A new generation of scientific CCD sensors

The design of scientific image sensors has not progressed as rapidly as developments in the technology could have permitted. This has been a consequence of an incorrect perception by manufacturers that the scientific market was insufficiently large to justify the required investment which, in turn, has lead to the use by many scientific customers of 'do-it-yourself design and foundry solutions to their imaging needs. This paper will introduce the basic features of the new generation image sensor and will describe the design of these devices.