STTR Phase I: Advancing Beyond the Photodiode - Deep Sub-micron Pixels for Next-generation Image Sensors

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力集中在革命性的医疗内窥镜检查上。微创手术的优点正在得到广泛的认可。特别是，它对患者康复时间和终点的影响是开发新的微创工具的强烈动机。今天，各种各样的复杂手术可以治疗各种各样的病理，但仍然有许多手术受到手术可视化工具的大小和灵活性的限制。围绕一种新的成像传感器构建的尖端芯片内窥镜将显著减小整个光学系统的尺寸，从而极大地扩大微创手术的范围。分辨率更高的更小的成像设备将把外科医生的触角延伸到目前无法接触到的身体区域。这种装置还将提高范围的可操作性，并允许在内窥镜内添加其他操作工具。这种改进的组合将使更复杂的程序能够在具有挑战性的手术走廊内进行。这个小企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的目标是开发世界上最小的内窥镜相机-S。医学从业者不断推动更小、更智能的可视化工具。现有的成像技术正在接近基本的障碍，像素大小徘徊在1微米，因为对于传统的像素体系结构来说，随着像素大小的减小，噪声会增加。因此，随着相机的小型化，图像质量急剧下降。这项提案研究了深亚微米成像像素，这种像素使用一种新的机制发挥作用，其中光驱动弹道和扩散载体传输之间的过渡。要将这些图像传感器付诸实践，需要了解驱动设备的弹道传输机制，以及将深亚微米像素与兼容的支持技术相结合的可行性。将使用计算机模拟来探索影响承运人运输的外部和内部驱动力。利用这种半导体技术，图像传感器像素的尺寸可以缩小到数百纳米，从而实现了一种新的超薄？尖端芯片？克服尺寸、图像质量和功能方面的性能障碍的内窥镜。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project centers on revolutionizing medical endoscopy. Advantages of minimally invasive surgery are becoming broadly appreciated. In particular, its effects on both the time and end-points of patient recovery are strong incentives to develop new, minimally invasive tools. Today, a broad range of complex surgeries allow for treatment of a wide variety of pathologies, yet there are still many procedures that are limited by the size and flexibility of the surgical visualization tools. A chip-on-the tip endoscope built around a new imaging sensor will dramatically expand the range of minimally invasive surgery by significantly reducing the size of the entire optical train. Smaller imaging devices with higher resolution will extend the reach of the surgeon to currently inaccessible areas of the body. Such a device will also give rise to increased scope maneuverability and allow the addition of other operating tools within the endoscope. This combination of improvements will enable more complicated procedures within challenging surgical corridors.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is aimed at developing the world?s smallest endoscopic cameras. Medical practitioners continuously push for smaller, smarter visualization tools. Existing imaging technologies are approaching fundamental barriers with pixel sizes hovering at one micron because noise increases as pixel size decreases for traditional pixel architectures. As a result, with the miniaturization of cameras there is a sharp decrease in image quality. This proposal investigates deep sub-micron imaging pixels that function using a novel mechanism where light drives transitions between ballistic and diffusive carrier transport. Reducing these image sensors to practice requires an understanding of the ballistic transport mechanisms that drive the devices and the feasibility of integrating deep sub-micron pixels with compatible supporting technologies. Computer simulations will be used to probe external and internal driving forces that affect carrier transport. Using this semiconductor technology, the size of the image sensor pixels can be shrunk to hundreds of nanometers, enabling a new class of ultra-thin ?chip-on-the tip? endoscopes that overcomes performance barriers of size, image quality and functionality.