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Project

MiSPIA will develop beyond state-of-the-art photonics technology for array imagers of smart-pixels able to detect single photons. Intelligent in-pixel pre-processing will simultaneously provide ultra high sensitivity (single-photon level), very high frame-rate (up to 200,000 fps) and advanced multi-spectral (300-900 nm) three-dimensional (3D) distance ranging and two-dimensional (2D) imaging of fast moving objects. MiSPIA detectors will be used in two key applications: long-range (200-1,000 m) 2D and 3D active identification in low light level surveillance operations; and very fast (over 200 fps) short-range (10-50 m) 3D monitoring in automotive pre-crash safety systems. Instead of (slow and noisy) CCDs and CMOS active pixels (with poor sensitivity and noisy electronics), MiSPIA will exploit the ultimate performances of truly-single photon detectors: the Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD). MiSPIA imagers will be based on four different SPAD smart-pixels: “photon-counting” pixels for 2D imaging; LIDAR pixels for 3D direct “time-of-flight” (dTOF); two different phase-sensitive pixels for 3D indirect time-of-flight (iTOF) depth acquisitions. Full-size imager chips will be manufactured, characterized and eventually integrated into two 3D ranging cameras deployed into the two end-users applications for validation. MiSPIA technologies will be both highly-advanced and cost-effective: a high-voltage 0.35 µm CMOS processing for front-side illuminated imagers; and a new flipped-chip Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology for back-side illuminated imagers. Both will prove beyond state-of-the art co-integration of photonic SPAD detectors and CMOS microelectronics for intelligent and dense 2D imaging and 3D ranging high-performance cameras. Such cameras will provide imaging at the quantum limit and on-chip pre-processing at the most effective speed at a drastic reduction of manufacturing costs.

Research and Technology Development activities:

WP1: Requirements, constraints and specifications for the 3D SPAD imagers
WP2: Test structures for SPADs, smart-pixels and mini-arrays for 2D imaging
WP3: SPAD smart-pixels and mini-arrays for 3D imaging
WP4: Development of the two FrontSPAD 3D ranging modules
WP5: Development of advanced SPAD Silicon-on-Insulator CMOS technology
WP6: Development of the BackSPAD array
WP7: Performance assessment of short-range 3D camera in Safety applications
WP8: Performance assessment of 2D and 3D cameras in long-range Security applications

Management activities

WP9: Dissemination and exploitation
WP10: Project management
 

Photographs

 

Single-photon detection measurements. In “photon counting” (top part), photons are counted within user-defined time windows, to provide the 2D intensity of the signal. No light excitation is needed. Instead in “photon timing” (bottom part) the electronics precisely measures and stores the Time-of-Flight (TOF) of the signal reflected by the object in the scene. By repetitive acquisitions of the TOF it is possible to reconstruct the TOF distribution and, eventually, the 3D ranging of the scene.
 

MiSPiA illuminator for the indirect iTOF laboratory tests.
 

Example 3D acquisition at 25 fps. A hand is moving in front of the camera.
 

Example of a scene: a mannequin at 4.5 m away from the camera, two boxes (one per side, placed at 2 m and 3.5 m) and a wall at 7 m.
 

Example of the scene of previous figure acquired at different frame-rates (a) 10 fps, (b) 20 fps, (c) 50 fps and (d) 100 fps.
 
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