This paper presents a novel and power efficient readout architecture for uncooled microbolometers that offers adequate noise performance along with a circuit-based method for self-heating compensation. The proposed method employs an event-generation scheme and a time-mode readout chain to achieve dynamic mode of operation resulting in low power. The readout chain consists of a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) based current-to-time converter followed by a two stage time-to-digital converter (TDC). The CTIA employs a novel integration scheme for time amplification along with a modified reset mechanism to achieve self-heating compensation. We also present a model to analyze the implications of time-mode readout on imager operation. An experimental readout chip, based on this approach, has been designed using a 130 nm bulk CMOS technology. The proposed architecture offers robust frontend processing and achieves a per channel power consumption of $66~\mu \text{W}$ , which is considerably lower than the most recently reported designs, while maintaining better than 10-mK readout noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD).

中文翻译：

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一种用于微测辐射热计成像器的数字读出 IC 提供低功耗和改进的自热补偿

本文介绍了一种用于非制冷微测辐射热计的新型节能读出架构，该架构可提供足够的噪声性能以及基于电路的自热补偿方法。所提出的方法采用事件生成方案和时间模式读出链来实现动态操作模式，从而降低功耗。读出链包括一个基于电容跨阻放大器 (CTIA) 的电流时间转换器，后跟一个两级时间数字转换器 (TDC)。CTIA 采用新颖的时间放大集成方案以及改进的复位机制来实现自热补偿。我们还提出了一个模型来分析时间模式读数对成像仪操作的影响。使用 130 nm 体 CMOS 技术设计了基于这种方法的实验读出芯片。