CCD Amplifier using second correlated sampling and negative feedback for noise reduction

Claim 1

A charge signal amplifier circuit comprising: a reference voltage source; a circuit input port for accepting a charge signal applied thereto; a reset switch for selectively connecting said reference voltage source to said circuit input port; a first stage, having first input and output ports, coupled at said first input port to said circuit input port for presenting a low impedance to a next stage; a capacitance means having first and second plates for coupling said charge signal between stages and for storing thermal reset noise generated by said circuit input port, said first plate being coupled to said first output port; a second stage, having second input and output ports, coupled at said second input port to said second plate for amplifying said charge signal coupled thereto; a feedback means connecting said second input and output ports for selectively coupling a low-impedance voltage to said second plate whenever said reset switch is closed; and a circuit output port amplifier coupled to said second output port for amplifying said charge signal.

Claim 3

A method of operating a charge coupled device circuit for providing coherent readout and signal processing of minority carrier signal packets, comprising the sequential steps of: turning "on" a semiconductor reset switch to apply a reference voltage across a circuit node capacitance having a common connection with a minority carrier detection circuit; reading and holding said reference voltage appearing across said node capacitance by coupling a capacitor from said node capacitance to an inverting amplifier having input and output ports, said input port being connected to said coupling capacitor; feeding the output voltage of said inverting amplifier back to its input port, thereby clamping one side of said coupling capacitor to a voltage determined by the feedback-stabilized d.c. operating point of said amplifier; turning "off" said reset switch; uncoupling the output voltage to said input port; charging said node capacitance with minority carrier singal packets to provide a voltage signal; coupling said voltage signal to said inverting amplifier through said coupling capacitor; and transmitting said coupled voltage signal through said inverting amplifier to provide said coherent readout and signal processing.

Claim 4

A method of operating a charge coupled device circuit for providing coherent readout and signal processing of minority carrier signal packets, comprising the sequential steps of: turning "on" a semiconductor reset switch to apply a reference voltage across a circuit node capacitance having a common connection with a minority carrier detection circuit; reading and holding said reference voltage appearing across said node capacitance by coupling a capacitor from said node capacitance to an inverting amplifier having input and output ports, said input port being connected to said coupling capacitor; feeding the output voltage of said inverting amplifier back to its input port, thereby clamping one side of said coupling capacitor to a voltage determined by the feedback-stabilized d.c. operating point of said amplifier; turning "off" said reset switch; uncoupling the output voltage to said input port; charging said node capacitance with minority carrier singal packets to provide a voltage signal; coupling said voltage signal to said inverting amplifier through said coupling capacitor; and transmitting said coupled voltage signal through said inverting amplifier to provide said coherent readout and signal processing.