DETERMINATION OF THE PHOTON TRANSFER CURVE, READ NOISE, AND DARK CURRENT IN CMOS SENSORS

Abstract

In the last 20 years, the use of CMOS cameras has experienced a strong growth, accompanied by significant improvements in their performance. In this work, we carry out an exhaustive characterization of this technology using commercial sensors. We present the measurement of the photon transfer curve, which allows us to evaluate the dynamic range and linearity of the sensor. We measure the dark current rate as a function of temperature and analyze the effect of the infrared filter. In addition, we determine the readout noise, obtaining an average value of (3.06±0.01)e−. The results presented on the operating limits and potential scientific applications of commercial CMOS  sensors are intended to serve as a starting point for a series of undergraduate-level experiments, as well as for their use in a variety of scientific applications.