Large area, flexible sensing arrays for imaging, biochemical sensing and radiation detection are now possible with the development of flexible active matrix display technology. In particular, large-area flexible imaging arrays can provide considerable advancement in defense and security industries because of their inherent low manufacturing costs and physical plasticity that allows for increased adaptability to non-planar mounting surfaces. For example, a flexible array of photodetectors and lenslets formed into a cylinder could image simultaneously with a 360 degree view without the need for expensive bulky optics or a gimbaled mount. Here we report the design and development of a scalable 16x16 pixel testbed for flexible sensor arrays using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts and demonstrate the capture of a shadow image with an array of photodiodes and active pixel sensors on a plastic substrate. The image capture system makes use of an array of low-noise, InGaZnO active pixel amplifiers to detect changes in current in 2.4 μm-thick reverse-biased a-Si:H PIN diodes. A thorough characterization of the responsivity, detectivity, and optical gain of an a- Si:H photodiode is also provided. At the back end, analog capture circuitry progressively scans the array and constructs an image based on the electrical activity in each pixel. The use of correlated-double-sampling to remove fixed pattern noise is shown to significantly improve spatial resolution due to process variations. The testbed can be readily adapted for the development of neutron, alpha-particle, or X-ray detection arrays given an appropriate conversion layer.

Date Published: 29 May 2013
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 8730, Flexible Electronics, 87300H (29 May 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2015499

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8730:
Flexible Electronics
David R. Allee; Eric W. Forsythe, Editor(s)