Definition of Charge-coupled device (CCD)

A CCD is an integrated-circuit chip that contains an array of capacitors that store charge when light creates e-hole pairs. The charge accumulates and is read in a fixed time interval. CCDs are used in similar applications to other array detectors such as photodiode arrays , although the CCD is much more sensitive for measurement of low light levels.

Schematic of a CCDRelated Topics

• Optics
• Optical Materials
• Other optical detectors

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