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Waymo announces its 5th Generation Driver platform featuring a lot more cameras and LiDARs at half the cost of the previous generation:

"With each generation of our custom hardware we’ve been able to bring down the cost of our sensors while delivering even more capabilities and compute power. With our fifth-generation hardware, we’ve simplified the design and manufacturing process so it can be production-ready, and our latest sensors deliver more performance than ever before, at half the cost of our previous generation."

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BusinessWire: Starting in March 2020, Infineon's REAL3 ToF sensor will enable the video bokeh function for the first time in a 5G-capable smartphone in moving images. Using the precise 3D point cloud algorithm and software, the received 3D image data is processed for the application. The 3D image sensor captures 940 nm infrared light reflected from the user and the scanned objects. It also uses high-level data processing to achieve accurate depth measurements.

Infineon also develops a reference design for 3D authentication based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform. "Today, the smartphone is more than just an information medium; it is increasingly taking over security and entertainment functions," says Andreas Urschitz, Division President Power Management & Multimarket. "3D sensors enable new uses and additional applications such as secured authentication or payment by facial recognition. We continue to focus on this market and have clear growth targets. The collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies on reference designs using REAL3 image sensors underscores the potential and our ambitions in this area."

Infineon develops the 3D ToF sensor technology in cooperation with the software and 3D time-of-flight system by pmdtechnologies AG.

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IEEE Spectrum publishes an article "Image Sensor Doubles as a Neural Net" about TU Wien, Austria, work on integration of AI engine onto an image sensor:

"Our image sensor does not consume any electrical power when it is operating," Lukas Mennel, an electrical engineer at TU Wien, says. "The sensed photons themselves provide the energy for the electric current."

Mennel notes the speed at which the system operates is only limited by the speed of the electrons in the circuits. In principle, this strategy could work on the order of picoseconds, or trillionths of a second, or three to four orders of magnitude faster than currently demonstrated, he says.


Nature too publishes comments to that same paper on neural network processor integrated onto an image sensor by Vienna University of Technology, Austria:

"Imaging under dim light would be difficult for the device described by the authors. A redesign would be needed to improve light absorption in the thin semiconductor and to increase the range of light intensities that can be detected. Furthermore, the reported design requires high voltages and consumes a lot of power; by comparison, the energy consumption per operation in a biological neural network is at the sub-femtojoule level (10e−15 to 10e−13 joules). It would also be useful to expand the response to ultraviolet and infrared light, to capture information unavailable in the visible spectrum."

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EI 2020 paper "A 4-tap global shutter pixel with enhanced IR sensitivity for VGA time-of-flight CMOS image sensors" by Taesub Jung, Yonghun Kwon, Sungyoung Seo, Min-Sun Keel, Changkeun Lee, Sung-Ho Choi, Sae-Young Kim, Sunghyuck Cho, Youngchan Kim, Young-Gu Jin, Moosup Lim, Hyunsurk Ryu, Yitae Kim, Joonseok Kim, and Chang-Rok Moon from Samsung, Korea presents the company's approach to 3D ToF imaging:

"An indirect time-of-flight (ToF) CMOS image sensor has been designed with 4-tap 7 µm global shutter pixel in back-side illumination process. 15000 e- of high full-well capacity (FWC) per a tap of 3.5 µm pitch and 3.6 e- of read-noise has been realized by employing true correlated double sampling (CDS) structure with storage gates (SGs). Noble characteristics such as 86 % of demodulation contrast (DC) at 100MHz operation, 37 % of higher quantum efficiency (QE) and lower parasitic light sensitivity (PLS) at 940 nm have been achieved. As a result, the proposed ToF sensor shows depth noise less than 0.3 % with 940 nm illuminator in even long distance."


Update: Possibly, the paper talks about DepthVision camera used in Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone shown in Samsung video:


Update #2: According to Techinsights teardown analysis, the depth sensor in Galaxy S10 Ultra 5G is made by Sony.

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Electronic Imaging Symposium started publishing 2020 papers. "Studies on the effect of megapixel sensor resolution on displayed image quality and relevant metrics" by Sophie Triantaphillidou, Jan Smejkal, Edward W. S. Fry, and Chuang Hsin Hung from University of Westminster, UK and Huawei, China examines just one specific case of viewing pictures at 1.2MP desktop monitor:

"This paper investigates camera phone image quality, namely the effect of sensor megapixel (MP) resolution on the perceived quality of images displayed at full size on high-quality desktop displays. For the purpose, we use images from simulated cameras with different sensor MP resolutions. We employ methods recommended in the IEEE 1858 Camera Phone Image Quality (CPIQ) standard, as well as other established psychophysical paradigms, to obtain subjective image quality ratings for systems with varying MP resolution from large numbers of observers."

The paper basically says that there is a little value in increasing smartphone sensor resolution beyond 1.5MP in this specific viewing case:

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MDPI paper "Automotive 3.0 µm Pixel High Dynamic Range Sensor with LED Flicker Mitigation" by Minseok Oh, Sergey Velichko, Scott Johnson, Michael Guidash, Hung-Chih Chang, Daniel Tekleab, Bob Gravelle, Steve Nicholes, Maheedhar Suryadevara, Dave Collins, Rick Mauritzson, Lin Lin, Shaheen Amanullah, and Manuel Innocent is a part of Special issue on the 2019 International Image Sensor Workshop (IISW2019).

"We present and discuss parameters of a high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor with LED flicker mitigation (LFM) operating in automotive temperature range. The total SNR (SNR including dark fixed pattern noise), of the sensor is degraded by floating diffusion (FD) dark current (DC) and dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU). We present results of FD DC and DSNU reduction, to provide required SNR versus signal level at temperatures up to 120 °C. Additionally we discuss temperature dependencies of quantum efficiency (QE), sensitivity, color effects, and other pixel parameters for backside illuminated image sensors. Comparing +120 °C junction vs. room temperature, in visual range we measured a few relative percent increase, while in 940 nm band range we measured 1.46x increase in sensitivity. Measured change of sensitivity for visual bands—such as blue, green, and red colors—reflected some impact to captured image color accuracy that created slight image color tint at high temperature. The tint is, however, hard to detect visually and may be removed by auto white balancing and temperature adjusted color correction matrixes."

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Caltech researchers publish Arxiv.org paper "Multi-functional volumetric meta-optics for color and polarization image sensors" by Philip Camayd-Muñoz, Conner Ballew, Gregory Roberts, and Andrei Faraon.

"Three-dimensional elements, with refractive index distribution structured at sub-wavelength scale, provide an expansive optical design space that can be harnessed for demonstrating multi-functional free-space optical devices. Here we present 3D dielectric elements, designed to be placed on top of the pixels of image sensors, that sort and focus light based on its color and polarization with efficiency significantly surpassing 2D absorptive and diffractive filters. The devices are designed via iterative gradient-based optimization to account for multiple target functions while ensuring compatibility with existing nanofabrication processes, and experimentally validated using a scaled device that operates at microwave frequencies. This approach combines arbitrary functions into a single compact element even where there is no known equivalent in bulk optics, enabling novel integrated photonic applications."

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Goodix under-display optical fingerprint sensor has been selected as a finalist for Edison Award 2020 in Optical & Imaging Technologies category.


Daum blog publishes some explanations of Goodix technology and a comparison with Egis:

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EETimes article "Beam Profile Analysis Beats Facial Recognition Cheats" talks about TrinamiX facial recognition sensor:

In a recent briefing with EE Times in London, the managing director and founder of TrinamiX, Ingmar Bruder, told, “There are currently basically two ways of capturing depth: time-of-flight (ToF), and stereo, including structured light. We have figured out a third way, called beam profile analysis, for which we have several patents and own all the intellectual property. Our technology is based on back-scattering properties, creating a dense depth map using 40,000 dots for which we can measure the distance for each. Our technology is based on three components: a NIR camera module, flood illumination, and a light projector. This can sit on top of any facial recognition capability.”

“You are training the system based on the actual materials. In robot picking, you don’t need to pre-define the boundaries, as the system can look for the material and the boundaries. It can also sort materials, for example in recycling,” Bruder said. “One of the first products we are likely to see based on this technology is robot vacuum cleaners,” he said. “This is in evaluation at the moment, but products are likely on the market in 2021. Meanwhile, in consumer products, we will see both high-end and low-end smartphones using beam profile analysis in early 2021.”


Update: Sueddeutsche Zeitung report talks about the problem of silicone masks in face recognition.

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GlobeNewswire: SRI International announces that they were recognized as an Edison Award finalist in the Aerospace Innovation category for their contributions to NASA’s Solar Probe Plus Mission.

The CMOS Imager used in the Parker Solar Probe was designed by Jim Janesick of SRI, a leading expert in CCD and CMOS development. The technology was conceptualized with extraterrestrial applications in mind and was supported by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). SRI and the NRL collaborated to create a 2k x 2k Imager that could withstand the radiation emitted by the sun, which was then selected by NASA for inclusion on the Parker Solar Probe mission, among others, where it will capture the closest images of the sun.

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Photonis presents Mantis³ single photon counting camera with nanosecond time-stamping. The Mantis³ consists of a CERN Timepix3-based visible light camera coupled to one of Photonis' high-end image intensifier tubes. The TPX3Cam is a high-rate, event-driven, time-stamping camera. The coupled image intensifier enables single photon sensitivity and offers a choice of low noise photocathodes optimized for your application.


With image intensifier tube, the 62e- noise floor of Timepix3 chip is reduced to a level allowing single-photon detection:

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The US Court of Appeals publishes its opinion on Collabo Innovation appeal on the verdict in its lawsuit against Sony. The appeal claims mostly talk about 1999 US7,023,034 patent originally filed by Panasonic and later acquired by Collabo. The appeal argues about the definition of trapezoid shape of the lightpipe, as presented in prior art.


The court concludes "We have considered Collabo’s remaining arguments and find them unpersuasive. For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the Board’s construction of “reflecting wall” and its conclusion that claims 3 and 12 are unpatentable as obvious."

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Nature publishes KAIST paper "Biologically inspired ultrathin arrayed camera for high-contrast and high-resolution imaging" by Kisoo Kim, Kyung-Won Jang, Jae-Kwan Ryu, and Ki-Hun Jeong.

"Compound eyes found in insects provide intriguing sources of biological inspiration for miniaturised imaging systems. Here, we report an ultrathin arrayed camera inspired by insect eye structures for high-contrast and super-resolution imaging. The ultrathin camera features micro-optical elements (MOEs), i.e., inverted microlenses, multilayered pinhole arrays, and gap spacers on an image sensor. The MOE was fabricated by using repeated photolithography and thermal reflow. The fully packaged camera shows a total track length of 740 μm and a field-of-view (FOV) of 73°. The experimental results demonstrate that the multilayered pinhole of the MOE allows high-contrast imaging by eliminating the optical crosstalk between microlenses. The integral image reconstructed from array images clearly increases the modulation transfer function (MTF) by ~1.57 times compared to that of a single channel image in the ultrathin camera. This ultrathin arrayed camera provides a novel and practical direction for diverse mobile, surveillance or medical applications."

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Sony Semiconductor Solutions Japan announces a re-org:

• Establish an in-vehicle product division.
• Reorganize the wafer line technology division and the Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Yamagata, and Oita production divisions by function, and establish a new wafer production division, manufacturing technology division, assembly production division, and quality control division.
• The head of the mobile sector will be newly established as a position to manage all production activities (design, development, and manufacturing) related to the mobile image sensor business at the corporate level.
• Establish a new head of IS / Automotive Sector as a position to manage at the corporate level overall production activities (design, development, and manufacturing) related to the image sensor business other than for mobile devices and the automotive image sensor business.
• A new 300-cm production center manager will be established to manage the entire production of 300-mm wafers at the Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Yamagata, and Oita Technology Centers.

Sony Imaging and Sensing Technology page presents the company's vision of its key advantages:

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SemiconductorToday notes KAIST paper in Electron Device Letters "Monolithic 3D Integration of InGaAs Photodetectors on Si MOSFETs Using Sequential Fabrication Process" by Dae-Myeong Geum, Seong Kwang Kim, Subin Lee, Donghwan Lim, Hyung-Jun Kim, Chang Hwan Choi, and Sang-Hyeon Kim proposing a stacked process for SWIR pixel:

"We demonstrated the monolithic 3D (M3D) integration of InGaAs photodetectors (PDs) on silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (SOI-MOSFETs) by the sequential process of InGaAs PDs on pre-fabricated SOI-MOSFETs. InGaAs PDs and SOI MOSFETs showed their original performances after integration and sequential process thanks to the low-temperature process. In addition, the integrated devices successfully performed the fundamental readout circuit operation such as direct injection and source follower per detector (SFD) by connecting transistors (Trs) and PDs. By illuminating 1550 nm laser on InGaAs PDs, the different behaviors of output voltages were clearly obtained according to the Tr’s on/off state. From these results, we believe that this monolithic 3D integration method could be a feasible approach toward high-resolution multicolor imaging systems."

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StrategyAnalytics statistics of Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G users shows that photography is the single most used feature of the device taking more than 20% of the use time.

Correction: The 20.1% part is probably games. Photography is minuscule 1.3%, unfortunately.

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IFNews quotes Laoyaoba.com site saying that Omnivision plans to restore its production capacity to about 70% by the end of February by "optimizing the overtime mode of production line employees." The company expects to return to 100% capacity in March.

Omnivision manufactures 400 to 500 million CMOS sensors per year. The company is said to consumes 200,000 12-inch wafers each year.

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EMVA Tube publishes a number of webinars on image sensor imperfections in EMVA 1288 standard, presented by Prof. Bernd Jähne from Heidelberg University, Germany:

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Digitimes reports that Taiwan-based CIS backend services company Tong Hsing Electronic Industries has disclosed plans to double monthly production capacity to 150,000-160,000 wafers by end-2020, according to the company's chairman Pierre Chen.

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Techinsights starts publishing Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G teardown analysis, including its 43.7MP GH1 sensor:

"The GH1, which uses ISOCELL Plus technology, has a reported resolution of 7968 x 5840 (43.7 MP). The Tetracell color filter array is in use and manipulating the contrast on our optical images we can see an artifact of the Super-PD phase detection autofocus (PDAF) pixel pattern. We have documented Samsung using masked and 2x1 on-chip lens (OCL) PDAF on different 0.8 µm generation sensors. Here at the 0.7 µm generation we expect only 2x1 OCL PDAF will be used, as on the GH1.

One other topic to mention on this world’s first 0.7 µm pixel sensor is the stacked chip interconnect strategy. The through silicon via (TSV) arrays visible in our die photograph show us immediately that Samsung has not yet adopted a Cu-Cu direct bond interconnect strategy as we have observed in Sony and TSMC fabricated imagers."

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IEEE Spectrum: "It’s time for another revolution in imaging technology. This one will be brought to you by the quantum dot, a nanometer-size particle of semiconductor material, which acts much differently from its bulk counterpart."

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PRNewswire: Anitoa has demonstrated a solution for rapid on-site nucleic acid test of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Anitoa combines a high performance ultra-portable Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) instrument called Maverick, with an innovative "one-step" reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) reagent for testing 2019-nCoV.

Maverick is powered by a unique CMOS biosensor chip developed by Anitoa. The CMOS biosensor integrates many sensing and processing functions necessary for qPCR in a single silicon chip, thus significantly reducing the footprint and cost of the device.

Having a R&D center in Hangzhou China, Anitoa tested its solution in hospitals and CDC-labs of China with actual patient samples. Early test results with Maverick solution showed a 97% accuracy, with 99% specificity.

"We are encouraged by the very promising performance results of the Maverick solution in detecting the 2019 new coronavirus. We want to contribute everything we have to help fight and prevent the spread of this terrible and deadly disease," says Zhimin Ding, CEO of Anitoa Systems.

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CEA-LETI publishes Lina Kadura's PhD Thesis "New FDSOI-based integrated circuit architectures sensitive to light for imaging applications."

"A new type of light sensor called FDPix, composed of one transistor (1T) per pixel is investigated. It consists in co-integrating an FDSOI (Fully-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator) transistor with a photodiode to enable light sensing through optical back biasing. The absorption of photons and resulting photogenerated charges in the diode will result in a Light Induced VT Shift (LIVS). The LIVS is due to a capacitive coupling between the front and back gate of the FDSOI transistor and represents the key performance metric to be extracted and optimized. In this work, the device behavior in dc and transient domains was thoroughly investigated and modeled. Although not limited to this node, all the devices tested were fabricated using 28nm node FDSOI technology. By means of TCAD simulations and opto-electrical characterization, the device parameters such as Body Factor (BF) and junction profile were optimized to improve its performance. It was found that the FDPix is in fact a dual response sensor. It exhibits a linear response at low light intensity which results in high sensitivity, and a logarithmic response at higher intensities that ensures a high dynamic range (DR) of more than 120dB. The dedicated developed model is implemented in SPICE environment for circuit design. New pixel circuit in analog and digital domain, based on the FDPix were designed, fabricated, and tested. The results obtained and presented in this work, shows the potential of using the FDPix sensor for smart, highly embedded, low power image sensors for More-than-Moore applications."

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imec SPIE AR/VR/MR presentation has a number of interesting slides about its imaging technology: