A new structure for the silicon retina

A new silicon retina structure in CMOS is proposed and analyzed, which incorporates a parasitic phototransistor as an isolated photoreceptor with many phototransistors in a common well region. The smooth function is achieved by the diffusion of photogenerated carriers in the common well. Experimental results have verified the correct functions of the new structure as a silicon retina. Small chip area and compact wiring make the new structure quite realizable with the associated neural networks in VLSI.<>