Dual Gate Oxide Transistors for Downscaling CMOS Image Sensors

Decreasing the size of CMOS image sensors lowers the cost of manufacturing and raises the spatial resolution of the images. However, the downscaling of CMOS circuits dramatically increases the leakage current and decreases dynamic range. This invention provides a design for a CMOS image sensor that reduces these undesirable effects by combining the use of both thin and thick gate oxide transistors. The thin oxide transistors achieve small area and low power consumption, while the thick oxide transistors ensure low leakage and high voltage swing. This method can be used in the design of active and digital pixel sensors and general analog circuits.