Single particle transient response and displacement damage in CMOS image sensors induced by high energy neutrons at Back-n in CSNS facility

Abstract Neutron radiation experiments of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors (CISs) at back-streaming white neutrons (Back-n) in China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) facility are presented. The displacement damages induced by neutron radiation are characterized by the analysis of the increase of dark signal and dark signal non-uniformity, and the occurrences of dark signal spike and random telegraph signal (RTS). The two-level and multi-level RTS behaviors induced by neutron displacement radiation are presented. The mechanisms of the dark signal spikes and RTS induced by neutron displacement radiation are analyzed respectively. The single particle transient response characterizations are described by analyzing the online dark images during neutron radiation. The mechanisms of the dark signal spikes and the white lines induced by the single transient neutron events are also demonstrated by analyzing the interactions between the higher energy neutrons and bulk silicon lattices of CISs.