J. Semicond. > 2013, Volume 34 > Issue 4 > 045011

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

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

Xu Wang, Hongyan Yang, Ying Yuan and Wuchen Wu

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Wang Xu, Email:wang_xu@emails.bjut.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045011

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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 μVrms 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



[1]
Garverick S L, Skrenes L, Baertsch R D. A 32-channel charge readout IC for programmable, nonlinear quantization of multichannel detector data. 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. 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. IEEE 39th International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, 1992:176 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/200468/keywords
[4]
Kovacs R. X-ray inspection systems and applications. 27th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology:Meeting the Challenges of Electronics Technology Progress, 2004, 1:14 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1490368/citations
[5]
Eilbert R F, Shi S. Recent advances in imaging for X-ray inspection systems. 38th Annual International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 2004:252 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1405401/keywords
[6]
Ries H, Hemp F, Koch C. X-ray cargo inspection. SPIE, 1994, 2276:234 doi: 10.1117/12.189173.short?SSO=1
[7]
Kim B C, Jeon J, Shin H. Temporal noise analysis and reduction method in CMOS image sensor readout circuit. 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. 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP), 2010, 5:2062 https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.ieee-art-000005646698
Fig. 1.  A typical X-ray cargo inspection system.

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Fig. 2.  Block diagram of the data acquisition system.

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Fig. 3.  Circuit design of a 32-channel readout IC.

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Fig. 4.  Schematic of amplifier OPA1.

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Fig. 5.  Timing diagram of the 32-channel readout IC (low level effective).

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Fig. 6.  Noise equivalent circuit in the integration phase considering the thermal noise of amplifier OPA1.

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Fig. 7.  The noise equivalent circuit in the integration phase with the thermal noise of $R_{\rm hold}$ considered.

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Fig. 8.  Micrograph of a 32-channel readout IC.

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Fig. 9.  Photograph of the detector module.

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Fig. 10.  Noise results.

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Fig. 11.  Steel plate penetration test.

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Fig. 12.  Steel plate penetration images.

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Table 1.   Performance comparison.
[1]
Garverick S L, Skrenes L, Baertsch R D. A 32-channel charge readout IC for programmable, nonlinear quantization of multichannel detector data. 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. 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. IEEE 39th International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, 1992:176 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/200468/keywords
[4]
Kovacs R. X-ray inspection systems and applications. 27th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology:Meeting the Challenges of Electronics Technology Progress, 2004, 1:14 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1490368/citations
[5]
Eilbert R F, Shi S. Recent advances in imaging for X-ray inspection systems. 38th Annual International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 2004:252 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1405401/keywords
[6]
Ries H, Hemp F, Koch C. X-ray cargo inspection. SPIE, 1994, 2276:234 doi: 10.1117/12.189173.short?SSO=1
[7]
Kim B C, Jeon J, Shin H. Temporal noise analysis and reduction method in CMOS image sensor readout circuit. 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. 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP), 2010, 5:2062 https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.ieee-art-000005646698

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    Received: 24 August 2012 Revised: 07 November 2012 Online: Published: 01 April 2013

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      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2013  >  34(4): 045011
      Xu Wang, Hongyan Yang, Ying Yuan, Wuchen Wu. A low noise multi-channel readout IC for X-ray cargo inspection[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4): 045011. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045011 ****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.
      Citation:
      Xu Wang, Hongyan Yang, Ying Yuan, Wuchen Wu. A low noise multi-channel readout IC for X-ray cargo inspection[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(4): 045011. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045011 ****
      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.
      shu

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

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/4/045011

      • VLSI and System Laboratory, College of Electronic Information and Control Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100022, China

      Funds:

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 60976028

      Project supported by the Beijing DT Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 60976028)

      the Beijing DT Electronic Technology Co., Ltd 

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Wang Xu, Email:wang_xu@emails.bjut.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2012-08-24
      • Revised Date: 2012-11-07
      • Published Date: 2013-04-01

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