Hi channel. Is my understanding correct that skywater doesn't support CMOS image sensors fabrication? In case I'm wrong, could it produce back-illuminated CIS as well?

Hi @Pavel P SKY130 has a photodiode, however nobody knows about its performance, I send some test structures and one project based on the photodiode but still have not received the silicon.

That's interesting. So the SKY itself doesn't have an answer to 'how well would it perform'?

No, there are only the DRC rules on how to design one

Thanks, to be aligned - is there any link or channel or site where I can follow your design with CIS and progress on it to get updates once it is delivered? I'm just starting and might be good to follow someone more experienced and see the outcomes (as obviously already submitted works will arrive from fab sooner than anything new).

one was taped out under the #ieee-sscs-dc-22 students contest and the second one was open-mpw7

There was some question about exactly how the photodiode was supposed to be connected. I took a stab at the construction of the device from the DRC rules, but there was no example device given to us. The test structures included a few alternative ideas about how it should be wired up. I would definitely wait to hear back from Krzysztof with actual measurements before recommending for anyone to use the device in an actual application.

I'd also be interested in learning about the performance of your photodiode project @Krzysztof Herman! When you receive your project would you mind posting your test results somewhere? maybe the #imagesensors channel could be a good place to discuss too?

@Pavel P @Tim Edwards @cqb I am happy to hear that someone else is interested in the photodiode structure. All depends on the samples delivery schedule. It was OpenMPW7 and the second SSCS chipaton (late nov 2022). Once I hot the samples I will try to get some measurements and of course I will share it somehow.

@Krzysztof Herman: MPW-7 is currently in packaging and should be finished in about a week.

Woow, what a great news !! But let me check if it indeed was MPW7🙂

Well, everything bunched around MPW 6 to 8 is being pushed through packaging as fast as we can get it done, so if it's MPW 8 it could be a few weeks more, but that's all.

I've checked it was MPW7 requested by Mehdi Saligane

@Krzysztof Herman yep, I have an interest however I'm very fresh person to hardware design, so for me it is a huge learning curve - 20 years ago I had 3 semesters of semiconductors 😁 but - you know how far it is from practice.🤣

@Pavel P keep going, do not hesitate to search the history of the channel and to ask questions, it is a right place to boost your knowledge

@Pavel P I'm in a similar position, completely new to hardware, coming from a software security/cryptography place. I'm self-studying up EE with an interest in image sensors right now. If you're interested we could share any resources we come across with each other?

@Pavel P @cqb Ohta, Jun. Smart CMOS image sensors and applications. CRC press, 2020.

Thanks for the recommendation! Do you know if there is a major difference between the first and second editions of this?

@cqb unfortunately I do not have this kind of knowledge