Custom CMOS Image Sensor for Use in an Extreme Low Light Level Electron Bombarded CIS

Monday, May 19, 2025
Forza Silicon Corp., Materials Analysis Div.

This paper describes how a backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor (BSI-CIS) developed by EOTech and Forza enables imaging cameras optimized for low light levels. This image sensor — the MV3.7 — features a 9.1-micrometer pixel in a 1920 x 1920 pixel format. This sensor also features a 160 Hz frame rate and 16-bit dynamic range thanks to its lateral integrated capacitor (LOFIC) pixel architecture. To enable low-light cameras, EOTech’s ISIE19 Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor (EBAPS®) features the MV3.7 as its electron bombarded anode. This paper also presents the MV3.7’s CIS architecture and how it provides low noise (5e-rms), high frame rates and a high dynamic range. The ISIE19 EBAPS photocathode’s electron bombarded gain, single photon detection and low-light, high dynamic range (HDR) images are provided as well. The images were optimized with a local tone mapping algorithm which mapped the HDR and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) imagery onto a lower dynamic range display.