Archives for February 2014

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Business Wire: At Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, Spain on Feb. 24─27, 2014, Aptina is to showcase advancements in its mobile imaging solutions including clear pixel Clarity+ technology and video quality MobileHDR. Additionally, Aptina will demonstrate its 8MP, 13MP, 18MP image sensors as well as its next-generation high-performance image sensor along with 4K video for mobile devices. No further details on MobileHDR is reported.

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Image Sensor Conference to be held in London, UK on March 18-20 publishes Renato Turchetta, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, answers on high speed imaging questions. Renato is going to lead a pre-conference workshop on "A Million Images per Second and Beyond." A quote: "It looks like this field has suddenly started to move rapidly, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect more developments in the near future. By the way, one of the new approaches uses CCD in CMOS and other applications are emerging for this 'new' technology. So are CMOS image sensors dinosaurs? And CCD as well?"

Another publication of the conference is sort of a review of automotive ADAS market: "The market for ADAS systems is growing; analysis of the market has revealed possible growth at a rate of over 50% CAGR until 2018. Market value may also rise from the current value of around $18.5bn, to $165bn in the next five years."

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Albert Theuwissen reviews ISSCC 2014 imaging session. The review goes into detail on Samsung ISOCELL presentation, covering DTI and vertical TG. Also, the new Microsoft Kinect ToF sensor presentation is discussed.

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Altasens patent application "Optical black pixel readout for image sensor data correction" by Gaurang Patel proposes average black pixel outputs in analog domain before the ADC:


The intention of the proposal is to save the digital image processing resources. However, the necessity to deal with hot and bad pixels in dark rows makes the invention so complex that its analog implementation advantages are in doubt:


Rambus application "Image sensor with a split-counter architecture" by Jie Shen proposes a way to reduce the data throughput problem in photon-counting pixel array. The idea is to locate only a small counter in each pixel and count an overflow signal outside of the array:


TSMC keeps working on various stacked sensor ideas. Two of the stacked sensor applications were published this week. One of them, the US20140035083, talks about raised photodiode with Tx gate structure, while ther rest of pixel transistors are located on the logic chip: "Elevated Photodiode with a Stacked Scheme" by Meng-Hsun Wan, Yi-Shin Chu, Szu-Ying Chen, Pao-Tung Chen, Jen-Cheng Liu, Dun-Nian Yaung.


Another TSMP application, US20140035013 "Novel CMOS Image Sensor Structure" by Min-Feng Kao, Dun-Nian Yaung, Jen-Cheng Liu, Chun-Chieh Chuang, Wen-De Wang, talks about a bonding of a regular and SOI wafer with hydrogen implant:


Forza patent application US20140027609 "Implement Multiple Pixel Output for Photodiode Size Pixels" by Guang Yang, Loc Truong proposes to add more transfer gates on different sides of a large pixels to speed up its charge transfer:


Another Forza application US20140027615 "Driving Global Digital Signals Across Large Arrays" by Barmak Mansoorian, Daniel vanBlerkom proposes to improve the speed of signal propagation along the long metal lines in stitched sensors:

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Korean image sensor company Maru LSI publishes a Youtube demo of its VIPS (Vertically Integrated Photodiode Structure) sensor. The sensor was presented in IISW 2007 paper and has deep PD underneath RGB PDs:


In the video, the left picture shows the image from Color CCD camera and the right one shows the results from VIPS image sensor. VIPS image shows the shrunk RGB image and IR image at the bottom and composed image in VGA size. The composition rule is simple addition of two images when the RGB level is lower than the preset threshold:

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PR Newswire: PixArt announces a design engagement with Pantech to offer a gesture motion capability for their IM-A880S (VEGA LTE-A) smart phone. The phone will feature PixArt Gesture Sensor PAC7620. The IR image-based PAC7620 Gesture Sensor creates a three-dimensional gesture space extending 6 inches above the phone to allow the user to interact with their phone by the nine user gestures (up, down, left, right, wave, forward, backward, clockwise, and counterclockwise).

"Our company vision is to develop innovative human/machine interface solutions with our advanced imaging technologies. Providing the capability for users to easily operate their phones with simple hand movements creates a smooth, intuitive interaction for users to heighten their enjoyment of advanced technologies," said Dennis Lo, President, PixArt Imaging USA. "We believe this gesture sensor will help to spur new innovative trends in user gestures for application not only in smart phones but also in other devices as well."

Currently, the Pantech IM-A880S (VEGA LTE-A) user gestures include:

• Basic navigation (Up, Down, Left, Right) for browsing or scrolling Web pages
• Zoom In/Out function for pictures or 3-D space movement
• Scroll gestures for forward and reverse movement and volume control through video or music
• Motion detection for phone wake-up or silence applications

The PixArt Gesture Engine integrates into existing smart phones designs with its small form factor and standard I2C interface. The PAC7620 is said to provide a better gestures recognition in comparison to simple photodiode approaches. The PAC7620 also has lower power consumption and latency when compared to conventional cameras solutions paired with software gesture recognition.

A Youtube video shows Pixart prototype in action (has already been shown in the Nov. 2013 post):

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Himax publishes its Q4 2013 results. The company’s President and CEO, Jordan Wu, says on the CIS business progress:

“Our CMOS image sensors delivered a phenomenal growth in 2013 and will continue to be a fast growing area for us in 2014. 2013 was the year when we positioned ourselves as one of the high-end image sensor providers by launching our first 8 mega-pixel sensor product in Q4. Currently, our sensor products range from entry level QVGA and VGA to higher-end 8 mega pixel sensor products, targeting smartphone, tablet, laptop, IP Cam, surveillance and automotive markets. The first quarter revenue prospect for CMOS image sensor looks positive, but gross margin of this product line will be dampened by inventory correction of some mid to low-end products. We are confident that gross margin will improve overtime once we resolve the inventory issue and certain new products with higher margin start to account for a larger proportion of sales for this product line.”

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Android Authority publishes Samsung slides. The web site says that "ISOCELL is actually the commercial name of what Samsung calls 3D-Backside Illuminated Pixel with Front-Side Deep-Trench Isolation (F-DTI) and Vertical Transfer Gate (VTG)." The slides below refer to a pixel size of 1.12um. More slides are at Android Authority site.

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IMEC publishes Vimeo video demo of its HSI multispectral camera (which could be compared to 65 000 spectroscope spatially capturing the spectral signature of 32 points):



Recently, IMEC announced that its multispectral imagers are adapted by several camera manufacturers:

"We are excited to announce the successful integration of our first generation hyperspectral image sensor prototypes by several camera vendor companies. These strategic partnerships on different applications highlight the broad potential of this unique optical-filter-on-chip sensor solution," said Rudi Cartuyvels, SVP of smart systems at imec. "Our technology expertise will enable our partners to add new range of products to their offering, effectively opening up new markets in the booming field of imaging spectroscopy."

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Business Wire: Heptagon announces the general availability of its TrueD H2 array camera, the first in a series of advanced 3D imaging and depth sensing micro systems that Heptagon is introducing to the market. The TrueD H2 camera has one of the smallest form factors currently available for mass production, measuring just 5.9mmx5.8mmx2.25mm.

Heptagon’s TrueD H2 array camera captures additional short-range depth information for gesture and user recognition, background removal, and enhanced imaging. Its key features are typically used for front-facing smart device cameras, but can also add value as an assisting camera to the smart device’s primary camera. The TrueD H2 array camera is the result of integration of its image sensor, module, optics, algorithms, and software.

"Smart device innovations continue at warp speed, transforming the ways people interact with their devices. So, our challenge is to deliver micro imaging and sensing systems for these devices with enhanced capabilities, ultra high quality, ever-shrinking form factor and optimal cost," said Rene Kromhof, Heptagon’s VP of sales and marketing. "With the TrueD H2 array camera, we have proven our ability to innovate rapidly and produce high-volume, market-ready solutions that meet customers’ unique and demanding requirements."

In addition to depth mapping, low z-height, and low power consumption, the TrueD H2 array camera features a unique, patented focus correction packaging (FCP) that accelerates low cost, high quality production. FCP enables high-throughput, low cycle time module assembly, without the need for active alignment systems or barrel-mount solutions. In addition to faster line production, FCP also drives higher yield and therefore lower overall unit costs – important benefits for rapid, high volume manufacturing of smart devices.

The TrueD H2 2x2 array camera is the result of more than three years of development efforts from Heptagon. The 2014-15 pipeline will include new array formats, lens enhancements, higher resolution, and additional sensing system innovations.

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PR Newswire: China-based Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and has raised US$118M with an IPO price of US$780M - not a bad valuation for a company that begun as an image sensor packaging house. The company started in 2005, when essentially all Shellcase manufacturing business was moved to China. Shellcase R&D team was sold to Tessera for $33M in 2006, while WLCSP manufacturing in China grew into a large business, although still remaining in 8-inch wafer realm:

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Nikkei article says that "Apple is likely looking to switch to Sony sensors for the secondary camera on the screen side, used for taking self-portraits." Up to now, most of the front sensors for iPhone were sourced from Omnivision. So far Sony only supplied high resolution rear sensor to Apple. If the report is true, then either Apple is going to switch its front sensor to higher resolution, like some Chinese smartphone vendors, or Sony is moving to capture some of the lower end sensor market. The former might be more probable, as Nikkei says that Apple asked Sony to double image sensor production.

Nikkei claims that "A request from Apple [to increase CMOS sensors supply] was the reason for its January decision to purchase a plant from Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics, according to a source involved in the negotiations." "Sony is a supplier for Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone seller, and No. 3 Huawei Technologies, as well as Apple." "Sony's image sensor sales, chiefly CMOS sensors, are expected to total about 360 billion yen ($3.47 billion) this fiscal year. It held the largest share of the global CMOS sensor market in 2012 at 32.1%, according to Techno Systems Research."

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Invisage apparently prepares the public to a release of its first product later this year. Invisage CTO and Founder, Ted Sargent, posts in the company blog:

"InVisage’s QuantumFilm offers consistently maximal fill factors for all pixel sizes—today’s leading-edge 1.1 um pixels. QuantumFilm enables 100% fill factor by virtue of its being continuous. The entire area of the imaging array is occupied by a medium whose sole purpose is light sensing. At the same time, 100% of each pixel is also available to the silicon beneath for rendering beautiful color images."

"New features enabled by InVisage’s advance include ultra-high sensitive, ultra-wide dynamic range, and ultra-high resolution imaging. New capabilities include the first shutter capability built into the image sensor itself, and reach into the spectral regimes invisible to silicon."

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Sigma announces "Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor" with top blue sensing layer split into four pixels, on top of the single green and read pixels:

The new 1:1:4 structure (bottom 1: middle 1: top 4) offers higher resolution that is equivalent to 39 megapixels for conventional color filter array sensors. In addition to the higher resolution, the sensor offers enhanced noise characteristics and faster processing and writing to memory of high-volume image data.

The new split-blue approach is said to increase the sonsor's resolution by 30% to be equivalent of that of 39MP Bayer sensor.

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Yole Developpement publishes the 2012 market shares, based on revenue (click to enlarge):

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BDTI publishes an article on Imagination Technology's Raptor ISP IP, announced in Nov. 2013. Imagination got into ISP technology with Nethra acquisition in June 2012. The company claims a number of advantages  of moving the ISP functionality from image sensor to an application processor:

• No functional constraints that might be caused by the image sensor's or standalone chip's comparatively conservative manufacturing process
• Higher performance due to the application processor's same process advantages
• Access to main system memory for enhanced functionality, and
• Reduced cost and increased flexibility in image sensor choice

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Aptina publishes brochures presenting its solutions for mobile, medical, and surveillance markets.

The mobile brochure promotes Clarity+ technology:


Medical brochure emphasizes high color accuracy and low noise:

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Integrated Systems Europe 2014 exhibition has held an investor panel selecting the best startup companies. SoftKinetic was voted "Best Overall" by the panel. The investor jury included 360 Capital, Atlantic Bridge (AbVen), Beringea, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Prime Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Swisscom Ventures and Wellington Partners.

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Albert Theuwissen continues his review of 2014 Electronic Imaging Conference papers. In the second part, CEA-Leti noise analysis of 4T pixel is presented, with recommendations on the noise reduction. IMSE-CNM paper on imagers ADC architectures, and Shuzuoka University no-STI pixel paper are reviewed too.

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BAE Fairchild Imaging presents its sCMOS 2.0 imager at Photonics West show in San Francisco. The 4.2MP SCI2020 sensor is supposed to be available in June 2014. Here is its flyer scan:


My first impressions:

• 3% RMS PRNU is quite high for such a large pixel. Not clear why it's that high.
• 30,000e- full well over 2e- read noise does not make 87db DR, like the table states. May be achieved at slower speeds when the read noise is lower
• -0.4V supply voltage is used for Tx gate bias during integration, I guess.

Thanks to BP for the info!

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Albert Theuwissen begins to publish a review of papers from the SPIE Electronic Imaging Conference. The first part talks about a fast CCD CMOS pixel design with transfer time of just 5ns, and the two time-to-saturation pixel papers.

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Tech-On reports that University of Tokyo, Kyushu University and NMEMS Technology Research Organization presented a new technology of improving the sensitivity of Si-based NIR sensor at IEEE MEMS 2014 conference conference held in San Francisco on Jan 26-30, 2014. Isao Shimoyama (University of Tokyo), Chihaya Adachi (Kyushu University), Yoshiharu Ajiki (exchange researcher at NMEMS Technology Research Organization, Olympus Corp)etc. extended the sensitivity to 1.2um "by adding 10nm-class metal nano structures to Si to increase electric current generated by receiving lights with certain wavelengths such as infrared light":

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ARM publishes a CES 2014 demo video of a gesture control software running on its Mali GPU:

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Invisage publishes a promotional Youtube video. The rumor is that the company is to launch its 13MP INV1310 QuantumFilm sensor this spring, targeting high-end smartphones.

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Pressebox: Japan-based Taiyo Yuden announces a new type of copper-core embedded-parts multilayer wiring substrate “EOMIN” with a cavity formation technology that enables the creation of a depression in a part of the substrate:


A multilayer wiring substrate for camera modules mounted in compact mobile devices such as smartphones and wearable devices. Thinner camera modules can be realized by mounting an image sensor in the cavity.

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Vision Systems Design: Varioptic and Datalogic announce the availability of Datalogic’s Matrix 300 barcode reader and PowerScan PD9500 HP mobile scanner with variable focus liquid lenses from Varioptic. Matrix 300 barcode readers are intended for marking applications including those in manufacturing, electronics, automotive, medical device traceability, food and beverage, and clinical lab automation applications. PowerScan PBT9500 HP 2D handheld area imagers are aimed to mobile scanning in warehouses, logistics, and manufacturing applications. Both of these devices feature a Varioptic liquid lens for variable focus from 5 cm to infinity. In addition, the lenses enable lower power consumption and higher shock resistance.

If I'm not mistaken, Datalogic is worldwide #2 in barcode readers, after Motorola Symbol. "The addition of Varioptic’s liquid lens with no moving parts to the PowerScan imager’s other advanced features allows us to offer an even more reliable product with higher performance levels," said Giulio Berzuini, VP and GM for the Hand Held Scanners Business Unit of Datalogic.

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Kotaku, Forbes and other sites quote Korean-language newspaper Hankooki saying that Kinect-based system identifies the objects crossing the DMZ between South and North Koreas. It can discern the difference between animals and humans. If the system detects a human, it will alert the nearby outpost. Further details are sparse, supposedly because this involves South Korea national security.

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PR Newswire: Plastic Logic and ISORG picked up the award for their large area flexible image sensor at the FlexTech Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The collaboration is based on the deposition of organic printed photodetectors (OPD) by ISORG, onto a plastic organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) backplane by Plastic Logic, to create a flexible sensor with a 4x4 cm active area, 375um pitch (175um pixel size with 200um spacing) and 94 x 95 = 8930 pixel resolution. This award recognises the potential of the technology in a range of applications and the competitive advantages of such products. The range of new applications is in digital image sensing, including smart packaging and sensors for medical equipment and biomedical diagnostics, security and mobile commerce (user identification by fingerprint scanning), environmental and other industrial uses. Most exciting of all is the ability to enable scanning surfaces and novel 3D interactive (gesture based) user interfaces for consumer electronics, including printers, smartphones and tablets.

Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Plastic Logic said "The collaboration with ISORG has showcased the exciting potential of combining two disruptive technologies and we plan to work together to bring new applications to market. This again underlines the real impact of plastic electronics as it starts to go mainstream in consumer markets." Jean-Yves Gomez, CEO of ISORG, stated "This collaboration demonstrates the versatility of organic electronics to combine two different technologies to create new and disruptive products for a broad range of markets. The first large area image sensor on plastic has already attracted strong interest from industry and consumer electronics leaders for new applications and functionalities."

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