有机图像传感器集成技术研究进展

Advances in integration technologies for organic image sensors

摘要

图像传感器是获取视觉信息的核心器件，在消费电子、工业检测、医学成像和机器视觉等领域应用广泛。传统的硅基互补金属氧化物半导体（CMOS）图像传感器虽在像素尺寸、阵列规模、读出速度和片上处理等方面技术成熟，但面向光谱拓展、柔性贴合和超大面积低温制造等需求，仍受到硅吸收边界、滤色光损失及常规晶圆工艺的制约。有机半导体具有吸收光谱可调、目标波段吸收系数较高、可低温成膜、柔性和可大面积加工等特点，已在可见光与彩色成像、近红外成像、紫外及间接 X 射线成像中展现潜力。该文介绍有机图像传感器的器件与像素架构及多层级性能指标，系统评述无背板或外接读出、薄膜晶体管（TFT）有源矩阵和 CMOS/读出集成电路（ROIC）异质集成 3 类路线，比较其集成特点与适用场景，并总结代表性应用。现有研究显示，有机光敏层的成像表现，受到工作偏压、界面选择性、像素节点、阵列均匀性和读出电路匹配度的共同影响；其近期价值更可能体现为对成熟硅技术的功能补充，而阵列均匀性、长期可靠性、测试标准化和规模化制造良率仍需进一步提升。

Abstract

Image sensors are essential devices for acquiring visual information and are widely used in consumer electronics, industrial inspection, medical imaging, machine vision, and other fields. Although conventional silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors are technologically mature in terms of pixel miniaturization, array scale, readout speed, and on-chip processing, their ability to meet emerging demands for extended spectral response, conformal sensing, and low-temperature fabrication over ultralarge areas remains constrained by the spectral absorption limit of silicon, optical losses introduced by color filters, and conventional wafer-based processing. Organic semiconductors offer tunable absorption spectra, relatively high absorption coefficients in targeted wavelength bands, low-temperature film formation, mechanical flexibility, and compatibility with large-area processing. Consequently, they have demonstrated considerable potential in visible and color imaging, near-infrared imaging, ultraviolet imaging, and indirect X-ray imaging. This review presents the device and pixel architectures of organic image sensors together with their multilevel performance metrics. Three integration routes are systematically examined: backplane-free or external-readout integration, thin-film transistor (TFT) active-matrix integration, and heterogeneous integration with CMOS/readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Their integration characteristics and applicable scenarios are compared, and representative applications are summarized. Existing studies indicate that the imaging performance of organic photosensitive layers is jointly governed by the operating bias, interfacial selectivity, pixel-node design, array uniformity, and compatibility with readout circuitry. In the near term, organic image sensors are more likely to complement mature silicon technologies than to replace them. Nevertheless, further improvements are required in array uniformity, long-term reliability, testing standardization, and manufacturing yield at scale.

关键词

有机光电探测器 / 图像传感器 / 薄膜晶体管 / CMOS 集成 / 异质集成

Key words

organic photodetector / image sensor / thin-film transistor / CMOS integration / heterogeneous integration

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基金资助

国家自然科学基金联合基金项目(U25A20416)

国家自然科学基金杰出青年基金(62225106)