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Lucid Vision Labs publishes nice animations explaining how Sony readout pipeline with double analog/digital CDS works:

Sony Exmor rolling shutter sensor

Same pipeline but with global shutter (Pregius)

1st stage - analog domain CDS

2nd stage - digital domain CDS

There are few more animations on the company's site and also a pictorial image sensor tutorial.

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NHK Open House to be held on May 24-27 exhibits an 8K avalanche-multiplying crystalline selenium image sensor:

"Electric charge generated by incident light are increased by avalanche multiplication phenomenon inside the photoelectric conversion film. The film can be overlaid on a CMOS circuit with a low breakdown voltage because avalanche multiplication occurs at low voltage in crystalline selenium, which can absorb a sufficient amount of light even when thin."

The paper on crystalline selenium-based image sensor has been published in 2015.

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BusinessWire: Baltimore, MD-based Pixelligent's Zirconium oxide capped nanoparticles (ZrO2), a high refractive index inorganic material, with a sub-10 nm diameter with functionalized surface, is said to have a potential to contribute to sensitivity of CMOS image sensors. The company announces $7.6M in new funding to help further drive product commercialization and accelerate global customer adoption.

Although Pixelligent lenses for image sensor applications have been announced a couple of years ago, there is no such product on the market yet, to the best of my knowledge. In 2013, the company President & CEO Craig Bandes said: "During the past 12 months we have seen a tremendous increase in demand for our nanocrystal dispersions spanning the CMOS Image Sensor, ITO, LED, OLED and Flat Panel Display markets. This demand is coming from customers around the globe with the fastest growth being realized in Asia. In the first quarter of 2013, we began shipping our first commercial orders and currently have more than 30 customers at various stages of product qualification."

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Sony IR Day 2018 held on May 22 (today) has quite a detailed presentation on its semiconductor business targets and strategy. From the Sony official PR:

"In the area of CMOS image sensors that capture the real world in which we all live, and are vital to KANDO content creation, aim to maintain Sony’s global number one position in imaging applications, and become the global leader in sensing.

Through the key themes of KANDO - to move people emotionally - and "getting closer to people," Sony will aim to sustainably generate societal value and high profitability across its three primary business areas of electronics, entertainment, and financial services. It will pursue this strategy based on the following basic principles.

CMOS image sensors are key component devices in growth industries such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and more. Sony's competitive strength in this area is based on its wealth of technological expertise in analog semiconductors, cultivated over many years from the charge-coupled device (CCD) era. Sony aims to maintain its global number one position in imaging and in the longer term become the number one in sensing applications. To this end, Sony will extend its development of sensing applications beyond the area of smartphones, into new domains such as automotive use.

...based on its desire to contribute to safety in the self-driving car era, Sony will work to further develop its imaging and sensing technologies."

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Hamamatsu publishes a nice article "Photonics for advanced car technologies" showing many applications for its light sensors:

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Samsung System LSI Investor Presentation dated by April 30, 2018 shows the company success in image sensor business:

• 1/3 Global Smartphones use ISOCELL image sensors
• 4.6 out of 10 Chinese smartphones use ISOCELL sensors
• 28nm image sensor process

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Electronic Imaging Symposium publishes a keynote "Sub-Electron Low-Noise CMOS Image Sensors: Large Format, Fast, 0.5e-rms CIS with Oversampled 2‐Stage ADCs" by J. A. Segovia, F. Medeiro, A. Gonzales, A. Vellegas, and A. Rodriguez-Vazquez, Teledyne-Anafocus and Universidad de Sevilla.

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Electronic Imaging publishes Omnivision keynote presentation "Automotive Image Sensors" by Boyd Fowler and Johannes Solhusvik. The presentation covers many areas from HDR to LiDARs:

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Imec: Holst Centre, a joint initiative of imec and TNO, have demonstrated a new class of flexible, large-area sensor technology for detecting finger- and palmprints. At less than 0.2 mm thick, the new sensors can be embedded into objects such as mobile phones and door handles to create “invisible” yet secure access control systems that can tell if the print is from a living person rather than a phantom or counterfeit.

Two demonstrators are shown: Measuring 6 x 8 cm, a 200-ppi demonstrator is large enough for 4-finger scanners that are currently used by border control authorities and delivers sufficient image quality for basic identification applications. Meanwhile, a slightly smaller 500-ppi demonstrator offer even higher image quality, compatible with FBI standards and enough for law enforcement agencies to visualize minutia and pores for more robust identification.

As with Holst Centre’s earlier flexible X-ray detectors, the fingerprint sensors combine an organic PD frontplane, an oxide TFT backplane, and a thin-film barrier for protection against the environment. All three technological elements have been or are being transferred to industry for scale-up and commercialization. The sensors read the finger- or palm print by detecting visible light (400 to 700 nm) reflected from the surface of the skin. However, they can also detect light that penetrates someway into the skin before being reflected. This allows them to sense a heartbeat from changes in the capillaries within the hand, and thus verify that the print comes from a live person.

By using different PD materials, the sensors’ band can be extended to other wavelengths such as NIR. This could enable new identification verification modes based on, for example, the pattern of veins in a hand, which is believed to be even more specific to an individual than a fingerprint.

“The flexible fingerprint sensor demonstrator shows the versatility and maturity of the flexible electronics technologies that Holst Centre is developing. With the underlying technology already in use in the flat-panel industry, there is a fast route to manufacturing and we are looking for industrial partners to take that step,” says Hylke Akkerman, Program Manager at Holst Centre.

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ST Micro 2018 Capital Markets Day was used to present the company focus on all types of 3D imaging: SPAD-based FlightSense, structured light (probably Apple Face ID IR sensor), and also indirect ToF:

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MSN, DPReview: Machine learning is often presented as a tool to improve high-ISO. Intel and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champlain are to present their AI algorithm in June:

"The Intel and UIUC team claims the algorithm can now amplify low-light images the equivalent of up to 300 times the exposure, without the same noise and discoloration that programs like Photoshop might introduce or having to take two separate images."



Imaging Resource publishes an interview with Sony managers called "A.I. is the future of mirrorless cameras:"

"That kind of technology is improving very fast. For example, our current processor has some general computing unit, but maybe in the next generation, the general computing CPU should become more designed for AI."

In a half-year old video, Sony Teruo Hirayama and Sony’s strategic advisor also the director of the MIT Media Lab, Joichi Ito discuss how image sensors and AI will combine to enhance human capabilities and open up new possibilities in the future:

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Omron publishes a video demoing its low-resolution thermopile sensor:

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Framos SLVS-EC RX IP Core shortens design time with the latest generation of Sony image sensors. The SLVS-EC interface (Scalable Low-Voltage Signaling with Embedded Clock) has up to 8 lanes and 2.376 Gbps throughput per lane. When compared to Sony’s 2nd-generation CMOS image sensors with S-LVDS interfaces, the SLVS-EC interface doubles the overall output speed to 19 Gbps. SLVS-EC has more than three times higher bandwidth per lane.


Thanks to RP for the link!

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Digitimes: If Huawei is doing well with its P20 Pro smartphone with triple camera, other smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Lenovo, Asustek, HTC, and Sony are likely to come with similar solutions too, according to Digitimes sources. Huawei reportedly plans to extend its triple-lens cameras to its other high-end smartphone models.

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iniVation, a spin-off of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, launches its next-generation event-based DAVIS346 sensor with USB3 interface. It features over twice the resolution and a 30% smaller compared with previous models. The new sensor features:

• Sub-millisecond response time
• Ultra-high energy efficiency (>90% system-level improvement compared with conventional vision)
• Wide DR >100 dB
• Simultaneous APS frame and event capture
• Small form factor (40 x 60 x 25 mm)
• USB3 connector
• Fully isolated GPIO ports for multi-camera sync

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December 2017 Leti presentation on 3D integration at IEDM Workshop talks about a number of opportunities for CIS:

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PRNewswire: OmniVision collaborates with Smart Eye to integrate its automotive 2MP image sensor with Smart Eye's sensing algorithm library in a turnkey driver and cabin monitoring solution that targets automotive OEMs.

"Automotive OEMs need image sensors that are certified to ASIL B for level-3 autonomous vehicles, beginning with 2021 models," said Marius Evensen, senior automotive technical marketing manager at OmniVision. "The OV2311's ASIL B certification includes advanced safety features."

Eye- and gaze-tracking cameras need to be small and unobtrusive so that drivers do not feel they are being monitored, but smaller cameras tend to run hot and create excess system noise. The OV2311 sensor in a chip-scale package consumes half the power of competing 1MP solutions, keeping the temperature under control without sacrificing performance. Its high pixel density enables a wide field of view for a larger headbox to adjust for various driver seat positions, along with precise images for tracking gaze. Additionally, the wider field of view opens the opportunity for sensing throughout the cabin interior, including passengers as well as the driver.

"OmniVision's OV2311 is now the benchmark for the driver monitoring industry. Our combined solution benefits automotive OEMs needing a complete hardware and software package that has been thoroughly tested and is ready to implement in a wide variety of vehicles," said Karolina Wikander, head of business management at Smart Eye.

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LFoundry 2017 report contains interesting info about the foundry, its customers, and the relationships with its mother company SMIC:

"The year began with the clear, challenging objective of equipping the Avezzano plant with further, alternative production capacity compared to its traditional focus on image sensors, made necessary by the growing demand from China and Asian markets.

This demand, however, then saw a sudden turnaround, and, at the same time, a strong increase in the request for image sensors on the part of our largest, long-standing customer. Therefore, we spent the second part of 2017 involved in another important company reorganisation process, undertaken in order to guarantee this long-established customer sufficient supplies to meet their growing demand for image sensors.

Today, LFoundry is an increasingly strong candidate to become a SMIC centre of excellence for CMOS Image Sensors, and to take on the role of strategic partner of the world leaders in the application of image sensors in the automotive field."

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The Irish Times times publishes an article on ON Semi acquisition of SensL:

"Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed but industry insiders told The Irish Times it was a “high double-digit deal”. The Bank of Ireland-backed Delta fund had a 45 per cent stake in the company prior to the acquisition with management and employees owning the bulk of the remaining shares.

SensL, whose clients include the European Space Agency, was spun out of the Tyndall National Institute in 2004. It was founded by Carl Jackson and Joe O’Keeffe, the latter of whom went on to enjoy success as a founder of Infiniled, which was acquired by Facebook-owned Oculus VR in 2016. SensL, which is now led by Bryan Campbell, employs 25 people in Cork.

“We built the company making optical sensors that can be used in a whole bunch of different products,” Mr Jackson told The Irish Times.

“We built the business on the back of our involvement in medical imaging, where we developed a key sensor that goes into PET scanners. We’re also active in radiation detection, and three years ago started working on lidar products for the automotive market. This will be one of our core focuses going forward,” he added.

While SensL’s autonomous car technology was one big attraction for On Semiconductor, Mr Jackson stressed that the buyer was interested in all of its product lines."

Update: The Sunday Times reports "Tech sources said ON Semiconductor was paying €60m-€70m cash for Sensl, which was founded in 2004. The takeover will deliver a significant return for Sensl’s shareholders, which include Irish venture capitalists Delta Partners and Enterprise Equity."

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CEI makes available for purchase 3 videos with Albert Theuwissen lectures:

Introduction to Correlated and Uncorrelated Noise in Imagers

Characterization of Noise in Dark

Characterization of Noise with Light

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Mydrivers: A number of Chinese news sites cover Oppo May 10th meeting devoted to the company work on the 3D sensing for smartphones. Unfortunately, most of the information is in Chinese, but one can understand that Oppo is preparing structured light based 3D face recognition and in many other applications too. The 3D camera is said to be mass production ready and Oppo plans to launch first phones with it in the next 6 months:

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University of Wisconsin–Madison publishes a video "CamPUF: Physically Unclonable Function based on CMOS Image Sensor Fixed Pattern Noise" by Yongwoo Lee, Kyuin Lee, and Younghyun Kim presented at Design Automation Conference (DAC) 2018:

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Spectronet publishes a presentation of Bernd Jähne from Universität Heidelberg on image sensor characterization with some interesting findings on PRNU wavelength dependence, QE, angular dependencies, interesting MTF shapes, etc:

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Korean news agency Yonhap gives its view on Sony and Samsung market shares, also quoted by Business Standard and MSN:

"Sony and Samsung currently lead the global market for CMOS image sensors, with the Japanese rival holding a slight edge.

In 2016, Sony and Samsung took up 25.6 percent and 22.6 percent of the market, respectively, industry data showed.

The two companies held 28.3 percent and 25.4 percent, respectively, last year. SK hynix Inc., Samsung's smaller South Korean rival, accounted for roughly 8 percent to 9 percent over the cited period.

Industry watchers, however, claim Sony takes up 50 percent of the market in terms of sales, hovering far above Samsung's 20 percent."

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GlobeNewswire: Himax updates on its imaging business with the new focus on 3D imaging and new product - under-display optical fingerprint sensors:

"Himax SLiMTM 3D sensing solution for premium Android smartphone is mass production ready in Q1 2018 as planned, awaits smartphone makers and their ecosystem partners to integrate 3D sensing technologies into the new end products. Each smartphone makers have different design and requirement for facial recognition and online payment, such developments are taking longer than the Company anticipated. Company now targets the end of 2018 for shipment to customers

..we are pleased to report an emerging optical fingerprint opportunity for CMOS image sensor business. Combining the leading fingerprint solution design of our partner and a low-power CMOS image sensor with superior sensitivity which we fully customized for this purpose, a number of design-in projects are already ongoing and we expect more to come.

Along with the new smartphone designs featuring edge-to-edge displays, structured light 3D sensing and ASC 3D sensing, both for facial recognition, as well as under-display optical sensor for fingerprint authentication are three new approaches for phone unlock and online payment to replace the traditional home button with capacitive fingerprint technology. Himax is uniquely positioned in that we offer critical technologies in all of the three solutions and are already a key player by forming different collaboration partnerships for each of the three alternatives."

From the company's factsheet:

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Nikkei: Subaru adds its first "driver monitoring system (DMS)" to the US model of the "Forester" mid-size SUV. While other companies have similar systems for years, Subaru adds facial recognition for pre-registered drivers and automatically adjusts the position of the seat, angles of the side mirrors, the settings of the air conditioner, etc. for the first time in the world. The driver face can be identified even in the dark by using a NIR LED and camera.

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BusinessWire: ON Semi expands its manufacturing facility in Rochester, NY. The site develops and manufactures image sensors for commercial, industrial and professional imaging applications, including machine vision, surveillance, traffic monitoring, medical and scientific imaging, and photography. Located on a 4.2-acre site with over 260,000 square feet of building space, the expanded facility supports wafer fab, wafer probe, assembly, and test and packaging operations for specialized high-performance CCD and CMOS sensors.

“Not only is the screen on your smart phone or TV likely inspected with image sensors manufactured at the Lake Avenue site, but image sensors manufactured at this facility are also on the surface of Mars, orbiting Jupiter and the Moon, and used in commercial satellites that monitor the Earth’s surface,” said Michael Miller, GM and director of operations at ON Semiconductor.

“Manufacturing is a core competency for ON Semiconductor and the majority of ON Semiconductor’s manufacturing operations are done internally through the company’s industry leading cost structure,” said Bill Schromm, EVP and COO. “This expansion is important to our company, as it significantly increases our assembly capacity at the ON Semiconductor Rochester location.”

“Rochester is known for its innovations in digital imaging, including the design and development of state-of-the art image sensors over the past decades. Assembly and test has always been a key part of the equation, and as the resolution and complexity of the sensors continues to increase, these operations have become critical,” said Herb Erhardt, GM, Industrial Solutions Division. “The increased level of capability and capacity enabled by this expansion is our answer to meeting these critical market needs, and the fact that we are doing it here in Rochester speaks to the capabilities of the teams we build here.”

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IC Insights reports "The spread of digital camera applications in vehicles, machine vision, human recognition and security systems, as well as for more powerful camera phones will drive CMOS image sensor sales to an eighth straight record-high level this year with worldwide revenues growing 10% to $13.7 billion, following a 19% surge in 2017.

With the smartphone market maturing, sales growth in CMOS image sensors slowed to 6% in 2016, but strong demand in other imaging applications played a major factor in boosting revenues by 19% to $12.5 billion last year. Sales of CCD and other image sensor technologies fell 2% in 2017 to about $1.6 billion after rising 5% in 2016.

Overall, CMOS image sensors grabbed 89% of total image sensor sales in 2017 compared to 74% in 2012 and 54% in 2007. Unit shipments of CMOS imaging devices represented 81% of total image sensors sold in 2017 compared to 64% in 2012 and 63% in 2007.

In new smartphones, CMOS image sensors are also seeing a new wave of growth with the increase of dual-lens camera systems (using two sensors) for enhanced photography. Cellular camera phones accounted for 62% of CMOS image sensor sales in 2017, but that marketshare is forecast to slip to 45% in 2022. Automotive CMOS image sensors are projected to grow the fastest among major end-use applications through the five-year forecast, rising by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.4% to about 15% of total CMOS image sensor sales in 2022 ($2.8 billion) while camera phone-generated revenues are expected to rise by a CAGR of just 2.2% to $8.6 billion that year."

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GlobeNewswire: TowerJazz and Newsight Imaging announced production of Newsight’s CIS chips and camera modules, customized for very high volume LiDAR and machine vision markets, combining sensors, digital algorithms and pixel array on the same chip.

Newsight’s image sensor chips feature cost effectiveness, low power consumption, high performance, and analog and digital integration. The NSI3000 sensor family, currently in mass production at TowerJazz’s Migdal Haemek, Israel facility, offers extremely high sensitivity pixels, enabling the replacement of expensive CCDs in many applications and is designed for programmable high frame rate speeds, allowing better analysis and reaction to events.

In addition, Newsight’s NSI5000, currently in development with TowerJazz at its fab in Israel, is an integrated LiDAR solution for long-range applications and includes a DSP controller which enables complex calculations for depth and machine vision. NSI5000 is used in 3D pulsed based LiDARs for automotive applications and is based on Newsight’s eTOF (enhanced time-of-flight), which bridges the gap between short-distance iTOF (indirect time-of-flight) and the long distance automotive requirement, by extending the DR while retaining high accuracy.

“We chose TowerJazz for its advanced pixel technology, specially customized for our CMOS image sensor chips addressing very high volume markets. Together with our technology, we were able to demonstrate a 4X better sensitivity to our customers. TowerJazz’s CIS offering is proven in the industry and we are pleased to manufacture locally in Israel with a leader in the global analog foundry space,” said Eli Assoolin, CEO, Newsight Imaging.

“With our high-end pixel offering, tailored to specific product and application needs, we are able to provide advanced technology used for high dynamic range CMOS sensors and solutions for the growing LiDAR and automotive markets. We are very happy to work closely with Newsight Imaging to provide market leading solutions and achieve quick time to market. They have shown to be an extremely fast-moving customer and we have a lot of confidence in their success,” said Avi Strum, TowerJazz SVP and GM, CMOS Image Sensor Business Unit.

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A number of on-line sources quote SuggestPhone site on the specs of the oncoming Qualcomm 700 series of mid-range Snapdragon processors. The add support for triple cameras, as well as AI processing accelerators:


DPReview reports that 2019 iPhone might have a triple camera too.

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