Reviews Online

From Businesswire  --- "OMNIVISION Announces World’s Smallest Global Shutter Image Sensor for AR/VR/MR and Metaverse". OmniVision has announced the industry’s first and only three-layer stacked BSI global shutter (GS) image sensor. The OG0TB is the world’s smallest image sensor for eye and face tracking in AR/VR/MR and Metaverse consumer devices, with a package size of just 1.64mm x 1.64mm, it has a 2.2µm pixel in a 1/14.46-inch optical format (OF). The CMOS image sensor features 400×400 resolution and ultra-low power consumption, ideal for some of the smallest and lightest battery-powered wearables, such as eye goggles and glasses. Ultra-low power consumption is critical for these battery-powered devices, which can have 10 or more cameras per system. Their OG0TB BSI GS image sensor consumes less than 7.2mW at 30 frames per second (fps). SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OMNIVISION, a leading global developer of semiconductor solutions, including advanced digital imaging,...

Gpixel  press release  on August 17, 2022: Gpixel expands high-speed GSPRINT image sensor series with a 2/3” 2.5 MP 3460 fps global shutter GSPRINT4502 Gpixel announces a high-speed global shutter image sensor, GSPRINT4502, a new member of the GSPRINT series taking high speed imaging to another level. GSPRINT4502 is a 2.5 Megapixel (2048 x 1216), 2/3” (φ10.7 mm), high speed image sensor designed with the latest 4.5 µm charge domain global shutter pixel. It achieves more than 30 ke- charge capacity and less than 4 e- rms read noise, with dynamic range of 68 dB which can be expanded using a multi-slope HDR feature. Utilizing an advanced 65 nm CIS process with light pipe and micro lens technology, the sensor achieves >65% quantum efficiency and < -92 dB parasitic light sensitivity. GSPRINT4502 can achieve extremely high frame rates up to 3460 fps in 8-bit mode, 1780 fps in 10-bit mode or 850 fps in 12-bit mode, all at full resolution. With 2×2 on-chip charge binning, full w...

In IEEE Trans. Electr. Dev. June 2022 issue, in a paper titled "A Review of 3-Dimensional Wafer Level Stacked Backside Illuminated CMOS Image Sensor Process Technologies," Wuu et al. write: Over the past 10 years, 3-dimensional (3-D) wafer-level stacked backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensors (CISs) have undergone rapid progress in development and performance and are now in mass production. This review paper covers the key processes and technology components of 3-D integrated BSI devices, as well as results from early devices fabricated and tested in 2007 and 2008. This article is divided into three main sections. Section II covers wafer-level bonding technology. Section III covers the key wafer fabrication process modules for BSI 3-D waferlevel stacking. Section IV presents the device results. This paper has quite a long list of acronyms. Here is a quick reference: BDTI = backside deep trench isolation BSI = backside illumination BEOL = back end of line HB = hybrid bon...

Labforge has designed and developed a smart camera called Bottlenose which supports 20.5 trillion operations/second processing power and on-board AI, depth, feature points & matching, and a powerful ISP. The target audience is robotics and automation. They have built the camera around a Toshiba Visconti-5 processor. The current models are available as both stereo and monocular versions with IMX577 Sony image sensors. For future models there will be a range of resolutions and shutter options available.  Datasheet:  labforge.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2022/05/Labforge- Bottlenose-Datasheet-0.84.pdf Labforge has announced a distribution agreement with Mouser Electronics:   mouser.ca/newsroom/ publicrelations-labforge-new- manufacturer-2022final/

IMX487 UV 8.13MP [Advertised as "new product launch" but this has been around for a while.] Global shutter CMOS image sensor specialized for the UV spectrum With the structure specially designed for the properties of the UV wavelengths coupled with Pregius S technology, the image sensor can capture undistorted images of moving objects within a UV range of 200–400 nm and at a high frame rate of 193 fps (operated in the 10-bit mode). This image sensor has a potential to expand the scope of application from the conventional use of UV cameras in the inspection of semiconductors, etc. to areas that require high-speed capability, such as sorting of recycled materials. Low noise This image sensor has adopted the component materials dedicated for UV range imaging, and a special structure has been developed for its light receiving area. These make it possible to maintain high UV sensitivity while significantly minimizing noises to produce high quality images. Smaller pixels The pixels...

Samsung has published details about its now 200MP sensor 'ISOCELL HP3'. https://semiconductor.samsung.com/image-sensor/mobile-image-sensor/isocell-hp3/ Press release: https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-unveils-isocell-image-sensor-with-industrys-smallest-0-56%CE%BCm-pixel Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced the 200MP ISOCELL HP3, the image sensor with the industry’s smallest 0.56-micrometer (μm)-pixels. “Samsung has continuously led the image sensor market trend through its technology leadership in high resolution sensors with the smallest pixels,” said JoonSeo Yim, Executive Vice President of Sensor Business Team at Samsung Electronics. “With our latest and upgraded 0.56μm 200MP ISOCELL HP3, Samsung will push on to deliver epic resolutions beyond professional levels for smartphone camera users.” Epic Resolution Beyond Pro Levels Since its first 108MP image sensor roll-out in 2019, Samsung has been leading the trend o...

A PhD thesis titled "Proposal of Architecture and Circuits for Dynamic Range Enhancement of Vision Systems on Chip designed in Deep Submicron Technologies" by from Universidad de Sevilla is now available to the public. The thesis is by Sonia Vargas Sierra who did this work at the Image Sensor group of Microelectronic Institute of Seville. Although the thesis is from a few years ago, some of the content in the thesis may be of interest now due to recent developments in vertical integrated technologies. From the Preface: The work presented in this thesis proposes new techniques for dynamic range expansion in electronic image sensors. Since Dynamic Range (DR) is defined as the ratio between the maximum and the minimum measurable illuminations, the options for improvement seem obvious; first, to reduce the minimum measurable signal by diminishing the noise floor of the sensor, and second, to increase the maximum measurable light by increasing the sensor saturation limit. In our c...

From DigiTimes Asia news: https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20220527PD203/sensor-surveillance.html China security surveillance market boom buoys SmartSens The expanding security surveillance market in China continues to boost the shipments of CMOS image sensor (CIS) chips from Chinese CIS startup SmartSens Technology, which has entered the supply chains of China's first-tier security camera vendors including Hikvision Digital Technology, Uniview Technologies and Dahua Technology, according to industry sources. IDC statistics show China's security surveillance market scale reached US$16.2 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow to US$20.1 billion in 2022, for a CAGR of 13.6% for the period. High-definition security camera lenses have become the tipping point of market growth, fast driving CIS sales in China, the sources said. Since launching its first CIS chip SC1035 in 2014, SmartSens has quickly built a strong presence in the security surveillance sector. Its CIS shipments topp...

Samsung is the world’s second-biggest mobile camera sensor maker, and its sensors are used by almost every smartphone brand. Over the past couple of years, the South Korean firm has launched various big-sized camera sensors, including the ISOCELL GN1 and the ISOCELL GN2. This year, it has made one more giant ISOCELL camera sensor. The company has developed the ISOCELL GNV camera sensor, and it will be used in a Vivo smartphone. It is being reported that the ISOCELL GNV is custom-made for Vivo phones, and it has a size of 1/1.3-inch. It is most likely a 50MP sensor, similar to the ISOCELL GN1, ISOCELL GN2, and the ISOCELL GN5. It will act as the Vivo X80 Pro+’s primary camera and features a gimbal-like OIS system. The ISOCELL GNV is likely a slightly modified version of Samsung’s ISOCELL GN1. The Vivo smartphone has three other cameras, including a 48MP/50MP ultrawide camera (Sony IMX sensor), a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and OIS, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 5x opti...