The CCD sensor: A semiconductor circuit for capturing images. On the Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Charles Kuen Kao, Willard S. Boyle, and George E. Smith (II) Authors Atilà Herms Abstract The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 was jointly awarded to two scientists (in addition to Charles Kuen Kao): Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, both of Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, for having invented, in 1969, an imaging semiconductor circuit, the CCD (charge-coupled device), an electronic device which allowed an important development of digital cameras, both photography and video. A year later, Bell Labs already had the first CCD-based camcorder. In commercial cameras it is being replaced by CMOS sensors, but in some capture systems it is still the most important component, especially because of its low levels of noise. This article examines the functioning and evolution of the device. Downloads PDF Published 2012-06-28 Issue Vol. 7 No. 2 (2011) Section The Nobel Prizes of 2009 License This work is subject, unless the contrary is indicated in the text, the photographs or in other illustrations, to an Attribution —Non-Commercial— No Derivative Works 3.0 Creative Commons License, the full text of which can be consulted at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/. You are free to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work provided that the author is credited and reuse of the material is restricted to non-commercial purposes only and that no derivative works are created from the original material.
