Single-Event Effects in Pinned Photodiode CMOS Image Sensors: SET and SEL

Single-event transient (SET) and single-event latchup (SEL) of a 4T pinned photodiode (PPD) complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) fabricated with a 0.18-
$\mu \text{m}$
CMOS process were investigated using heavy ions and a picosecond pulsed laser. The SET bright spot characteristics were further studied, and the transient bright spots formed by laser and heavy ions were analyzed. The sensor exhibited SELs and micro-SEL. To determine the precise sensitive location where SEL occurred in the CIS, a pulsed laser with a 2-
$\mu \text{m}$
beam spot was used to scan the entire surface of the device. The results revealed that SEL occurred in the peripheral circuits of the CIS, including the analog signal processing circuit, row-addressing circuit, and analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). The cross section of the SELs for the sample were measured using a linear energy transfer (LET) ranging from 8.62 to 81.35 MeV
$\cdot $
cm
²
mg
⁻¹
. The SEL rates in space for the used CIS were predicted using the CREME96 tool.