Effects of Offset Pixel Aperture Width on the Performances of Monochrome CMOS Image Sensors for Depth Extraction

This paper presents the effects of offset pixel aperture width on the performance of monochrome (MONO) CMOS image sensors (CISs) for a three-dimensional image sensor. Using a technique to integrate the offset pixel aperture (OPA) inside each pixel, the depth information can be acquired using a disparity from OPA patterns. The OPA is classified into two pattern types: Left-offset pixel aperture (LOPA) and right-offset pixel aperture (ROPA). These OPAs are divided into odd and even rows and integrated in a pixel array. To analyze the correlation between the OPA width and the sensor characteristics, experiments were conducted by configuring the test elements group (TEG) regions. The OPA width of the TEG region for the measurement varied in the range of 0.3–0.5 μm. As the aperture width decreased, the disparity of the image increased, while the sensitivity decreased. It is possible to acquire depth information by the disparity obtained from the proposed MONO CIS using the OPA technique without an external light source. Therefore, the proposed MONO CIS with OPA could easily be applied to miniaturized devices. The proposed MONO CIS was designed and manufactured using the 0.11 μm CIS process.