Multi-channel sensors with reduced metameric errors

Abstract Novel 4-channel sensors for the detection of the components of visible and the near infrared light have been developed. The sensors are based on stacked amorphous and microcrystalline silicon pin diodes. The color separation is performed in the depth of the structure which prevents the color moire or color aliasing effect. Due to the vertical integration of the diodes the four channels can be read-out simultaneously. To gain optimization criteria the sensors are colorimetrically analyzed. The presented model facilitates the quantification of color errors with regard to human perception. The evaluated color errors of the 4-channel sensors are compared with an amorphous 3-channel sensor and a commercial color CCD camera. Based on the colorimetric analyses the 4-channel sensors have a reduction of the color error in comparison with the amorphous 3-channel sensors and the commercial CCD camera.