Combined reactor neutron beam and 60Co γ-ray radiation effects on CMOS APS image sensors

The combined reactor neutron beam and 60Co γ-ray radiation effects on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensors (APS) have been discussed and some new experimental phenomena are presented. The samples are manufactured in the standard 0.35-μm CMOS technology. Two samples were first exposed to 60Co γ-rays up to the total ionizing dose (TID) level of 200 krad(Si) at the dose rates of 50.0 and 0.2 rad(Si)/s, and then exposed to neutron fluence up to 1 × 1011 n/cm2 (1-MeV equivalent neutron fluence). One sample was first exposed to neutron fluence up to 1 × 1011 n/cm2 (1-MeV equivalent neutron fluence), and then exposed to 60Co γ-rays up to the TID level of 200 krad(Si) at the dose rate of 0.2 rad(Si)/s. The mean dark signal (KD), the dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), and the noise (VN) versus the total dose and neutron fluence has been investigated. The degradation mechanisms of CMOS APS image sensors have been analyzed, especially for the interaction induced by neutron displacement damage and TID damage.