sCMOS

This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (August 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

sCMOS (scientific Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) is a kind of CMOS Image Sensor (CIS).^[1] As the name suggests, these sensors are commonly used in scientific instruments, such as microscopes^[2] and telescopes.^[3] sCMOS image sensors offer extremely low noise, rapid frame rates, wide dynamic range, high quantum efficiency, high resolution, and a large field of view simultaneously in one image.^[4][5]

Classic CMOS inverter (a NOT logic gate)

The new sCMOS technology was launched in 2009 during the Laser World of Photonics fair in Munich. The companies Andor Technology, Fairchild Imaging and PCO Imaging developed the technology for image sensors as a joint venture.^[6][4]

Technical details[]

Prior to the introduction of the technology, scientists were limited to using either CCD or EMCCD cameras, both of which had their own set of technical limitations.^[7] While back-illuminated electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) cameras are optimum for certain uses that require the lowest noise and dark currents, sCMOS technology, with its higher pixel count and lower cost, can be the choice for a wide range of high-precision applications. sCMOS devices can capture data in a global-shutter “snapshot” mode over all the pixels or rectangular subsets of pixels, and can also operate in a rolling-shutter mode.^[8][1]

The cameras are available with a monochrome sCMOS image sensors or with RGB sCMOS image sensors. With sCMOS, digital information for each frame is generated rapidly and with an improved low-light image quality. The sCMOS sensor's low read noise and larger area provides a low-noise, large field-of-view (FOV) image that enables researchers to scan across a sample and capture high-quality images.^[9][5]

Comparison - sCMOS vs. CCD technology; lower figure compares a scientific grade CCD (left) and a pco.edge camera with sCMOS sensor (on the right) under similar weak illumination conditions. This demonstrates the superiority of sCMOS over CCD with regards to read out noise and dynamic, without smear (the vertical lines in the CCD image).

In practice[]

The New York University School of Medicine uses sCMOS cameras for their research. They were used to study biological molecules and processes in real-time at nanometer scale.^[1] Such cameras were also in use in astronomy and microscopy.^[10]

See also[]

• Active pixel sensor
• Beyond CMOS
• MOSFET
• CMOS amplifiers

References[]

Further reading[]

• Baker, R. Jacob (2010). CMOS: Circuit Design, Layout, and Simulation, Third Edition. Wiley-IEEE. p. 1174. ISBN 978-0-470-88132-3. http://CMOSedu.com
• Weste, Neil H. E.; Harris, David M. (2010). CMOS VLSI Design: A Circuits and Systems Perspective, Fourth Edition. Boston: Pearson/Addison-Wesley. p. 840. ISBN 978-0-321-54774-3. http://CMOSVLSI.com/
• Veendrick, H. J. M. (2017). Nanometer CMOS ICs, from Basics to ASICs. Springer. p. 770. ISBN 978-3-319-47595-0. http://springer.com/cn/book/9783319475950?referer=springer.com
• Mead, Carver A., and Conway, Lynn (1980). Introduction to VLSI systems. Boston: Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-04358-0.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)