LACera Technology | Teledyne Princeton Instruments

LACera^™
Technology

CCD to CMOS
LACera is the Answer
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LACera^™ Technology

LACera™ is technology, developed entirely by Teledyne, that combines CCD-like sensor performance with the advantages of back-illuminated CMOS architecture. LACera delivers deep-cooled, low-noise performance on a multi-megapixel scale with large pixels, global shutter, 18-bit readout, and glow reduction technology.

CCD to CMOS: Turning the Tide

Both CCD and CMOS are well established technologies, but in the past two decades, there has been a shift towards CMOS devices, all but eliminating CCDs in applications including security and industrial imaging. This trend has also followed in many scientific camera areas with low read noise scientific variants tackling low-light, relatively short exposure observations.

This turning of the tide from CCD to CMOS has also been observed within mass-market sensor manufacturing, with large producers shifting focus towards CMOS, and in some cases ending entire product lines or closing fabs.

However, CCD technology is not dead; it reserves a position in specific applications such as spectroscopy and astronomy. In these and other markets, there are still fundamental performance advantages of CCD that have kept it out of the CMOS reach. These include long exposure, large pixels, and very large sensor area.

CMOS has succeeded in part due to its ability to provide low noise and fast speeds. However, scaling this to larger formats has hit technology limits, resulting in slower or noisier products. For this reason, many customers must accept slower speeds of CCDs to preserve noise or manage the higher noise to achieve speed. In most cases, the desired result is not achieved, limiting the performance of an experiment of the achievement of the imaging project in total. This paradox has many in the high-performance imaging world asking the question: Could the best features of CCD and CMOS be combined to deliver the ultimate imaging sensor?

The Answer is LACera

LACera is able to produce the ultimate imaging experience by providing deep-cooled, low-noise performance on a multi-megapixel scale with large pixels, global shutter, 18-bit readout, and glow reduction technology all within one sensor.

LACera represents the dawning of a new era in back-illuminated CMOS technology, exclusively developed and owned by Teledyne Imaging. Building on Teledyne’s legacy of CCD and CMOS sensor and camera technology and design, LACera is a monumental step forward in CMOS capabilities for advanced imaging, enabling the next generation of discovery.

LACera represents a critical element of advanced imaging solutions and is only possible with the nature and scale of Teledyne. From pixel, sensor, and ROIC design, through low noise electronics, to deep cooling, and system interface, Teledyne is the only company capable of delivering this one hundred percent organic solution in large-format CMOS.