Differential Polarization Imaging and Probing [DPIP]: Seeing and Probing the “Invisible”

Author(s):  
Baohua Niu ◽  
Martin von Haartman ◽  
Patrick Pardy ◽  
Mitch Sacks

Abstract A novel method for obtaining diffraction limited high resolution images, and increased signal to noise ratio (SnR), for imaging and probing silicon based complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOS, and MOSFET) integrated circuits (IC), is presented. The improved imaging is based on the sub wavelength features’ asymmetric layout, which is dictated by the lithography design rules constrain in CMOS IC and their interactions with polarized light. This asymmetry in layout and the inherent stress engineering on the CMOS IC, produce both dichroism and birefringence in silicon (Si). An elegant design enabled us to obtain two images with orthogonal polarization detection to take advantages of the dichroism and birefringence in Si based CMOS IC. Differential Polarization Image (DPI) is obtained by subtracting the two orthogonal polarization resolved images. On infrared emission microscopes (IREM), DPI in optical imaging mode and DPI plus probing [DPIP] in emission mode, showed 2X or more in terms of optical resolution (imaging mode) and 2X or more SnR (emission-probing mode) improvements. Striking images in probing mode, revealing previously “invisible” emission, were demonstrated.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Redman

This paper is a follow-up to three previous papers: the first introducing the new Bitstream Photon Counting Chirped Amplitude Modulation (AM) Lidar (PC-CAML) with the unipolar Digital Logic Local Oscillator (DLLO) concept, the second introducing the improvement thereof using the bipolar DLLO, and the third introducing the improvement of digital In-phase and Quadrature-phase (I/Q) demodulation.In that previous work, the signal was a single unipolar chirped sinusoidal or square wave. This paper introduces a new bitstream PC-CAML transceiver architecture that combines two unipolar chirped signals, referred to as the dual unipolar signal, to form a single bipolar signal in the receiver. (patent pending) This bipolar signal is mixed with the bipolar DLLOs in the in-phase (I) digital mixing and quadrature-phase (Q) digital mixing channels for digital I/Q demodulation for improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to that when using a single unipolar signal.The simulation results presented in this paper indicate an SNR improvement for the dual unipolar chirped sinusoidal signal bitstream PC-CAML compared to that of the unipolar chirped sinusoidal signal bitstream PC-CAML (both with bipolar DLLOs and digital I/Q demodulation) of from about 3 dB to about 6 dB for signals below the onset of receiver saturation, and an improvement for maximum achievable SNR of about 13 dB if the receiver is allowed to saturate.The bitstream PC-CAML with a dual unipolar signal and bipolar DLLOs with digital I/Q demodulation architecture discussed in this paper adds complexity to the transmitter and receiver compared to the architectures presented in the previous papers. Whether or not this additional complexity is worth the improved SNR will have to be decided as part of system trade studies for particular systems and their applications.However, the new architecture still retains the key advantages of the previous bitstream PC-CAML architectures since it still replaces bulky, power-hungry, and expensive wideband RF analog electronics in the receiver with digital components that can be implemented in inexpensive silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) read-out integrated circuits (ROICs) to make the bitstream PC-CAML with a DLLO more suitable for compact lidar-on-a-chip systems and lidar array receivers than previous standard PC-CAML systems.This paper introduces the dual unipolar signal and bipolar DLLOs with digital I/Q demodulation transceiver architecture for bitstream PC-CAML, and presents the initial SNR theory with comparisons to Monte Carlo simulation results.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Redman

This paper is a follow-up to two previous papers, one introducing the new bitstream Photon Counting Chirped Amplitude Modulation (AM) Lidar (PC-CAML) with the unipolar Digital Logic Local Oscillator (DLLO) concept, and the other paper introducing the improvement thereof using the bipolar DLLO. In that previous work, there was only a single channel of digital mixing of the DLLO with the received photon counting signal. This paper introduces a new bitstream PC-CAML receiver architecture with an in-phase (I) digital mixing channel and a quadrature phase (Q) digital mixing channel for digital I/Q demodulation with the bipolar DLLO to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by 3 dB compared to that for the single digital mixing channel with the bipolar DLLO and by 5.5 dB compared to that for the single digital mixing channel with the unipolar DLLO. (patent pending) The bipolar DLLO with digital I/Q demodulation architecture discussed in this paper retains the key advantages of the previous bitstream PC-CAML with a DLLO systems since it also replaces bulky, power-hungry, and expensive wideband RF analog electronics with digital components that can be implemented in inexpensive silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) read-out integrated circuits (ROICs) to make the bitstream PC-CAML with a DLLO more suitable for compact lidar-on-a-chip systems and lidar array receivers than previous PC-CAML systems. This paper introduces the bipolar DLLO with digital I/Q demodulation receiver architecture for bitstream PC-CAML and presents the initial signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) theory with comparisons to Monte Carlo simulation results.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Redman

This paper introduces a new concept for the local oscillator (LO) for the Photon Counting Chirped Amplitude Modulation Lidar (PC-CAML). Rather than using a radio-frequency (RF) analog LO applied electronically either in post-detection mixing or via opto-electronic mixing (OEM) at the detector, or applied via pre-detection mixing using an optical intensity modulator as in previous systems, the new method mixes the single-bit binary counts from the photon counting detector with a single-bit binary LO using an AND binary digital logic gate. This type of LO is called the Digital Logic Local Oscillator (DLLO), and the resulting PC-CAML system is a type of bitstream lidar called bitstream PC-CAML (patent pending).The key advantage of the DLLO in the bitstream PC-CAML is that it replaces bulky, power-hungry, and expensive wideband RF analog electronics with single-bit digital logic components that can be implemented in inexpensive silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) read-out integrated circuits (ROICs) to make the bitstream PC-CAML with a DLLO more suitable for compact lidar-on-a-chip systems and lidar array receivers than previous PCCAML systems.This paper introduces the DLLO for bitstream PC-CAML concept, presents the initial signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) theory with comparisons to Monte Carlo simulation results, and makes suggestions for future work on this concept.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 1450012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manorama Chauhan ◽  
Ravindra Singh Kushwah ◽  
Pavan Shrivastava ◽  
Shyam Akashe

In the world of Integrated Circuits, complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) has lost its ability during scaling beyond 50 nm. Scaling causes severe short channel effects (SCEs) which are difficult to suppress. FinFET devices undertake to replace usual Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFETs) because of their better ability in controlling leakage and diminishing SCEs while delivering a strong drive current. In this paper, we present a relative examination of FinFET with the double gate MOSFET (DGMOSFET) and conventional bulk Si single gate MOSFET (SGMOSFET) by using Cadence Virtuoso simulation tool. Physics-based numerical two-dimensional simulation results for FinFET device, circuit power is presented, and classifying that FinFET technology is an ideal applicant for low power applications. Exclusive FinFET device features resulting from gate–gate coupling are conversed and efficiently exploited for optimal low leakage device design. Design trade-off for FinFET power and performance are suggested for low power and high performance applications. Whole power consumptions of static and dynamic circuits and latches for FinFET device, believing state dependency, show that leakage currents for FinFET circuits are reduced by a factor of over ~ 10X, compared to DGMOSFET and ~ 20X compared with SGMOSFET.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 3610
Author(s):  
Adrián J. Torregrosa ◽  
Emir Karamehmedović ◽  
Haroldo Maestre ◽  
María Luisa Rico ◽  
Juan Capmany

Up-conversion sensing based on optical heterodyning of an IR (infrared) image with a local oscillator laser wave in a nonlinear optical sum-frequency mixing (SFM) process is a practical solution to circumvent some limitations of IR image sensors in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, speed, resolution, or cooling needs in some demanding applications. In this way, the spectral content of an IR image can become spectrally shifted to the visible/near infrared (VIS/NWIR) and then detected with silicon focal plane arrayed sensors (Si-FPA), such as CCD/CMOS (charge-coupled and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices). This work is an extension of a previous study where we recently introduced this technique in the context of optical communications, in particular in FSOC (free-space optical communications). Herein, we present an image up-conversion system based on a 1064 nm Nd3+: YVO4 solid-state laser with a KTP (potassium titanyl phosphate) nonlinear crystal located intra-cavity where a laser beam at 1550 nm 2D spatially-modulated with a binary Quick Response (QR) code is mixed, giving an up-converted code image at 631 nm that is detected with an Si-based camera. The underlying technology allows for the extension of other IR spectral allocations, construction of compact receivers at low cost, and provides a natural way for increased protection against eavesdropping.


1987 ◽  
Vol 96 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 76-79
Author(s):  
J. Génin ◽  
R. Charachon

In a multichannel cochlear prosthesis, electrical interactions between electrodes impose severe limitations on dynamic range and selectivity. We present a theoretical model to cope with these limitations. Building a successful cochlear implant requires full custom-integrated circuits. We present the design of such a device, implemented in complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. The area of the chip is 9 mm2 and it can stimulate 15 cochlear electrodes with current impulses.


Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 3617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Chan ◽  
Zhou Zheng ◽  
Kevan Bell ◽  
Martin Le ◽  
Parsin Haji Reza ◽  
...  

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging imaging technique that bridges the gap between pure optical and acoustic techniques to provide images with optical contrast at the acoustic penetration depth. The two key components that have allowed PAI to attain high-resolution images at deeper penetration depths are the photoacoustic signal generator, which is typically implemented as a pulsed laser and the detector to receive the generated acoustic signals. Many types of acoustic sensors have been explored as a detector for the PAI including Fabry–Perot interferometers (FPIs), micro ring resonators (MRRs), piezoelectric transducers, and capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs). The fabrication technique of CMUTs has given it an edge over the other detectors. First, CMUTs can be easily fabricated into given shapes and sizes to fit the design specifications. Moreover, they can be made into an array to increase the imaging speed and reduce motion artifacts. With a fabrication technique that is similar to complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), CMUTs can be integrated with electronics to reduce the parasitic capacitance and improve the signal to noise ratio. The numerous benefits of CMUTs have enticed researchers to develop it for various PAI purposes such as photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) and photoacoustic endoscopy applications. For PACT applications, the main areas of research are in designing two-dimensional array, transparent, and multi-frequency CMUTs. Moving from the table top approach to endoscopes, some of the different configurations that are being investigated are phased and ring arrays. In this paper, an overview of the development of CMUTs for PAI is presented.


Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Jung Chen ◽  
Yung-Chuan Wu

This paper introduces a thermoelectric-type sensor with a built-in heater as an alternative approach to the measurement of vacuum pressure based on frequency modulation. The proposed sensor is fabricated using the TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Hsinchu, Taiwan) 0.35 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-microelectro-mechanical systems (CMOS–MEMS) process with thermocouples positioned central-symmetrically. The proposed frequency modulation technique involves locking the sensor output signal at a given frequency using a phase-lock-loop (PLL) amplifier to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and thereby enhance the sensitivity of vacuum measurements. An improved first harmonic signal detection based on asymmetrical applied heating gives a precise measurement. Following calibration, the output voltage is in good agreement with the calibration values, resulting in an error of 0.25% under pressures between 0.1–10 Torr.


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