A low noise multi-channel readout IC for X-ray cargo inspection

Abstract: A low noise multi-channel readout integrated circuit (IC) which converts a detector current to analog voltage for X-ray cargo inspection is described. The readout IC provides 32 channels of a circuit having a maximum dynamic range of 15 bit and is comprised of integrator gain selection, timing generator, shift register chain, integrator array, sample/hold (S/H) stage amplifier etc. It was fabricated using 0.6 μm standard CMOS process, and occupies a die area of 2.7×13.9 mm². It operates at 1 MHz, consumes 100 mW from a 5 V supply and 4.096 V as reference, and has a measured output noise of 85 μV_rms on 63 pF of integrator gain capacitance and 440 pF of photodiode terminal capacitance so that steel plate penetration thickness can reach more than 400 mm.

Key words: low noise, multi-channel readout IC, dynamic range, X-ray cargo inspection

References:

[1]	Garverick S L, Skrenes L, Baertsch R D. A 32-channel charge readout IC for programmable, nonlinear quantization of multichannel detector data[J]. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1995, 30(5): 533. doi: 10.1109/4.384166
[2]	Stanton J C. A low power low noise amplifier for a 128 channel detector read-out chip[J]. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci, 1989, 36(1): 522. doi: 10.1109/23.34494
[3]	Holloway P, O'Donoghue G. An 8-channel 16 b charge-to-digital converter for imaging applications[J]. IEEE 39th International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, 1992: 176.
[4]	Kovacs R. X-ray inspection systems and applications[J]. 27th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology:Meeting the Challenges of Electronics Technology Progress, 2004, 1: 14.
[5]	Eilbert R F, Shi S. Recent advances in imaging for X-ray inspection systems[J]. 38th Annual International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 2004: 252.
[6]	Ries H, Hemp F, Koch C. X-ray cargo inspection[J]. SPIE, 1994, 2276: 234.
[7]	Kim B C, Jeon J, Shin H. Temporal noise analysis and reduction method in CMOS image sensor readout circuit[J]. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2009, 56(11): 2489. doi: 10.1109/TED.2009.2030619
[8]	Wang X, Yang H Y, Wu W C. Study on low noise CMOS image sensor[J]. 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP), 2010, 5: 2062.

[1]	Garverick S L, Skrenes L, Baertsch R D. A 32-channel charge readout IC for programmable, nonlinear quantization of multichannel detector data[J]. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 1995, 30(5): 533. doi: 10.1109/4.384166
[2]	Stanton J C. A low power low noise amplifier for a 128 channel detector read-out chip[J]. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci, 1989, 36(1): 522. doi: 10.1109/23.34494
[3]	Holloway P, O'Donoghue G. An 8-channel 16 b charge-to-digital converter for imaging applications[J]. IEEE 39th International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, 1992: 176.
[4]	Kovacs R. X-ray inspection systems and applications[J]. 27th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology:Meeting the Challenges of Electronics Technology Progress, 2004, 1: 14.
[5]	Eilbert R F, Shi S. Recent advances in imaging for X-ray inspection systems[J]. 38th Annual International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 2004: 252.
[6]	Ries H, Hemp F, Koch C. X-ray cargo inspection[J]. SPIE, 1994, 2276: 234.
[7]	Kim B C, Jeon J, Shin H. Temporal noise analysis and reduction method in CMOS image sensor readout circuit[J]. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2009, 56(11): 2489. doi: 10.1109/TED.2009.2030619
[8]	Wang X, Yang H Y, Wu W C. Study on low noise CMOS image sensor[J]. 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP), 2010, 5: 2062.

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X Wang, H Y Yang, Y Yuan, W C Wu. A low noise multi-channel readout IC for X-ray cargo inspection[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(4): 045011. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045011.

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