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

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力集中在革命性的医疗内窥镜。微创手术的优点正得到广泛认可。特别是，它对患者恢复的时间和终点的影响是开发新的微创工具的强烈动机。如今，广泛的复杂手术允许治疗各种各样的病理，但仍有许多手术受到手术可视化工具的尺寸和灵活性的限制。一种围绕新型成像传感器构建的尖端芯片内窥镜将通过显着减小整个光学系统的尺寸来显着扩大微创手术的范围。具有更高分辨率的更小的成像设备将使外科医生的范围扩大到目前无法到达的身体区域。这种装置还将增加内窥镜的可操作性，并允许在内窥镜内添加其他操作工具。这些改进的结合将使更具挑战性的手术走廊内更复杂的程序。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的目的是发展世界？最小的内窥镜摄像机。医疗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像素尺寸徘徊在一微米的基本障碍，因为对于传统像素架构，噪声随着像素尺寸减小而增加。因此，随着相机的小型化，图像质量急剧下降。该提案研究了深亚微米成像像素，该像素使用一种新的机制，其中光驱动弹道和扩散载流子传输之间的转换。将这些图像传感器减少到实践中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集成的可行性。计算机模拟将用于探测影响载流子传输的外部和内部驱动力。使用这种半导体技术，图像传感器像素的大小可以缩小到数百纳米，使一个新的类超薄？尖端上的芯片？内窥镜克服了尺寸、图像质量和功能的性能障碍。

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.