Signal-to-Noise Ratio Improvement of EMCCD Cameras
Over the past years, the EMCCD has had a profound
influence on photon starved imaging applications relying on its unique
multiplication register based on the impact ionization effect in the
silicon. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) means high image quality.
Thus, SNR improvement is important for the EMCCD. This work
analyzes the SNR performance of an EMCCD with gain off and on. In
each mode, simplified SNR models are established for different
integration times. The SNR curves are divided into readout noise (or
CIC) region and shot noise region by integration time. Theoretical
SNR values comparing long frame integration and frame adding in
each region are presented and discussed to figure out which method is
more effective. In order to further improve the SNR performance,
pixel binning is introduced into the EMCCD. The results show that
pixel binning does obviously improve the SNR performance, but at the
expensive of the spatial resolution.
[1] A. O-Grady, "A comparison of EMCCD, CCD and emerging
technologies optimized for low light spectroscopy applications" , in Proc.
SPIE Biomedical Vibrational Spectroscopy III: Advances in Research and
Industry, 2006, pp. 60930S1-9.
[2] P. JERRAM, P. POOL, R. BELL, et al.. "The LLLCCD: low -light
imaging without the need for an intensifier," in Proc. SPIE Sensors and
Camera Systems for Scientific, Industrial, and Digital Photography
Applications II, 2001, vol. 4306, pp. 178-186.
[3] Digital Camera Fundamentals. Andor Technology.
http://www.andor.com/pdfs/Digital%20Camera%20Fundamentals.pdf
[4] P. A. Jerram, P. J. Pool, D. J. Burt, et al., "Electron Multiplying CCDs", in
Proc. SNIC Symposium , 2006, pp. 1-6.
[5] P. J. Pool, D. G. Morris, D. J. Burt, R. T. Bell, A. D. Holland, et al.,
"Application of electron multiplying CCD technology in space
instrumentation", in Proc. SPIE Focal Plane Arrays for Space Telescopes
II, 2005, pp. 59020A1-6.
[6] N. Smith, C. Coates, A. Giltinan, J. Howard, A. O'Connor, et al.,
"EMCCD Technology and its Impact on Rapid Low-Light Photometry",
in Proc. SPIE Optical and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy, 2004, pp.
162-172.
[7] S. Tulloch, "Modelling the suitability of EMCCDs for spectroscopic
applications", in Proc. SPIE High Energy, Optical, and Infrared
Detectors for Astronomy III Marseille, 2008, pp. 70212C1-10.
[8] T. C. Soesbe, M.A. Lewis, E. Richer, et al., "Development and Evaluation
of an EMCCD Based Gamma Camera for Preclinical SPECT Imaging",
IEEE Trans. Nuclear Science, vol. 50, pp. 1227-1232, May. 2003.
[9] Wen W. Zhang, Qian Chen. Optimum Signal-to-noise Ratio Performance
of Electron Multiplying Charge Coupled Devices. World Academy of
Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 54, pp. 264-268, June. 2009.
[10] Pixel Binning. http://www.ccd.com/ccd103.html
[1] A. O-Grady, "A comparison of EMCCD, CCD and emerging
technologies optimized for low light spectroscopy applications" , in Proc.
SPIE Biomedical Vibrational Spectroscopy III: Advances in Research and
Industry, 2006, pp. 60930S1-9.
[2] P. JERRAM, P. POOL, R. BELL, et al.. "The LLLCCD: low -light
imaging without the need for an intensifier," in Proc. SPIE Sensors and
Camera Systems for Scientific, Industrial, and Digital Photography
Applications II, 2001, vol. 4306, pp. 178-186.
[3] Digital Camera Fundamentals. Andor Technology.
http://www.andor.com/pdfs/Digital%20Camera%20Fundamentals.pdf
[4] P. A. Jerram, P. J. Pool, D. J. Burt, et al., "Electron Multiplying CCDs", in
Proc. SNIC Symposium , 2006, pp. 1-6.
[5] P. J. Pool, D. G. Morris, D. J. Burt, R. T. Bell, A. D. Holland, et al.,
"Application of electron multiplying CCD technology in space
instrumentation", in Proc. SPIE Focal Plane Arrays for Space Telescopes
II, 2005, pp. 59020A1-6.
[6] N. Smith, C. Coates, A. Giltinan, J. Howard, A. O'Connor, et al.,
"EMCCD Technology and its Impact on Rapid Low-Light Photometry",
in Proc. SPIE Optical and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy, 2004, pp.
162-172.
[7] S. Tulloch, "Modelling the suitability of EMCCDs for spectroscopic
applications", in Proc. SPIE High Energy, Optical, and Infrared
Detectors for Astronomy III Marseille, 2008, pp. 70212C1-10.
[8] T. C. Soesbe, M.A. Lewis, E. Richer, et al., "Development and Evaluation
of an EMCCD Based Gamma Camera for Preclinical SPECT Imaging",
IEEE Trans. Nuclear Science, vol. 50, pp. 1227-1232, May. 2003.
[9] Wen W. Zhang, Qian Chen. Optimum Signal-to-noise Ratio Performance
of Electron Multiplying Charge Coupled Devices. World Academy of
Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 54, pp. 264-268, June. 2009.
[10] Pixel Binning. http://www.ccd.com/ccd103.html
@article{"International Journal of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Sciences:53756", author = "Wen W. Zhang and Qian Chen and Bei B. Zhou and Wei J. He", title = "Signal-to-Noise Ratio Improvement of EMCCD Cameras", abstract = "Over the past years, the EMCCD has had a profound
influence on photon starved imaging applications relying on its unique
multiplication register based on the impact ionization effect in the
silicon. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) means high image quality.
Thus, SNR improvement is important for the EMCCD. This work
analyzes the SNR performance of an EMCCD with gain off and on. In
each mode, simplified SNR models are established for different
integration times. The SNR curves are divided into readout noise (or
CIC) region and shot noise region by integration time. Theoretical
SNR values comparing long frame integration and frame adding in
each region are presented and discussed to figure out which method is
more effective. In order to further improve the SNR performance,
pixel binning is introduced into the EMCCD. The results show that
pixel binning does obviously improve the SNR performance, but at the
expensive of the spatial resolution.", keywords = "EMCCD, SNR improvement, pixel binning", volume = "4", number = "5", pages = "797-5", }