(s): 江藤剛治，下ノ村和弘，安藤妙子，松長誠之，廣瀨裕，志村考功，渡部平司， 鎌倉良成，武藤秀樹
  • Organizer: 電子情報通信学会シリコン材料・デバイス研究会
• [Presentation] A Branching Image Sensor for Sub-nanosecond Burst Imaging (2021)
  • Author(s): Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Takayoshi Shimura, Heiji Watanabe, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Yoshinari Kamakura, Takeharu Goji Etoh
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] Super-temporal-resolution Image Sensor -Beyond the Theoretical Highest Frame Rate of Silicon Image Sensors- (2021)
  • Author(s): Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Takayoshi Shimura, Heiji Watanabe, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Hideki Mutoh, Takeharu Goji Etoh
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] Dynamic Crosstalk Analysis for Branching Image Sensors (2021)
  • Author(s): Nguyen H. Ngo, Takayoshi Shimura, Taeko Ando, Heiji Watanabe, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Yoshinari Kamakura, Hideki Mutoh, T. Goji Etoh
  • Organizer: 2021 International Image Sensor Workshop (IISW)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Toward Super Temporal Resolution by Controlling Horizontal Motions of Electrons (2021)
  • Author(s): T. Goji Etoh, Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Taeko Ando, Takayoshi Shimura, Heiji Watanabe, Hideki Mutoh, Yoshinari Kamakura, Edoardo Charbon
  • Organizer: 2021 International Image Sensor Workshop (IISW)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 信号電子の水平運動の制御によるスーパー時間分解へのアプローチ (2021)
  • Author(s): 江藤剛治，ゴ グエン ホアイ，下ノ村和弘，安藤妙子，松長誠之，志村孝功，渡部平司，武藤秀樹，鎌倉良成，エドアルド シャーボン
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] Simulation Study on a Backside-Illuminated Cascade-Collection-Gate Image Sensor (2021)
  • Author(s): Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Anh Quang Nguyen, Vu Truong Son Dao, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Takeharu Goji Etoh
  • Organizer: IEEE International Conference on Communications and Electronics
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Evolution of BSI Multi-Collection-Gate Image Sensors -From Light-in-Flight imaging to Giga-fps Continuous Imaging- (2019)
  • Author(s): T. Goji Etoh, Nguyen Ngo, Anh Quang Nguyen, Yoshiyuki Matsunaga, Taeko Ando, Kohsei Takehara, and Kazuhiro Shimonomura
  • Organizer: 2019 International Image Sensor Workshop
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A Simulation Study on a Cascasde-pipeline BSI Multi-Collection-Gate Image Sensor (2019)
  • Author(s): Nguyen Ngo, Anh Quang Nguyen, Yoshiyuki Matsunaga, Taeko Ando, Kohsei Takehara, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Takeharu Goji Etoh
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] 光の飛翔の連続撮影を超えて ～X線・赤外線超高速撮影に向けて～ (2019)
  • Author(s): 江藤剛治，ゴ グエン，松長誠之，安藤妙子，下ノ村和弘
  • Organizer: 映像情報メディア学会情報センシング研究会
• [Presentation] Monolithic CMOS sensors for sub-nanosecond timing (2019)
  • Author(s): D.Dannheim,T.Etoh,T.Kugathasan,M.Muenker,H.Pernegger,A.Rivetti,K.Shimonomura,W.Snoeys
  • Organizer: 12th International Hiroshima Symposium on the Development and Application of Semiconductor Tracking detectors
  • Int'l Joint Research