School of Engineering Guest Seminar: A single-shot light-in-flight imaging by a silicon image sensor and beyond

The School of Engineering is playing host to Professor Goji Etoh of Ritsumeikan University, Japan who is a world authority on ultra-high speed image sensors.  In a seminar suitable for a general technical audience, he will be discussing the development of these versatile sensing devices.  All are welcome to attend the talk, details of which are given below:

TITLE: A single-shot light-in-flight imaging by a silicon image sensor and beyond

Abstract: Light in flight was captured by a single shot of a newly developed backside-illuminated multi-collection-gate image sensor without high-speed gating devices such as a streak camera or post data processes. Beyond the achievement, further evolution of the image sensor is reported toward the theoretical temporal resolution limit of 11.1 ps derived by Etoh et al. The theoretical analysis revealed the conditions to minimize the temporal resolution. Simulations show that the image sensor designed following the specified conditions and fabricated by existing technology will achieve a frame interval of 100 ps or less. The sensor operating at the ultra-high-speed, together with high compatibility to computers and low noise as a silicon image sensor, will innovate advanced analytical apparatuses using time-of-flight or lifetime measurements.

Biography: Since development of the historic KODAK EKTAPRO HS 4540 operating at 4,500 fps in 1991, T. Goji Etoh has  updated the frame rate of ultra-high-speed image sensors: 1 Mfps in 2002 and 16 Mfps in 2011, both reported in ISSCC. In 2017, he theoretically derived an expression of the temporal resolution limit of silicon image sensors, 11.1 ps, and is working toward the theoretical limit. He was originally a scientist  working on water-related problems, and began development of high-speed video cameras for visualization of motions of water. He graduated from Osaka University in 1968, and is currently a guest professor of Ritsumeikan Univesity. He is already 72 year old, and looking for people who will challenge development of the ultimate high-speed  image sensor.