Archives for December 2020

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MDPI paper "Toward the Super Temporal Resolution Image Sensor with a Germanium Photodiode for Visible Light" by Nguyen Hoai Ngo, Anh Quang Nguyen, Fabian M. Bufler, Yoshinari Kamakura, Hideki Mutoh, Takayoshi Shimura, Takuji Hosoi, Heiji Watanabe, Philippe Matagne, Kazuhiro Shimonomura, Kohsei Takehara, Edoardo Charbon, and Takeharu Goji Etoh from Ritsumeikan University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, IMEC, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka University, Link Research Corporation, Kindai University, and EPFL presents Ge PD to overcome the Si speed limit:

"The theoretical temporal resolution limit tT of a silicon photodiode (Si PD) is 11.1 ps. We call “super temporal resolution” the temporal resolution that is shorter than that limit. To achieve this resolution, Germanium is selected as a candidate material for the photodiode (Ge PD) for visible light since the absorption coefficient of Ge for the wavelength is several tens of times higher than that of Si, allowing a very thin PD. On the other hand, the saturation drift velocity of electrons in Ge is about 2/3 of that in Si. The ratio suggests an ultra-short propagation time of electrons in the Ge PD. However, the diffusion coefficient of electrons in Ge is four times higher than that of Si. Therefore, Monte Carlo simulations were applied to analyze the temporal resolution of the Ge PD. The estimated theoretical temporal resolution limit is 0.26 ps, while the practical limit is 1.41 ps. To achieve a super temporal resolution better than 11.1 ps, the driver circuit must operate at least 100 GHz. It is thus proposed to develop, at first, a short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) ultra-high-speed image sensor with a thicker and wider Ge PD, and then gradually decrease the size along with the progress of the driver circuits."

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VentureBeat publishes an article on Trinamix intention to enter smartphone market with its multispectral sensors for materials identification:

"The technology is called near-infrared spectroscopy, and it uses laser light to detect the molecular vibrations that distinguish different substances.

Trinamix said it intends to build a potent, yet miniaturized infrared sensing module for integration into smartphones. The module sends out infrared light, which is reflected from the object and detected by the sensor. The company said breakthroughs in research enabled it to reduce the size of the device down to a smartphone form factor while ensuring high-volume production capacities."

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APL Photonics paper "CMOS-compatible all-dielectric metalens for improving pixel photodetector arrays" by E. Mikheeva, J.-B. Claude, M. Salomoni,  J. Wenger,  J. Lumeau,  R. Abdeddaim,  A. Ficorella,  A. Gola,  G. Paternoster, M. Paganoni, E. Auffray,  P. Lecoq, and  S. Enoch from Institut Fresnel, Multiwave Imaging, University of Milano-Bicocca, CERN, FBK, and Multiwave Metacrystal SA proposes an improvement in SPAD array sensitivity:

"Metasurfaces and, in particular, metalenses have attracted large interest and enabled various applications in the near-infrared and THz regions of the spectrum. However, the metalens design in the visible range stays quite challenging due to the smaller nanostructuring scale and the limited choice of lossless CMOS-compatible materials. We develop a simple yet efficient design of a polarization-independent, broadband metalens suitable for many CMOS-compatible fabrication techniques and materials and implement it for the visible spectral range using niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5). The produced metalens demonstrates high transmittance and focusing ability as well as a large depth of focus, which makes it a promising solution for a new generation of silicon photomultiplier photodetectors with reduced fill factor impact on the performance and reduced electron–hole generation regions, which altogether potentially leads to improved photodetection efficiency and other characteristics."

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Qualcomm unveils the its latest triple ISP at 2020 Tech Summit:

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 Terabee publishes a video explaining ToF principles:

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ST publishes an investor presentation on its AMS (Analog, MEMS & Sensors) Group's business positioning itself as #1 ToF company:

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Digitimes Research reviews recent Sony CIS sales forecasts:

Sony CIS "sales for fiscal 2020 (April 2020-March 2021) to fall 11.8% on year compared to a 6.5% decline estimated earlier, due mainly to slackened demand for handset applications as global handset sales are projected to shrink by 10% in 2020, according to Digitimes Research.

...the estimated sales shrinkage will lead to an on-year reduction of 65.6% in fiscal 2020 operating incomes for the I&SS unit.

Sony has cut its budget for a three-year investment plan ending March 2021 by 12.9% to JPY610 billion (US$5.84 billion) from JPY700 billion. It is also actively exploring new clients to offset the loss of orders from Huawei, and developing AI-enabled CIS products in cooperation with Microsoft to boost competitiveness in the market, while also contracting TSMC to fabricate 3D-stacked image signal processors, according to Digitimes Research."

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