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BusinessWire: Huawei P20 Pro flagship smartphone features triple rear camera and DxOMark Photo score of 114 points:

"The HUAWEI P20 Pro features a Leica triple camera with the highest total pixel count on a smartphone – the camera configuration is comprised of a 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with telephoto lens. It also features an exclusive Leica color temperature sensor for better color reproduction. With f/1.8, f/1.6 and f/2.4 wide aperture to capture crisp, clear details, the HUAWEI P20 Pro also includes a brand new Leica 3x telephoto (VARIO-SUMMILUX-H 1:1.6-2.4/27-80ASPH) lens for long-range photography of up to 5x Hybrid Zoom. The HUAWEI P20 Pro’s highly sensitive image sensor captures low light photos with up to ISO 102400.

The HUAWEI P20 builds on its predecessor’s foundation with a Leica dual camera featuring a 12MP sensor with a pixel size as high as 1.55 μm, and a 20MP monochrome sensor, enhancing the HUAWEI P20’s ability to capture photos in low-light settings.

The HUAWEI P20 Series devices support six-axis stabilization and 960fps super slow motion. With Ultra Snapshot mode, the devices can capture an image in as little as 0.3 seconds by just double clicking the down volume button, even from an off screen."

Key camera data:

• Triple camera setup
• Main camera: 40Mp, 1/1.73″ RGB sensor with Quad Bayer structure, f/1.8-aperture lens with 27mm equivalent focal length
• Secondary camera: 20Mp, 1/2.78″ monochrome sensor, f/1.6-aperture lens with 27mm equivalent focal length
• Tele-camera: 8Mp, 1/4.4″ RGB sensor, f/2.4-aperture lens with 80mm equivalent focal length, and optical image stabilization
• Aperture mode default eq. focal length: 55mm
• PDAF on main sensor
• 4K video (not default mode)
• 960 fps slow-motion video at 720p

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Caeleste updates on the recent progress in its low noise pixels based on the combination of oversampling and inversion-accumulation cycling:

"Pixel with thin gate oxide narrow pmos amplifier has the lowest noise. Because of process variation, even the same kind of pixels has some noise difference. For pixels with thin gate oxide narrow pmos amplifier, the best pixel can reach 0.21 e-RMS read noise."

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EE Journal publishes a tutorial video on passive IR sensors by Amelia Dalton and Jeffrey Katz (Panasonic):

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Sony patent application US20180077372 "Solid-state imaging element and driving method therefor, and electronic apparatus" by Hiroaki Ishiwata proposes keeping the TG shape constant even though the PDAF diodes ratio changes across the array.

In interchangeable lens cameras, "if lenses having different F-values are used, there is a possibility that the light-collecting spot S may be deviated from the center of the pixel. In this case, in order to set the light-collecting spot S in the boundary between the phase-difference pixel A and the phase-difference pixel B, it is necessary to set the light-receiving surfaces of the phase-difference pixel A and the phase-difference pixel B to have a different size. The light-collecting spot position is changed depending on an image height, and hence it is necessary to change, depending on the arrangement position of the pixels in the solid-state imaging element, the size ratio between the phase-difference pixels A and B in that pixel."

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OM Semi patent application US20180077368 "Image sensors with power supply noise rejection capabilities" by Kazuhisa Suzuki explains the mechanisms of supply noise influence and proposes an improvement:

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Image Sensors Europe conference held in London, UK in mid-March publishes its 2018 Awards:

Best Academic Research Team
Winner: Robert Henderson and his team at The University of Edinburgh

Best Up-and-Coming Company
Winner: vivaMOS Ltd
"The challenges faced for the design of wafer-scale image sensors required a rethinking of the traditional methods used and developed for semiconductor ASIC design. Good pixel design know-how with expertise in analogue mixed-signal and radiation-hard designs is the foundation on which the sensors are developed for good imaging performance in harsh X-ray environments. However, developing products of such a significant size has required a new thought-process and approach. We are delighted to have been recognised with another industry award. The recognition from industry peers is testimony to the hard work and ingenuity that the vivaMOS team has put into this new business." - Dan Cathie, CEO

Biggest Breakthrough Development
Winner: ams AG for CMV50000 image sensor.

Biggest Innovator in the Image Sensor Industry
Winner: Xenics NV
"We thank the judges for recognizing the breakthrough achieved by the development of our latest XLIN detector, and also to our engineers who made it all possible."

CEO/Managing Director of the Year
Winner: Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-founder, Innoviz Technologies

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Imaging and Machine Vision Europe publishes a review of LiDAR presentations at Image Sensors Europe conference held in mid-March in London, UK. Few quotes:

"A report from Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research predicts that the market opportunity for lidar in automotive will grow from zero in 2015 to $10 billion by 2025, and $35 billion by 2030.


Oren Rosenzweig, co-founder of Israeli lidar system maker Innoviz Technologies, said at Image Sensors that the cost of lidar is prohibitive, and the performance is not good enough. Rosenzweig, speaking to Imaging and Machine Vision Europe at the show, said that $1,000 per lidar system might be acceptable for certain early adopters of the technology, but that hundreds of dollars per lidar was needed to make it attractive to automotive OEMs. As the volumes increase, however, then costs will go down.

Innoviz’s technology is a solid-state lidar combining a MEMS scanner based on a micro-mirror designed by the company; the signal is processed in a proprietary ASIC. The Innoviz One has a 250-metre detection range, an angular resolution of 0.1 x 0.1 degrees, a frame rate of 25fps, and a depth accuracy of 3cm. The device is based on 905nm laser light; 1,550nm would cost too much for the lasers and detectors, Rosenzweig said.

Solid-state lidar uses primarily 905nm lasers, according to Carl Jackson, founder and CTO of SensL, although he added that 940nm VCSEL arrays are also being developed. Jackson said that SiPMs or a SiPM array can improve sensitivity and ranging compared to avalanche photodiodes (APDs).

SensL’s first product for lidar is a 400 x 100 ToF SPAD array with high dynamic range SPAD pixels, optimised for vertical line scanning. It will be sampling in the second half of 2018. Jackson said that the sensor array can be used to create a lidar solution with 0.1 degree x-y resolution, suitable for greater than 100-metre ranging at 10 per cent reflectivity in full sunlight. Jackson also noted that VGA-quality SPAD arrays could be available next year.

Eye-safety is all about the design of the system, according to Jackson. He said that a laser pulse of 1ns from a 5mm aperture at 30 degrees angle of view in the y direction can reach 26,908W of power and still be eye safe, ‘which is plenty of power to do long-range lidar with 905nm’. He added that a 120 x 30-degree system will need 6,000W of laser power to achieve 200-metre ranging with SiPM technology."

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EETimes publishes an article "Can Huawei Match Apple TrueDepth?" by Junko Yoshida. Few quotes:

Pierre Cambou, activity leader for MEMS and imaging at Yole Développement, predicts that it may take a year or longer for competitors to offer 3D sensing technologies comparable to iPhone X.

...3D sensing will be a tougher challenge for most smartphone vendors — because a 3D camera contains myriad components that need to be aligned. It also requires competent supply chain management. Cambou called the 3D camera “a bundle of sub-devices.”

As for Samsung’s Galaxy S9, some reviewers are already calling its front-facing sensing technology “a disappointment.” ...People were able to fool Samsung's technology on last year's Galaxy S8 by using photos. Apparently, that trick still works with the S9.

Huawei’s triple cameras appear to illustrate the company’s effort to enhance depth-sensing technology. While no confirmation is available, Huawei’s suspected 3D sensing partner is Qualcomm.

SystemPlus' and Yole's cost estimation of iPhone X 3D camera

Reuters shares the same opinion:

Most Android phones will have to wait until 2019 to duplicate the 3D sensing feature behind Apple’s Face ID security, three major parts producers have told Reuters.

According to parts manufacturers Viavi Solutions Inc, Finisar Corp and Ams AG, bottlenecks on key parts will mean mass adoption of 3D sensing will not happen until next year, disappointing earlier expectations.

Tech research house Gartner predicts that by 2021, 40 percent of smartphones will be equipped with 3D cameras, which can also be used for so-called augmented reality.

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PRNewswire: Bozeman, Montana-based Blackmore Sensors and Analytics Inc. has raised $18m in a Series B funding led by BMW i Ventures. Additional investment comes from Toyota AI Ventures, Millennium Technology Value Partners and Next Frontier Capital.

"Blackmore has unique and innovative FMCW lidar technology that delivers a new dimension of data to future vehicles," said BMW i Ventures partner Zach Barasz. In addition to being more cost-effective, Blackmore's FMCW lidar has several advantages over traditional pulsed lidar systems.

"Blackmore's groundbreaking FMCW lidar technology is designed to eliminate interference, improve long-range performance, and support both range and velocity — a triple threat to make autonomous driving safer," said Jim Adler, managing director of Toyota AI Ventures.

According to Randy Reibel, Blackmore's CEO, it is that last capability that differentiates Blackmore's sensor from its competitors. "Having the ability to measure both the speed and the distance to any object gives self-driving systems more information to navigate safely."

Blackmore will use the investment to scale the production of its FMCW lidar for ADAS and self-driving markets. Increased production capacity will allow Blackmore to support the growing sector of autonomous driving teams demanding a superior lidar solution.

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OSA Optics Letters issue dated by April 1st, 2018 publishes Peking University, China, KAIST and KRISS, Korea paper "Time-of-flight detection of femtosecond laser pulses for precise measurement of large microelectronic step height."

"By using time-of-flight detection with fiber-loop optical-microwave phase detectors, precise measurement of large step height is realized. The proposed method shows uncertainties of 15 nm and 6.5 nm at sampling periods of 40 ms and 800 ms, respectively. This method employs only one free-running femtosecond mode-locked laser and requires no scanning of laser repetition rate, making it easier to operate. Precise measurements of 6 μm and 0.5 mm step heights have been demonstrated, which show good functionality of this method for measurement of step heights."

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Techcrunch sources report that Google is acquiring Lytro:

"One source described the deal as an “asset sale” with Lytro going for no more than $40 million. Another source said the price was even lower: $25 million. A third source tells us that not all employees are coming over with the company’s technology: some have already received severance and parted ways with the company, and others have simply left. Assets would presumably also include Lytro’s 59 patents related to light-field and other digital imaging technology.

The sale would be far from a big win for Lytro and its backers. The startup has raised just over $200 million in funding and was valued at around $360 million after its last round in 2017. Its long list of investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Foxconn, GV, Greylock, NEA, Qualcomm Ventures and many more."

Here is NYTimes illustration of Lytro's first product back in 2012:

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Samsung publishes its CIS process features available at 8-inch foundry:


Currently, all 8-inch foundry wafers are processed at Line 6 in Giheung campus, Korea:

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CERN publishes Nobukazu Teranishi's 58 page-large presentation "Recent Progresses of Visible Light Image Sensors" at the Detector Seminar at CERN on February 23, 2018. There is a lot of interesting slides, including spares in the end. Here is just a small part of the content:

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Nikkei publishes a 4-part review of Sony ISSCC 2018 presentation on event-driven sensor:

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ST video presents issues with dirty cover glass in ToF devices, followed by a sort of obvious solution:

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Nocamels, The Times of Israel: Gabby Sarusi from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev "has developed a stamp-like device of which one side reads 1,500-nanometer infrared wavelengths, and converts them to images that are visible to the human eye on the other side of the stamp. This stamp — basically a film that is half a micron in thickness — is composed of nano-metric layers, nano-columns and metal foil, which transform infrared images into visible images.

An infrared sensor costs around $3,000, Sarusi said. A regular vision sensor used by autonomous cars costs $1-$2. So, by adding the nanotech layers, which cost around $5, Sarusi said, one can get an infrared sensor for about $7-$8."






Thanks to DS for the pointer!

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Frost & Sullivan’s Manufacturing Leadership Council prizes Omnivision by Smart Products and Services Leadership Award for Nyxel NIR imaging technology.

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Japanese Journal of Applied Physics publishes Tohoku University paper "Effect of drain current on appearance probability and amplitude of random telegraph noise in low-noise CMOS image sensors" by Shinya Ichino, Takezo Mawaki, Akinobu Teramoto, Rihito Kuroda, Hyeonwoo Park, Shunichi Wakashima, Tetsuya Goto, Tomoyuki Suwa, and Shigetoshi Sugawa. It turns out that lower SF current can reduce RTN, at least for 0.18um process used in the test chip:

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The VL53L1X TOF sensor extends the detection range of ST's FlightSense technology to four meters, bringing high-accuracy, low-power distance measurement, and proximity detection to an even wider variety of applications. The fully integrated VL53L1X measures only 4.9mm x 2.5mm x 1.56mm, allowing use even where space is very limited. It is also pin-compatible with its predecessor, the VL53L0X, allowing easy upgrading of existing products. The compact package contains the laser driver and emitter as well as SPAD array light receiver that gives ST’s FlightSense sensors their ranging speed and reliability. Furthermore, the 940nm emitter, operating in the non-visible spectrum, eliminates distracting light emission and can be hidden behind a protective window without impairing measurement performance.

ST publishes quite a detailed datasheet with the performance data:

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GM has started production of a roof rack for its fourth generation Cruise AV featuring 5 Velodyne LiDARs and, at least, 7 cameras:

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MEMSDrive kindly sent me a presentation on its OIS technology:

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Few assorted pictures from Image Sensors Europe conference being held these days in London, UK.

From Ron (Vision Markets) twitter:


Image Sensors twitter:


From X-Fab presentation:

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Korean newspaper The Investor quotes local media reports that Mantis Vision and camera module maker Namuga are developing 3-D sensing camera for Samsung next-generation Galaxy S smartphones, tentatively called the Galaxy S10. Namuga is also providing 3-D sensing modules for Intel’s RealSense AR cameras.

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TechInsights Samsung Galaxy S9+ cost table estimates cameras cost at $48 out of $379 total. The previous generation S8 camera was estimated at $25.50 or 7.8% of the total BOM.


Update: TechInsights publishes a cost comparison of this year and last yera;s flagship phones. Galaxy S9+ appears to have the largest investment in camera and imaging hardware:

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ICFO food analyzer demo at MWC in Barcelona in February 2018:



UV graphene sensors:

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