Laser applications in large area optical sensors and biomedical imaging

本研究的重点是增强探测阵列的方法及其探测能力。这些具有光学连接方法的一般连接主题，特别是那些在传感器操作或制造中使用激光的方法。该计划扩展了我以前的NSERC发现赠款下开始的四个项目。第一种方法创建了对缺陷免疫的传感阵列。这探讨了一套方法，如应用容错有源像素传感器，软件算法来检测缺陷，并从正常操作条件下拍摄的图像中识别缺陷类型，以及从缺陷类型的知识中恢复阵列信息的算法。这使得能够构建非常大面积的传感器阵列（产量提高）并延长成像器寿命，特别是在故障率高的恶劣环境中。第二种是基于有源像素传感器（APS）概念创建光学成像器，允许以现有成像器无法实现的方式进行检测。先前的APS研究已经为我们指出了许多新的探测器：编码照明的相位敏感探测，通过消除APS灵敏度的损失而获得更好的分辨率，因为像素缩小到几微米以下，扩大成像器的动态范围，增强的光电门APS，与当前的设备不同，它在蓝光中高度敏感。第三个探讨了一种新的方法，称为角域成像，在散射介质，如组织的光学层析成像。这采用激光器和微机械准直阵列与光学成像阵列相结合，以将高度散射的光与携带内部结构信息的未散射或轻微散射的光分离。与现有系统不同，这种方法适用于短距离的高度散射介质（例如，医学成像）和在较长距离上的较低散射（雾或浑浊的水）。最后，在先前的NSERC发现资助中，我们开发了一种新的无机抗蚀剂Bi/In，其在激光曝光时氧化为透明导电氧化物。这种激光直写氧化使我们能够探索这种材料在电子设备中的应用，例如新型X射线探测器和透明晶体管。

This research focuses on methods of enhancing detecting arrays and their detection capabilities. These have the general connecting theme of being optically connected methods, especially those making use of lasers, in either sensor operation or fabrication. This program extends four projects started under my previous NSERC discovery grants. The first creates sensing arrays which are very immune to defects. This explores a set of methodologies such as the application of Fault Tolerant Active Pixel Sensors, software algorithms to detect defects and identify the defect type from images taken under normal operating conditions, and algorithms to recover array information from knowledge of the defect type. This enables the building of very large area sensor arrays (yield improvement) and extends imager lifetime, especially in hostile environments where failure rates are high. The second creates optical imagers, based on Active Pixel Sensor (APS) concepts, that allow detection in ways that existing imagers cannot. Previous APS research has pointed us to a number of new detectors: phase sensitive detection of encoded illumination, better resolution by removing the loss of APS sensitivity as pixels shrink below a few microns, expanding dynamic range for imagers, enhanced photogate APS' which, unlike current devices, are highly sensitive in blue light. The third explores a new approach, called Angular Domain Imaging, to optical tomography in scattering media such as tissue. This employs lasers and micromachined collimating arrays combined with optical imaging arrays to separate the highly scattered light from the unscattered or slightly scattered light which carries internal structural information. Unlike existing systems, this methodology lends itself both to highly scattering media of short distances (eg. medical imaging) and lower scattering over longer distances (fog, or turbid water). Finally in the previous NSERC discovery grant, we developed a new inorganic resist Bi/In, which oxidizes on laser exposure to a transparent conducting oxide. This laser direct write oxidation allows us to explore this material's application in electronic devices, such as new types of X-ray detectors and transparent transistors.