A Review of Optical Sensors in CMOS

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of silicon-based optical sensors for the measurement of light in the visible spectrum range. The review is focused on sensors based on CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology due to the high availability, low cost, ease of prototyping, and well-established fabrication processes. CMOS technology allows integration with the CMOS readout and control electronics in the same microdevice, featuring high-volume fabrication with high-reproducibility and low-cost. This review starts with an explanation of the phenomena behind opto-electronic transduction. It also presents and describes the most common components responsible for optical transduction, readout electronics, and their main characteristics. This review finishes with the presentation of selected applications to grasp where and how these sensors can be used.