Spectrometer

Abstract

Abstract In a spectrometer using a two dimensional CCD array as a detector a column or a substantial part of a column of pixels is used to detect radiation of a given wavelength. The output circuit (52) of the CCD is modified by taking the drain electrode of the pixel reset transistor (T1) to the reference voltage (VR) via a further transistor (T3) which is controlled by a column reset signal applied to input (63). A further capacitor (C2) is connected in parallel with the internal binning capacitor (C1) through transistor (T1). Since the further capacitor (C2) is "off chip" it can be made much larger than the binning capacitor (C1) thus allowing a whole column of pixels to be binned enabling a reduction in read-out noise.

Inventors

• 👤 Huw Prytherch

Bibliographic Details