A 25 fps 32 × 24 Digital CMOS Terahertz Image Sensor

A 32×24 digital CMOS terahertz image sensor for 25 fps imaging at 860 GHz is presented. Pixel with DRC free structure is proposed and column parallel readout architecture is employed. The sensor array and the readout circuits are fully integrated into one single silicon chip in 180 nm CMOS process. Measured averaged room-temperature responsivity of single pixel is 1.28 kV/W at 860 GHz. The THz image sensor can operate up to 25 fps under continuous–wave illumination, and we acquired a video of a rotating blade chopping the backward wave oscillator (BWO) source beam, and the rotating blade can be clearly distinguished in the video.