A shutter-less micro-bolometer thermal imaging system using multiple digital correlated double sampling for mobile applications

Abstract

A micro-bolometer focal plane array (MBFPA)-based long wavelength Infra-red thermal imaging sensor is presented. The proposed multiple digital correlated double sampling (MD-CDS) readout method employing newly designed reference-cell greatly reduces PVT variation-induced fixed pattern noise (FPN) and as a result features much relaxed calibration process, easier TEC-less operation and Shutter-less operation. The readout IC and MBFPA was fabricated in 0.35um CMOS and amorphous silicon MEMS process respectively. The fabricated MBFPA thermal imaging sensor has NETD performance of 0.1 kelvin even though the mechanical shutter is not used.