Archives for February 2018

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

ON Semi updates on its image sensor business in the quarterly report:

"Our momentum in ADAS market continues to accelerate with strong demand for our 1 Megapixel and 2 Megapixel image sensors. We recently launched an 8 Megapixel image sensor for ADAS, and with this launch we are the only provider of complete line of 1, 2 and 8 megapixel image sensors on a single platform for next generation ADAS and autonomous driving systems. A complete line of image sensors on a single platform reduces qualification time, lowers cost for our customers, and enables our customers to seamlessly port their algorithms across our product line. We believe that our complete line of image sensors on a single platform provides us with a significant competitive advantage and further extends our technology lead over our competitors.

A superior product portfolio complemented by a large installed base, deep and long term relationships with leading ADAS and autonomous driving processor companies, our leading edge technology including self-correcting sensors with on-board cyber security and functional safety, and a strong application support has helped us strengthen our position within the ADAS and autonomous driving ecosystem. Based on inputs from our ecosystem partners, we believe that we are now the lead imaging partner for all ADAS platform providers. We further solidified our presence in the ADAS and autonomous driving eco-system with our recently announced partnership with Baidu. We were recently selected by Baidu as the sole supplier of image sensors for its Apollo autonomous driving platform.

We broke a record of shipments with our Python line of image sensors in 2017 and we are in the process of launching a new platform of products to address a wider swath of the industrial market. The new machine vision product platform will bring unprecedented levels of image quality, speed, pixel technology and price to the fast growing machine vision industry. We continue to develop synergies with our expertise in the automotive imaging market to accelerate our growth in the machine vision market as both these markets are driven by artificial intelligence and face similar challenges, such as low light conditions, dynamic range and harsh operating environment."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Hamamatsu publishes a number of videos showing its image sensor improvements:

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

SystemPlus publishes reverse enginering reports on iPhone X ToF Proximity Sensor & Flood Illuminator by ST and IR Dot Projector with folded optics.

"Located in the front above the main speaker, the proximity sensor/flood illuminator is packaged using optical LGA. The device is unique to Apple. In the past, STMicroelectronics released a custom proximity sensor two times smaller (2.80 x 2.40 mm) than the devices in its portfolio, based on FlightSense technology. This new version comes with a flood illuminator used in the True Depth system. The flood illuminator is an NIR VCSEL with a wide beam that illuminates the face and allows for nighttime user recognition with the NIR camera. The packaging is specially designed for the flood illuminator’s heat management."

ST Proximity Sensor

The structured light dot projector features 4 innovations:

• Its packaging exploits a novel thermal management approach with ceramic substrate inserted
• Its NIR VCSEL diode has a dedicated light emission profile driven by a Broadcom integrated circuit
• A folded optical path using wafer level optic
• Its active diffractive optical element (DOE)

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Samsung introduces a dual camera solution with ISOCELL Dual image sensors and proprietary software for two popular features – refocusing (bokeh) and low-light shooting (LLS). While such dual camera features had generally been exclusive to premium smartphones, Samsung’s ISOCELL Dual sensors and its library of proprietary software algorithms enable these features in lower price mobile devices.

Samsung is coupling its refocusing algorithm with a 13MP and 5MP set of CMOS sensors, and its LLS algorithm with a set of two 8MP sensors, to simplify implementation by OEMs.

“Dual cameras are delivering new and exciting photo-taking experiences on mobile devices,” said Ben K. Hur, VP of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s total solution for ISOCELL Dual will make our customers’ product development process easier, allowing them to bring the most optimized dual camera features to a wider range of consumers.”

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

CEA-Leti presents its curved sensor technology:

"Curved sensor technology is a disruptive approach for imaging applications such as photography, videography, computer vision, surveillance and many other applications," says Leti researcher Bertrand Chambion. "In recent years, we have seen very strong interest in curved electronics, particularly for opto-electronics systems whose performance improves, while size, complexity and cost are reduced."

Leti demo is based on a 1/1.8-inch 1.3MP CMOS sensor. The standard sensor structure consists of a 7.74 x 8.12 mm silicon die glued on a ceramic package. Electrical connections are wire bonded from the die to the package surface and, then, to the interconnection board. A glass cover is placed on top for mechanical protection.

Leti uses a grinding process to get the sensor below 100µm thick, which makes it mechanically flexible. It is then glued onto a curved substrate, which determines its final shape. A wire bonding process developed for electrical connections is used to prevent damages on the thinned dies. The radius of curvature is R=65mm.

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Hamamatsu publishes a webinar "Silicon Photomultiplier: Operation, Performance & Possible Applications" by Slawomir Piatek. Few slides out of deck of 70:

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Photron publishes a video explaining its Crysta camera principle and applications:



"The image sensors design and fabrication incorporates a pixelated polarizer array which is made from photonic crystal bonded directly to the CMOS sensor, making the optical system in this sensor resistant to vibration. Each polarizer corresponds to each pixel of the image sensor with a one to one ratio. The size of each polarizer and pixel is 20 µm x 20 µm. In the polarizer array, groups of four neighboring polarizers (2 x 2) are set to have differing fast axis orientation at 0°, 45°, 90° and 135° in a clockwise arrangement. One polarization datum can be obtained by calculating detected light intensities from the four pixels of the image sensor. Consequently, the parallel read out circuit is arranged in a corresponding matrix."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Caeleste publishes its paper "Photon-to-Photon CMOS Imager: Opto-Electronic 3D Integration" presented at Image Sensors America conference in October 2017 by Gaozhan Cai. The paper presents an ambitious project of integrating a fiber optics interface to improve speed of a fast stacked image sensor:

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

MDPI Special Issue on the 2017 International Image Sensor Workshop publishes a paper "A Hybrid Readout Solution for GaN-Based Detectors Using CMOS Technology" by Preethi Padmanabhan, Bruce Hancock, Shouleh Nikzad, L. Douglas Bell, Kees Kroep, and Edoardo Charbon from EPFL, JPL and Delft University.

"Gallium nitride (GaN) and its alloys are becoming preferred materials for ultraviolet (UV) detectors due to their wide bandgap and tailorable out-of-band cutoff from 3.4 eV to 6.2 eV. GaN based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are particularly suitable for their high photon sensitivity and quantum efficiency in the UV region and for their inherent insensitivity to visible wavelengths. Challenges exist however for practical utilization. With growing interests in such photodetectors, hybrid readout solutions are becoming prevalent with CMOS technology being adopted for its maturity, scalability, and reliability. In this paper, we describe our approach to combine GaN APDs with a CMOS readout circuit, comprising of a linear array of 1 × 8 capacitive transimpedance amplifiers (CTIAs), implemented in a 0.35 µm high voltage CMOS technology. Further, we present a simple, yet sustainable circuit technique to allow operation of APDs under high reverse biases, up to ≈80 V with verified measurement results. The readout offers a conversion gain of 0.43 µV/e−, obtaining avalanche gains up to 103. Several parameters of the CTIA are discussed followed by a perspective on possible hybridization, exploiting the advantages of a 3D-stacked technology."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Lucid Vision Labs, a Canadian company founded by ex-Point Grey Founder, President and VP of Engineering Rod Barman, appears to be the first one presenting a camera with Sony IMX250MZR (a polarization version of 5MP 3.45um GS pixel IMX250 mono sensor):

"Sony expands their sensor technology leadership beyond visible imaging with their first ever polarized sensor. Built upon their Pregius 5.0 MP IMX250 CMOS sensor, the new IMX250MZR (mono) sensor incorporates a layer of polarizers above the photodiodes. Four different angled polarizers (90°, 45°, 135° and 0°) are placed on each pixel with every block of four pixels making up a calculation unit. The relationship between the different directional polarizers in this innovative 4- pixel block design is able to calculate both the degree and direction of polarization.

Sony’s IMX250MZR polarizer array layer is an air-gap nano wire-grid coated with an anti-reflection material that suppresses flaring and ghosting. The polarizer array is positioned on-chip as opposed to on-glass. Because of this placement, the on-chip polarizer is closer to the photodiode and produces high extinction ratios."

Sony 4-pixel polarizer structure

Lucid presents its Phoenix polarized camera based on Sony sensor at Photonics West:

"Polarization imaging can be used to detect stress or defects in manufacturing of materials such as plastic, glass and carbon fiber. With the help of polarization cameras, many material properties that were impossible to identify with conventional RGB sensors can be easily acquired now. Polarization imaging can be a cost-effective way to solve imaging challenges and uncover hidden material properties to better perform inspection and classification in industrial applications."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

MediSens publishes a nice medical imaging landscape slide by Yole Developpement analyst Marjorie Villien:

"The solid-state medical sensor market, which encompasses CCD, CIS, a-SI FPD, a-Se FPD, SiPM, and now cMUT and pMUT, has reached $350M in 2016 and is expected to grow at +8.3% CAGR from 2016 – 2022, representing $600M by 2022."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Sony quarterly earnings report for its fiscal Q3 quarter ended on December 31, 2017 updates on the image sensor business:

"Sales are expected to be lower than the October forecast primarily due to an expected decrease in unit sales of image sensors for mobile products. Operating income is expected to be higher than the October forecast primarily due to higher-than-expected profits resulting from sales of assets and cost reductions, partially offset by the above-mentioned expected decrease in sales."


Update: SeekingAlpha publishes the earnings call transcript with more details:

"We have reduced our sales forecast by 30 billion yen compared with the October forecast to 850 billion yen due to a decrease in unit sales of image sensors for mobile products shipped to Chinese smartphone makers. We have upwardly revised our operating income forecast by 5 billion yen to 155 billion yen primarily due to an increase in gains from asset sales and a reduction in expenses, partially offset by the decrease in sales. Short-term demand for image sensors for mobile products is fluctuating, but we expect growth to come from the adoption of dual-lens and sensing applications. Moreover, our view that the market for image sensors will grow over the mid-to-long term is unchanged because we expect growth to come from other applications, such as automotive, as well."

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Brookman demos its first BT-ToF (Brookman Technology’s ToF) reference design featuring:

• BT-ToF 3D depth CIS
• Depth sensing method: Indirect ToF with Short Pulse Modulation
• Optical format: 1/3 Type
• Frame rate: up to 60fps
• Pixel size: 16.8um x 16.8um
• Number of pixels: 328 x 247 pixels
• ADC resolution: 12-bit on-chip

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

PhotonicsOnline publishes a number of videos from Photonics West 2018 booths:

Go to the original article...

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

It seems the trend of combining LiDAR and camera modules together gets traction. AEye presented it at CES a couple of weeks ago. Now, Nikkei reports that such a combined module from Continental is going to be used in Suzuki "X Bee" compact car:


In another article, Nikkei reviews Sony automotive image sensors presented at CES 2018.

Go to the original article...