Charge-coupled device

Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Overview and History:
– Pixels represented by p-doped metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors.
– CCDs convert photons into electron charges at semiconductor-oxide interface.
– Widely used in professional, medical, and scientific fields.
– Active pixel sensors (CMOS) common in consumer and professional cameras.
– Invented by Boyle and Smith at Bell Labs in 1969.
– Commercial development started in the early 1970s.
– Pinned photodiode (PPD) invented in 1980 to address shutter lag.
– CMOS sensors dominant since late 2010s, replacing CCDs.

CCD Operation and Applications:
– Charge packets collected in potential wells using gate electrodes.
– CCDs consist of photoactive and transmission regions.
– Image projection onto capacitor array accumulates electric charge.
– One-dimensional arrays in line-scan cameras, two-dimensional in video/still cameras.
– Control circuit transfers charge between capacitors.
– Used in professional, medical, and scientific fields for high-quality data.
– CMOS sensors in consumer and professional digital cameras.
– CCDs historically preferred for quality, but CMOS now dominant.
– Different applications based on quality demands.
– CCDs largely replaced by CMOS sensors since late 2010s.

CCD Innovations and Notable Contributions:
– Invented by Boyle and Smith in 1969, leading to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009.
– First color CCD sensor by Peter Dillon in 1974.
– Sony released first consumer CCD video camera (CCD-G5) in 1983.
– Pinned photodiode (PPD) invention in 1980 to resolve shutter lag.
– CCD technology advancements and applications in various fields.

CCD Technology Variants and Efficiency:
– Frame Transfer CCD used in astronomy and professional video cameras.
– ICCD combines CCD with image intensifier for high sensitivity.
– EMCCD offers high gain with low readout noise.
– CCDs respond to 70% of incident light, more efficient than film.
– Cooling reduces dark current, improving sensitivity to low light.
– CCDs sensitive to near-infrared light, used in night-vision devices.

CCD Applications in Various Fields:
– CCDs in digital cameras, optical scanners, and video cameras.
– EMCCDs offer high sensitivity and low noise for various applications.
– CCDs in analytical instrumentation for precise measurements.
– CCD technology in astronomy, color cameras, and noise reduction.
– Use of CCDs in scientific research, industrial applications, and astrophotography.

Charge-coupled device (Wikipedia)

A charge-coupled device (CCD) is an integrated circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors. Under the control of an external circuit, each capacitor can transfer its electric charge to a neighboring capacitor. CCD sensors are a major technology used in digital imaging.