Superior low-light and high dynamic range (HDR) imaging performance with ultra-high pixel resolution are widely sought after in the imaging world. The quanta image sensor (QIS) concept was proposed in 2005 as the next paradigm in solid-state image sensors after charge coupled devices (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensors. This next-generation image sensor would contain hundreds of millions to billions of small pixels with photon-number-resolving and HDR capabilities, providing superior imaging performance over CCD and conventional CMOS sensors. In this article, we present a 163 megapixel QIS that enables both reliable photon-number-resolving and high dynamic range imaging in a single device. This is the highest pixel resolution ever reported among low-noise image sensors with photon-number-resolving capability. This QIS was fabricated with a standard, state-of-the-art CMOS process with 2-layer wafer stacking and backside illumination. Reliable photon-number-resolving is demonstrated with an average read noise of 0.35 e- rms at room temperature operation, enabling industry leading low-light imaging performance. Additionally, a dynamic range of 95 dB is realized due to the extremely low noise floor and an extended full-well capacity of 20k e-. The design, operating principles, experimental results, and imaging performance of this QIS device are discussed.

A 1.26-inch optical-format, 40.7 mega-pixel Quanta Image Sensor (QIS) is reported in this paper. The sensor achieves reliable photon-counting capability with a deep-sub-electron read noise of 0.35e- rms at 20C junction temperature and a 95dB single-exposure dynamic range using a dual-gain readout. This large-format and high-resolution QIS is an ideal solution for the ultra-low-light and high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging in high-performance imaging applications such as scientific, microscopy, industrial, and professional cinematography applications. It may also find its use in consumer imaging applications like smartphones.

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