Laser applications in large area optical sensors and biomedical imaging

本研究的重点是提高探测阵列及其探测能力的方法。这些方法的总体主题是光学连接方法，特别是那些在传感器操作或制造中使用激光的方法。该计划扩展了我之前在NSERC发现拨款下启动的四个项目。第一种是创建非常不受缺陷影响的传感阵列。这探索了一套方法，例如应用容错有源像素传感器、从正常操作条件下拍摄的图像中检测缺陷并识别缺陷类型的软件算法、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的面积传感器阵列(成品率提高)，并延长成像器的寿命，特别是在故障率很高的恶劣环境中。第二种是基于有源像素传感器(APS)概念的光学成像仪，它允许以现有成像仪无法实现的方式进行检测。APS之前的研究已经为我们指出了一些新的探测器：编码照明的相敏检测、通过消除像素收缩到几微米以下时APS灵敏度的损失而提高分辨率、扩大成像器的动态范围、增强光栅式APS的感光度，这些探测器与目前的设备不同，在蓝光下具有高度的灵敏度。第三项研究探索了一种新的方法，称为角域成像，用于组织等散射介质中的光学层析成像。这利用激光和微机械准直阵列与光学成像阵列相结合，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，这种方法既适用于短距离的高度分散介质(例如，医学成像)和更远距离的低散射(雾或浑浊的水)。最后，在之前的NSERC发现拨款中，我们开发了一种新的无机抗蚀剂Bi/In，它可以在激光暴露于透明导电氧化物的情况下氧化。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，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.