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DynAMITe: radiation-hard wafer-scale CMOS Imager

Dynamite is the world’s largest radiation-hard CMOS imager (approx. 13 cm square), built in 0.18 um technology, for medical imaging applications with superior performance compared to existing technology – faster speed and lower noise means lower patient dose. It is the largest possible device on an industry standard 8” (200 mm) silicon wafer. Demonstrates true charge binning in CMOS imagers for the first time in CMOS imagers, dual resolution pixel arrays (patented), multiple read-out of selected regions for faster speed and reduced data, “lossless” butting for larger imaging mosaics, fully radiation-hard pixel array (tested up to 8 MRad at 38 MeV protons), and non-destructive readout for accumulating weak signals. Funded by £1.2m EPSRC Translation Grant (EP/G037671/1), which was follow-on from £4.4m Basic Technology MI-3 (GR/S85733/01) consortium. Fully met one of EPSRC Grand Challenges for Microelectronics; namely large-area images for medical and security applications.

Won the IET Prize for Innovation in Electronics 2012 (tv.theiet.org/channels/news/15578.cfm).

Shortlisted for British Engineering Excellent Award, 2011 and invited exhibition at Photonics Europe 2012, Brussels. Design produced two patents – realisation of multiple resolution arrays, edgeless butting technology, etc. (GB2011/051300 and P300185GB). Led to formation of ISDI Ltd (Company No. 07314677, 2011) – spinout company, with substantial commercial current order book and 7 contracted CMOS designers, with plans for commercial 20 cm square devices (12” wafer) by 2015. Feasibility studies using Dynamite showed the feasibility of imaging high-energy protons and led to award of £1.6m Wellcome Translation grant (www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2012/News/WTVM056089.htm) to develop instrumentation for proton therapy.