Development of a Large-Format Science-Grade CMOS Active Pixel Sensor, for Extreme Ultra Violet Spectroscopy and Imaging in Space Science

We describe our programme to develop a large-format science-grade CMOS active pixel sensor for future space science missions, and in particular an extreme ultra-violet spectrograph for solar physics studies on ESA's Solar Orbiter. Our route to EUV sensitivity relies on adapting the back-thinning and rear-illumination techniques first developed for CCD sensors. So far we have designed and tested a 4k x 3k 5-micrometer pixel sensor fabricated on a 0.25-micrometer CMOS imager process. Wafer samples of these sensors have been thinned by e2v technologies with the aim of obtaining good sensitivity at EUV wavelengths. We present our results to date, and plans for a new sensor of 2k x 2k 10-micrometer pixels to be fabricated on a 0.35-micrometer CMOS process. See also ADM001791. Presented at the Symposium on Potentially Disruptive Technologies and Their Impact in Space Programs, held in Marseille, France on 4-6 Jul 2005. Prepared in cooperation with e2v technologies, Chelmsford, Essex, U.K. The original document contains color images.