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In my role as Industrial Co-chair of IEEE SENSORS 2024 conference to be held this year in Kobe, Japan, in October, I want to invite the participation of the image sensor community. SENSORS is a vibrant conference – 1000 attendees in Vienna for SENSORS 2023 – covering sensors devices and systems. I can testify that there is much overlap in the issues addressed in sensors, but for historical reasons it appears that this is a conference that the image sensor community has not had on their radar. I, along with my Industrial Co-Chair Sozo Yokogawa of SONY Semiconductor, would like to change this.

Our proposal is to highlight image sensor technology at the conference through a combination of focused sessions, keynote speakers, a workshop, tutorial, and networking possibilities. I would like to use as a model the success efforts that I have been involved in over many years as part being involved with the technical committees at IEDM and ISSCC. To accomplish this we would like to reach out to our image sensor community to help promote this goal through networking and through volunteering informally or formally.

The sponsoring IEEE Sensor Council, of which I am an AdCom member, has two initiatives that are of note related to this proposal. One initiative is to increase industrial involvement in a way that prioritizes the healthy technical interaction of industry, academia, and laboratories. The other initiative is to develop  close ties between conference participation and the high-impact council-sponsored Sensor Journal and Sensor Letters, enabling both the publishing of work from the conference in the journals and providing a path where accepted papers in the journals are accepted also for presentation at SENSORS.

I have discussed this informally in our community over the last year with positive comments. I look forward to feedback, but most importantly, support of this goal. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing many of you in Kobe.


Dan McGrath
TechInsights Inc.
AdCom member, IEEE Solid State Circuits Society & IEEE Sensor Council
dmcgrath@ieee.org

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 onsemi

Analog Design Engineer      Cork, Ireland      Link

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Phys.org covered a recently published paper titled "A 64-pixel mid-infrared single-photon imager based on superconducting nanowire detectors" by a team from NIST in the journal Applied Physics Letters. 

Abstract:

A large-format mid-infrared single-photon imager with very low dark count rates would enable a broad range of applications in fields like astronomy and chemistry. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a mature photon-counting technology as demonstrated by their figures of merit such as high detection efficiencies and very low dark count rates. However, scaling SNSPDs to large array sizes for mid-infrared applications requires sophisticated readout architectures in addition to superconducting materials development. In this work, an SNSPD array design that combines a thermally coupled row-column multiplexing architecture with a thermally coupled time-of-flight transmission line was developed for mid-infrared applications. The design requires only six cables and can be scaled to larger array sizes. The demonstration of a 64-pixel array shows promising results for wavelengths between 3.4 μm and 10 μm, which will enable the use of this single-photon detector technology for a broad range of new applications.

From phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2024-01-wavelength-scientific-exploration-photon-detectors.html

NIST researchers have unveiled a new kind of single-photon detector array that can identify individual particles of light (photons). It's useful for spectroscopy, where scientists observe how molecules absorb different colors (or wavelengths) of light. Each molecule has its own color fingerprint on the light spectrum.

This particular detector can catch single photons in the mid-infrared. Here's how the array works: Multiple super-cold detectors are connected to one another (shown above) in a grid of sorts with an electrical current flowing through. When a photon strikes one of the detectors, it creates a hot spot and acts as a dam to block the current for a short amount of time.

The researchers developed a new technique to determine where, along the columns and rows, the hot spot is. From there, they can create single-photon pictures.

The whole setup is challenging because mid-infrared waves are longer and have less energy to cause the hot spots, compared to visible light, for example. But the scientists have a few tricks up their sleeve and used them to make it work.

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Sony Advanced Visual Sensing AG

Image Sensor Design Engineer        Schlieren, Switzerland        Link

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Sony Advanced Visual Sensing AG

Image Sensor Design Engineer        Schlieren, Switzerland        Link

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We asked four AI chat engines a simple question, "Who invented CMOS Image Sensors?" There seems to have been a lot of variety in the training sets.

Microsoft Copilot (Bing) based on GPT-4:

The inventor of the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) active pixel sensor camera-on-a-chip is Eric Fossum. He invented this technology while working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1993. The CMOS image sensor technology is now used in more than 6 billion cameras produced each year, including nearly every smartphone.

ChatGPT-3.5:

The invention of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) image sensors is attributed to several individuals and organizations. However, the basic concept of CMOS technology was first proposed by Chih-Tang Sah and Frank Wanlass in the late 1960s. They were researchers working at Fairchild Semiconductor, a company that played a crucial role in the development of several semiconductor technologies.

Since then, numerous engineers, scientists, and companies have contributed to the advancements and commercialization of CMOS image sensors. Sony is one major company known for its contributions to image sensor technology, as they introduced the first commercial CMOS image sensors in the 1990s. Other notable companies involved in image sensor development include Canon, Samsung, Panasonic, and OmniVision Technologies. It is important to note that the development of CMOS image sensors is a result of collective efforts from several individuals and organizations over the years.

Anthropic Claude: 

The invention of the CMOS image sensor can be attributed to a few key pioneers:

- Eric Fossum - While working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 1990s, Eric Fossum led the team that developed the first functioning CMOS image sensor with intra-pixel conversion. This type of active pixel sensor became the basis for modern CMOS image sensors.

- Nobukazu Teranishi - Working at Olympus in the late 1960s, Teranishi patented some of the earliest concepts for using MOS technology for imaging, laying the groundwork for future CMOS sensors.

- Peter Noble - In the late 1960s, while at Plessey Semiconductors in the UK, Peter Noble patented ideas for using MOS capacitors for image sensing. This helped establish early CMOS imaging concepts.

- Wen H. Ko and Robert C. Gee - In the late 1960s at Fairchild Semiconductor, Ko and Gee developed one of the first MOS imaging chips, building on emerging CMOS technology.

- Steve Sasson - While an engineer at Kodak in the 1970s, Sasson worked on some of the earliest CCD digital camera sensors, which inspired the transition from CCD to CMOS sensors.

So in summary, the foundational invention of CMOS image sensors relied on key contributions from Eric Fossum, Nobukazu Teranishi, Peter Noble, Wen H. Ko, and Robert C. Gee between the 1960s to 1990s, as CMOS fabrication techniques matured. The CMOS sensor revolutionized digital photography.

Google Bard:

The question of "who invented CMOS image sensors" has a slightly nuanced answer because the technology evolved through different stages and improvements by various individuals and teams. Here's a breakdown:

Conceptual foundation:The underlying technology, Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS), was conceived by Frank Wanlass at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1963.

Active Pixel Sensor (APS) invention:While CCDs dominated early image sensors, the CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS), a crucial component of modern CMOS image sensors, was developed in the mid-1980s by Olympus in Japan. Tsutomu Nakamura'steam fabricated the first NMOS APS in 1985.

Advancements for commercial viability:Eric Fossum, an American engineer, is often credited with making CMOS image sensors commercially viable. He and his team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1990s significantly improved the technology by inventing a new pixel design with all necessary functions on a single chip, addressing limitations like power consumption and sensitivity.

Further refinements:Since then, numerous researchers and companies have continued to contribute to the development and improvement of CMOS image sensors. These advancements have led to their widespread adoption in various applications, from digital cameras and smartphones to medical imaging and scientific instruments.

Therefore, attributing the invention solely to one person might not be entirely accurate. However, Eric Fossum's contribution in improving the technology and making it commercially viable deserves considerable recognition.

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IEEE Spectrum has a recent article discussing a 2023 IEDM paper from Canon.

Paper: Shirahige et al., "40-5. Cross Dual-Pixel Twisted-Photodiode Image Sensor for All-Directional Auto Focus", IEDM 2023.

Spectrum article: https://spectrum.ieee.org/autofocus-canon-twisted-diode

Diodes at Right Angles Double Autofocus Capacity: Canon twists photosensor rules to build new tech from familiar parts

In 2013, Canon introduced its first dual-pixel autofocus, a technology that allows almost every pixel in a photo sensor to help focus the image it takes. Now Canon researchers say they’ve developed a new improvement on their previous improvement to autofocus tech. And this new approach finds its focus faster, better, and in lower light—without requiring new components and technologies to be invented first. It simply involves one small twist.

Shirahige said they have developed a new image sensor whose photodiodes are perpendicular to each other. This “cross dual-pixel twisted-photodiode,” they note, performs better than autofocus sensors in the marketplace today [that place] two photodiodes under a shared lens, which allowed the sensor to detect when incoming light on both diodes was in phase, and therefore, in focus. [Even earlier technique was to] sample [a few image] pixels to adjust the camera lens based on the contrast in the image, a slower method. [In any case, the] focusing pixels could not record image data, so there was always a trade-off between autofocusing ability and image quality. Instead, the dual-pixel autofocus approach made it possible for almost every pixel in the sensor to contribute to focusing the lens ahead of shooting, and to then contribute information to the final photo. The advantages included speed, better focus in low-light situations, and better focus across a greater fraction of the image.

However, these multipixel photodiodes have a disadvantage: the arrangement of photodiodes favors light on one axis at the cost of the other. [...]Canon’s new structure, which they call a twisted-photodiode image sensor, stacks two identical photodiodes, one oriented to capture horizontal patterns and the other rotated ninety degrees to capture vertical patterns. Because the horizontally and vertically oriented photodiodes are the same type of components, the data each generates requires no more extra processing time or power than that of any other diode in the system. So the overall autofocus speed is higher. The orthogonal-diode arrangement, by virtue of is comparable simplicity, also achieves faster readouts than more complex quadruple or other elaborate photodiode structures.

Canon’s team reported that their system is also much faster at capturing the electrons transferred from the photodiodes, capturing as many as 121,000 electrons with the same lag as previous photodiodes, which is more than double the capacity of comparable earlier systems.

[Canon did] not provide an estimate of when the technology might appear in commercial systems.

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Qurv, in Barcelona, Spain, plans to expand its sensor design team with staff additions:

• Process Integration Engineer
• Wide-Spectrum Image Sensor CMOS Pixel Designer
• Quantum Film Process Engineer

These openings and more are on the Qurv website.

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EPFL presents a combo of spiking neuron processor and  SPAD sensor:

EPFL also presents a burst SPAD imager:

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A video on the different stages in the development of sensors for infrared cameras from Institut des NanoSciences de Paris (INSP):

NIT and INSP will exhibit the world’s first HgTe CQD SWIR camera during the Forum Innovation Defense held in Paris on 23-28 November.

NIT (New Imaging Technologies) and INSP (Institute of Nanosciences of Paris) are proud to announce the debut of the world’s first Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) camera featuring an innovative HgTe (Mercury Telluride) Quantum Dot focal plane array sensor. This groundbreaking technological achievement will be showcased during the Forum Innovation Defense, taking place in Paris from November 23 to November 28, 2023.

The collaboration between NIT and INSP has resulted in a pioneering SWIR infrared camera, utilizing the advanced HgTe quantum dot sensor technology, which promises unprecedented capabilities in defense and security applications.

Selected by the French Ministry of Defense, NIT, and INSP will present the culmination of years of dedicated research and development efforts in this revolutionary camera. The development of the CQD (Colloidal Quantum Dot) sensor was made possible through funding provided by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) and the National Research Agency, part of a rigorous three-year R&D program.

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Exosens - Photonis Infrared

R&D Engineer in Infrared & CMOS Image Sensor       Grenoble, France       Link

(Note: The listing at the link is in French)

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SWIR Vision Systems Announces Acuros GO 6 MP Handheld SWIR Camera Empowering Mobile SWIR Imaging with Cutting-Edge CQD Sensor Technology

• 3064 x 2040 pixel resolution using the new 7µm pitch Acuros CQD sensor
• Broadband spectral sensitivity from 400 nm to 1700 nm
• Battery powered operation
• Global snapshot shutter design with video frame rates of 30 fps
• Digital shutter speeds up to 1/100,000 (10 us) to capture high-speed events without motion blur
• Automatic Gain Control (AGC), Auto Exposure (AE), and dynamic sensor calibrations (NUCs) for high-quality image capture across various light intensities and environmental conditions

The Camera:

Acuros GO 6 MP Camera Front

 

Acuros GO 6 MP Camera Back

Acuros GO 6 MP Camera Specification

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Sony Semiconductor Solutions - America

Automotive Image Sensor Field Applications Engineer     Novi, Michigan, USA    Link

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From: https://hokuyo-usa.com/resources/blog/pioneering-autonomous-capabilities-solid-state-3d-lidar

Autonomous technologies are proliferating across industries at breakneck speed. Various sectors, like manufacturing, agriculture, storage, freight, etc., are rushing to embrace robotics, automation, and self-driving capabilities.

At the helm of this autonomous transformation is LiDAR, the eyes that allow technologies to perceive and understand their surroundings. LiDAR is like a hawk scanning the landscape with sharp vision, giving clarity and insight into what stands before it. Additionally, research solidifies the claims of increasing LiDAR usage and anticipates that the global LiDAR market will reach 5.35 billion USD by 2030.

While spinning mechanical LiDAR sensors have paved the way, acting as the eyes of autonomous systems, they remain too bulky, delicate, and expensive for many real-world applications. However, new solid-state 3D LiDAR is here to change the game. These LiDARs pack thousands of tiny, durable laser beams onto a single chip to provide unmatched reliability and affordability.

How YLM-X001 3D LiDAR Range Sensor is Transforming Scanning Capabilities
The YLM-X001 outdoor-use 3D LiDAR by Hokuyo sets new standards with groundbreaking features. The range sensor has a small form factor with 119 (W) x 85 (D) x79 (H) dimensions, allowing it to become a part of any vehicle seamlessly. Additionally, despite the small size, it boasts a scanning range of 120° horizontally and 90° vertically. Therefore, it can scan a larger scene and provide data in real-time to avoid collisions with any object.

Furthermore, at the heart of this LiDAR range sensor is the Light Control Metasurface (LCM) technology patented and protected by Lumotive, Inc. This jointly developed light detection and ranging sensor works using this beam-steering technology. It uses the deflection angle of liquid crystals without relying on mechanical parts. This digital scanning technology combines a line light laser with VCSEL Laser and liquid crystal deflection, enabling LiDAR to perform efficient 3D object recognition with high resolution.

Also, the LCM not only eliminates mechanical components but also aids in reducing multipath interference and inter-sensor interference. Reduction of both interferences results in achieving a better level of stability in measurement that was previously unattainable using mechanical LiDARs.
The YLM-X001 3D LiDAR range sensors offer dynamic digital scanning, providing stable distance accuracy in multipath and LiDAR-to-LiDAR interference. It can measure the distance of stationary and repositioning objects in the moving direction and on the road surface via continuous and dynamic scanning.

Notable Features of YLM-X001
New and market-leading features are packed inside this LiDAR, making it a better choice than mechanical LiDARs.

• ROS2 Compatible: A globally accepted standard software platform with open-source libraries helping you to develop and run robotics applications efficiently.
• Ethernet 1000BASE-T: The interface is Ethernet 1000BASE-T compatible, ensuring fast, precise, and stable integration into various robotic systems.
• 0.5m to 7m Detection Range: The wide range makes it suitable for close and distant monitoring.
• Distance x 0.5% Deviation: It ensures an exceptional distance accuracy with a Distance x 0.5% deviation. At a distance of 5m under 100,0000lx illumination, the LiDAR provides an accuracy of 25mm.
• 10Hz or More Frame Rate: YLM-X001 delivers real-time data for dynamic environments with a 10Hz or more frame rate. It offers QVGS (320 x 240) in standard mode and VGS (640 x 480) in high-resolution mode. The angular resolution is 0.375° or less (0.188° in high-resolution mode) for detailed and accurate scanning.

Using 3D LiDAR in Real World Applications
The YLM-X001 finds its stride in various applications, making it an invaluable asset in robotics.

AGV/AMR Integration
Our 3D LiDAR sensors enhance AGV/AMR navigation and obstacle detection precision. They continuously scan the environment, providing real-time data, ideal for autonomous vehicles in dynamic environments.
Additionally, the fork trucks can utilize the capabilities of 3D LiDAR for accurate detection of container and pallet entrances. Plus, it can create path plans and ensure the accurate position of the forklift.

Service Robot Operations
Robots with the capabilities of 3D LiDAR will have an enhanced framework for avoiding obstacles and monitoring road surface conditions. Whether navigating complex indoor or outdoor spaces, these robots can adapt to changing conditions with unmatched accuracy.

Enhance Autonomous Mobility with Hokuyo YLM-X001 3D LiDAR
As industries embrace autonomous technology, the need for accurate range scanning sensors increases. Solid-state LiDARs offer a small form factor and precise measurements, becoming an ideal replacement for mechanical LiDARs.

Our team at Hokuyo is working relentlessly to help you achieve the pinnacle of autonomous mobility. We are developing high-end sensor solutions for a variety of autonomous applications. Our recent development, the YLM-X001 3D LiDAR range sensors, is here for accurate obstacle detection and continuous scanning.

Technical specifications of the YLM-X001 3D LiDAR range sensor: https://www.hokuyo-aut.jp/search/single.php?serial=247#drawing

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CEA Leti

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In a paper titled "Silver telluride colloidal quantum dot infrared photodetectors and image sensors" Wang et al. from  ICFO, ICREA, and Qurv Technologies (Spain) write:

Photodetectors that are sensitive in the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) range (1–2 µm) are of great interest for applications such as machine vision, autonomous driving and three-dimensional, night and adverse weather imaging, among others. Currently available technologies in the SWIR range rely on costly epitaxial semiconductors that are not monolithically integrated with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor electronics. Solution-processed quantum dots can address this challenge by enabling low-cost manufacturing and simple monolithic integration on silicon in a back-end-of-line process. So far, colloidal quantum dot materials to access the SWIR regime are mostly based on lead sulfide and mercury telluride compounds, imposing major regulatory concerns for their deployment in consumer electronics due to the presence of toxic heavy metals. Here we report a new synthesis method for environmentally friendly silver telluride quantum dots and their application in high-performance SWIR photodetectors. The colloidal quantum dot photodetector stack employs materials compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directives and is sensitive in the spectral range from 350 nm to 1,600 nm. The room-temperature detectivity is of the order of 10^{12} Jones, the 3 dB bandwidth is in excess of 0.1 MHz and the linear dynamic range is over 118 dB. We also realize a monolithically integrated SWIR imager based on solution-processed, toxic-heavy-metal-free materials, thus paving the way for this technology to the consumer electronics market.

Coverage in phys.org:  https://phys.org/news/2024-01-toxic-quantum-dots-pave-cmos.html

Non-toxic quantum dots pave the way towards CMOS shortwave infrared image sensors for consumer electronics

Invisible to our eyes, shortwave infrared (SWIR) light can enable unprecedented reliability, function and performance in high-volume, computer vision first applications in service robotics, automotive and consumer electronics markets.

Image sensors with SWIR sensitivity can operate reliably under adverse conditions such as bright sunlight, fog, haze and smoke. Furthermore, the SWIR range provides eye-safe illumination sources and opens up the possibility of detecting material properties through molecular imaging.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQD)-based image sensor technology offers a promising technology platform to enable high-volume compatible image sensors in the SWIR.

CQDs, nanometric semiconductor crystals, are a solution-processed material platform that can be integrated with CMOS and enables access to the SWIR range. However, a fundamental roadblock exists in translating SWIR-sensitive quantum dots into key enabling technology for mass-market applications, as they often contain heavy metals like lead or mercury (IV-VI Pb, Hg-chalcogenide semiconductors).
These materials are subject to regulations by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), a European directive that regulates their use in commercial consumer electronic applications.

In a study published in Nature Photonics, ICFO researchers Yongjie Wang, Lucheng Peng, and Aditya Malla led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Gerasimos Konstantatos, in collaboration with researchers Julien Schreier, Yu Bi, Andres Black, and Stijn Goossens, from Qurv, have reported on the development of high-performance infrared photodetectors and an SWIR image sensor operating at room temperature based on non-toxic colloidal quantum dots.

The study describes a new method for synthesizing size tunable, phosphine-free silver telluride (Ag2Te) quantum dots while preserving the advantageous properties of traditional heavy-metal counterparts, paving the way to the introduction of SWIR colloidal quantum dot technology in high-volume markets.
While investigating how to synthesize silver bismuth telluride (AgBiTe2) nanocrystals to extend the spectral coverage of the AsBiS2 technology to enhance the performance of photovoltaic devices, the researchers obtained silver telluride (Ag2Te) as a by-product.

This material showed a strong and tunable quantum-confined absorption akin to quantum dots. They realized its potential for SWIR photodetectors and image sensors and pivoted their efforts to achieve and control a new process to synthesize phosphine-free versions of silver telluride quantum dots, as phosphine was found to have a detrimental impact on the optoelectronic properties of the quantum dots relevant to photodetection.

In their new synthetic method, the team used different phosphine-free complexes such as a tellurium and silver precursors that led them to obtain quantum dots with well-controlled size distribution and excitonic peaks over a very broad range of the spectrum.

After fabricating and characterizing them, the newly synthesized quantum dots exhibited remarkable performances, with distinct excitonic peaks over 1,500nm—an unprecedented achievement compared to previous phosphine-based techniques for quantum dot fabrication.

The researchers then decided to implement the obtained phosphine-free quantum dots to fabricate a simple laboratory scale photodetector on the common standard ITO (Indium Tin Oxide)-coated glass substrate to characterize the devices and measure their properties.

"Those lab-scale devices are operated with shining light from the bottom. For CMOS integrated CQD stacks, light comes from the top, whereas the bottom part of the device is taken by the CMOS electronics," said Yongjie Wang, postdoc researcher at ICFO and first author of the study. "So, the first challenge we had to overcome was reverting the device setup. A process that in theory sounds simple, but in reality proved to be a challenging task."

Initially, the photodiode exhibited a low performance in sensing SWIR light, prompting a redesign that incorporated a buffer layer. This adjustment significantly enhanced the photodetector performance, resulting in a SWIR photodiode exhibiting a spectral range from 350nm to 1,600nm, a linear dynamic range exceeding 118 dB, a -3dB bandwidth surpassing 110 kHz and a room temperature detectivity of the order 10^{12} Jones.

"To the best of our knowledge, the photodiodes reported here have for the first time realized solution processed, non-toxic shortwave infrared photodiodes with figures of merit on par with other heavy-metal containing counterparts," Gerasimos Konstantatos, ICREA Prof. at ICFO and leading author of the study mentions.

"These results further support the fact that Ag2Te quantum dots emerge as a promising RoHS-compliant material for low-cost, high-performance SWIR photodetectors applications."
With the successful development of this heavy-metal-free quantum dot based photodetector, the researchers went further and teamed up with Qurv, an ICFO spin-off, to demonstrate its potential by constructing a SWIR image sensor as a case study.

The team integrated the new photodiode with a CMOS based read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) focal plane array (FPA) demonstrating for the first time a proof-of-concept, non-toxic, room temperature-operating SWIR quantum dot based image sensor.

The authors of the study tested the imager to prove its operation in the SWIR by taking several pictures of a target object. In particular, they were able to image the transmission of silicon wafers under the SWIR light as well as to visualize the content of plastic bottles that were opaque in the visible light range.

"Accessing the SWIR with a low-cost technology for consumer electronics will unleash the potential of this spectral range with a huge range of applications including improved vision systems for automotive industry (cars) enabling vision and driving under adverse weather conditions," says Gerasimos Konstantatos.

"SWIR band around 1.35–1.40 µm, can provide an eye-safe window, free of background light under day/night conditions, thus, further enabling long-range light detection and ranging (LiDAR), three-dimensional imaging for automotive, augmented reality and virtual reality applications."
Now the researchers want to increase the performance of photodiodes by engineering the stack of layers that comprise the photodetector device. They also want to explore new surface chemistries for the Ag2Te quantum dots to improve the performance and the thermal and environmental stability of the material on its way to the market.

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We just received a request to list two new jobs from Transformative Optics in Portland, Oregon, USA. They describe these as:

Senior Software Engineer

• Responsible for the design, development, testing, and documentation of image processing software to meet user requirements.
  

Senior Product Leader

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From: https://newsroom.st.com/media-center/press-item.html/t4598.html

Sphere Studios and STMicroelectronics reveal new details on the world’s largest cinema image sensor 

Jan 11, 2024 Burbank, CA, and Geneva, Switzerland
Sensor custom created for Big Sky – the world’s most advanced camera system – and is used to capture ultra-high-resolution content for Sphere in Las Vegas

Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) today revealed new details on its work with STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) (“ST”), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, to create the world’s largest image sensor for Sphere’s Big Sky camera system. Big Sky is the groundbreaking, ultra-high-resolution camera system being used to capture content for Sphere, the next-generation entertainment medium in Las Vegas.
 
Inside the venue, Sphere features the world’s largest, high-resolution LED screen which wraps up, over, and around the audience to create a fully immersive visual environment. To capture content for this 160,000 sq. ft., 16K x 16K display, the Big Sky camera system was designed by the team at Sphere Studios – the in-house content studio developing original live entertainment experiences for Sphere. Working with Sphere Studios, ST manufactured a first-of-its-kind, 18K sensor capable of capturing images at the scale and fidelity necessary for Sphere’s display. Big Sky’s sensor – now the world’s largest cinema camera sensor in commercial use – works with the world’s sharpest cinematic lenses to capture detailed, large-format images in a way never before possible.
 
“Big Sky significantly advances cinematic camera technology, with each element representing a leap in design and manufacturing innovation,” said Deanan DaSilva, lead architect of Big Sky at Sphere Studios. “The sensor on any camera is critical to image quality, but given the size and resolution of Sphere’s display, Big Sky’s sensor had to go beyond any existing capability. ST, working closely with Sphere Studios, leveraged their extensive expertise to manufacture a groundbreaking sensor that not only expands the possibilities for immersive content at Sphere, but also across the entertainment industry.”
 
“ST has been on the cutting edge of imaging technology, IP, and tools to create unique solutions with advanced features and performance for almost 25 years,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President and Imaging Sub-Group General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Building a custom sensor of this size, resolution, and speed, with low noise, high dynamic range, and seemingly impossible yield requirements, presented a truly novel challenge for ST – one that we successfully met from the very first wafer out of our 12” (300mm) wafer fab in Crolles, France.”
 
As a leader in the development and manufacturing of image sensors, ST’s imaging technologies and foundry services cater to a wide range of markets, including professional photography and cinematography. Big Sky’s 316 megapixel sensor is almost 7x larger and 40x higher resolution than the full-frame sensors found in high-end commercial cameras. The die, which measures 9.92cm x 8.31cm (82.4 cm2), is twice as large as a wallet-sized photograph, and only four full die fit on a 300mm wafer. The system is also capable of capturing images at 120 fps and transferring data at 60 gigabytes per second.
 
Big Sky also allows filmmakers to capture large-format images from a single camera without having to stitch content together from multiple cameras – avoiding issues common to stitching including near distance limitations and seams between images. Ten patents and counting have been filed by Sphere Studios in association with Big Sky’s technology.
 
Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth, currently showing at Sphere as part of The Sphere Experience, is the first cinematic production to utilize Big Sky. Since its debut, Postcard from Earth has transported audiences, taking them on a journey spanning all seven continents, and featuring stunning visuals captured with Big Sky that make them feel like they have traveled to new worlds without leaving their seats in Las Vegas. More information about The Sphere Experience is available at thesphere.com.

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OPPO, AlpsenTek and Qualcomm Boost AI Motion, Image Quality For Mobile Applications

Jan.11,2024,Las Vegas,USA—OPPO, AlpsenTek and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have teamed up with the goal of enhancing innovative Hybrid Vision Sensing (HVS) technology, to better extract valuable motion and image data to enhance picture quality for mobile phone applications.

OPPO and AlpsenTek will collaborate to pioneer the use of Hybrid Vision Sensing technologies, developing a data processing chain to collect relevant camera information to help enhance picture quality and allow for deblurring, augmented resolution, and slow-motion reconstruction, as well as other features required for machine sensing. This will be accomplished by leveraging Snapdragon® Mobile Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies.

“The HVS solution, with the support of hardware and algorithms, significantly enhances the capacities of smartphone cameras”, said Judd Heape VP, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are pleased to contribute to the optimization of this new technology on our Snapdragon platforms – which will help consumers to get the best performance from their smartphone cameras, and capture what’s most precious to them.”

The Image product director, Mr. Xuan ZHANG, from OPPO commented: “Over the years, we have conducted extensive research in new sensor technologies, with a particular focus on HVS (Hybrid Vision System) technology. We have engaged in substantial collaborative developments with AlpsenTek and Qualcomm, involving numerous iterations in both chip design and algorithms. Our confidence in the potential of this technology has driven us to invest time and effort into refining it collaboratively, with the ultimate goal of pushing it towards the application on OPPO’s HyperTone Camera System.” 

Motion information is crucial in photography and machine vision. Traditional image sensors collapse motion information within a period (i.e. the exposure) into a single image. This leads to motion blurs and loss of valuable motion data essential for image/video processing and machine vision algorithms.

Effectively obtaining high-fidelity motion information with a vision sensor is a top demand across various fields today. Current solutions based on conventional image sensors often rely on increasing the frame rate, which is expensive and impractical for many applications. High frame rates lead to a significant amount of data (much of it redundant) and short shutter durations, causing high system resource usage, low efficiency, and poor adaptation to lighting conditions for high-frame-rate cameras.

Event-based Vision Sensing (EVS) is an imaging technology that continuously records change/motion information through its shutter-free mechanism. It provides motion information with high time resolution and lower cost machine vision. With an in-pixel processing chain featuring logarithm amplification, EVS achieves a balance between high frame rate, high dynamic range, and low data redundancy for recording motion information.

However, EVS sensors often lack critical static pictorial information that is needed for many machine vision applications. It typically works alongside a separate traditional image sensor (RGB) to compensate for this drawback, introducing challenges in cost, system complexity, and image registration between the two types of images (EVS and RGB), offsetting many of EVS's advantages.
AlpsenTek's Hybrid Vision Sensing (HVS) technology, introduced in 2019, combines EVS and conventional imaging technology into a single sensor. The ALPIX® sensor from AlpsenTek simultaneously outputs high-quality RGB images and EVS data stream, providing a cost-effective and algorithm-friendly solution for capturing images with embedded motion information.

Jian Deng, Founder and CEO of AlpsenTek, stated, "In the current landscape of vision sensors, there is a growing expectation for more than just 2D RGB information; sensors are now anticipated to provide additional data, such as distance, spectrum, and motion. Collaborating with OPPO and Qualcomm, we collectively designed the ALPIX-Eiger® to seamlessly integrate into mobile phone applications. Considered an enhanced RGB image sensor, it boasts image quality comparable to leading mobile sensors on the market, while introducing the added functionality of EVS. Witnessing the process of bringing our technology from conception to product brings us immense excitement."

Deng further emphasized, "It's important to recognize that what truly changes the world is not the technology itself but the products that it enables. Our passion lies in bringing Hybrid Vision Sensing (HVS) into the hands of everyone. This commitment has been our driving force from the very beginning. We look forward to fruitful outcomes from this collaboration”.

Jian Deng, Founder and CEO of AlpsenTek, stated, "In the current landscape of vision sensors, there is a growing expectation for more than just 2D RGB information; sensors are now anticipated to provide additional data, such as distance, spectrum, and motion. Collaborating with OPPO and Qualcomm, we collectively designed the ALPIX-Eiger® to seamlessly integrate into mobile phone applications. Considered an enhanced RGB image sensor, it boasts image quality comparable to leading mobile sensors on the market, while introducing the added functionality of EVS. Witnessing the process of bringing our technology from conception to product brings us immense excitement."

Deng further emphasized, "It's important to recognize that what truly changes the world is not the technology itself but the products that it enables. Our passion lies in bringing Hybrid Vision Sensing (HVS) into the hands of everyone. This commitment has been our driving force from the very beginning. We look forward to fruitful outcomes from this collaboration”.

This news was also featured on EETimes: https://www.eetimes.com/oppo-alpsentek-and-qualcomm-boost-ai-motion-image-quality-for-mobile-applications/

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Tontini et al. from  FBK and University of Trento recently published an article titled "Histogram-less LiDAR through SPAD response linearization" in the IEEE Sensors journal.

Open access link: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10375298

Abstract:  We present a new method to acquire the 3D information from a SPAD-based direct-Time-of-Flight (d-ToF) imaging system which does not require the construction of a histogram of timestamps and can withstand high flux operation regime. The proposed acquisition scheme emulates the behavior of a SPAD detector with no distortion due to dead time, and extracts the TOF information by a simple average operation on the photon timestamps ensuring ease of integration in a dedicated sensor and scalability to large arrays. The method is validated through a comprehensive mathematical analysis, whose predictions are in agreement with a numerical Monte Carlo model of the problem. Finally, we show the validity of the predictions in a real d-ToF measurement setup under challenging background conditions well beyond the typical pile-up limit of 5% detection rate up to a distance of 3.8m.

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Abstract: The miniaturization of image sensors in recent decades has made today’s cameras ubiquitous across many application domains, including medical imaging, smartphones, security, robotics, and autonomous transportation. However, only imagers that are an order of magnitude smaller could enable novel applications in nano-robotics, in vivo imaging, mixed reality, and health monitoring. While sensors with sub-micron pixels exist now, further miniaturization has been primarily prohibited by fundamental limitations of conventional optics. Traditional imaging systems consist of a cascade of refractive elements that correct for aberrations, and these bulky lenses impose a lower limit on camera footprint. In recent years, sub-wavelength diffractive optics, also known as meta-optics have been touted as a promising replacement for the bulky refractive optics. However, the images taken with meta-optics, to date, remain significantly inferior to the ones taken with refractive. Especially, full-color imaging with a large aperture meta-lens remains an important unsolved problem. We employ computationally designed meta-optics to solve this problem and enable ultra-compact cameras. Our solution is to design the meta-optics such that the modulation transfer function (MTF) of all the wavelength across the desired optical bandwidth are the same at the sensor plane. Additionally, the volume under the MTF curve is maximized to ensure enough information is captured enabling computational reconstruction of the image. The same intuition can be employed for different angles to mitigate geometric aberrations as well. In this talk, I will describe our efforts on achieving full-color imaging using a single meta-optic and a computational backend. Starting from traditional extended depth of focus lens [1,2], I will describe inverse-designed meta-optics [3], end-to-end designed meta-optics [4] and hybrid refractive/ meta-optics [5] for visible full-color imaging. I will also talk about how these techniques can be extended for thermal imaging [6,7].

[1] S. Colburn et al., Sci Adv 4, eaar2114 (2018).
[2] L. Huang et al., Photon. Res. 8, 1613 (2020).
[3] E. Bayati et al., Nanophotonics 11, 2531 (2022).
[4] E. Tseng et al., Nature Communications 12, 6493 (2021).
[5] S. Pinilla et al., Science Advances 9, eadg7297.
[6] L. Huang et al., Opt. Mater. Express 11, 2907 (2021).
[7] V. Saragadam et al., arXiv:2212.06345 (2023).

Biography
Professor Arka Majumdar is an associate professor in the departments of electrical and computer engineering and physics at the University of Washington (UW). He received B. Tech. from IIT-Kharagpur (2007), where he was honored with the President’s Gold Medal. He completed his MS (2009) and PhD.(2012) in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He spent one year at the University of California, Berkeley (2012-13), and then in Intel Labs (2013-14) as postdoc before joining UW. His research interests include developing a hybrid nanophotonic platform using emerging material systems for optical information science, imaging, and microscopy. Professor Majumdar is the recipient of multiple Young Investigator Awards from the AFOSR (2015), NSF (2019), ONR (2020) and DARPA (2021), Intel early career faculty award (2015), Amazon Catalyst Award (2016), Alfred P. Sloan fellowship (2018), UW college of engineering outstanding junior faculty award (2020), iCANX Young Scientist Award (2021), IIT-Kharagpur Young Alumni Achiever Award (2022) and DARPA Director’s Award (2023). He is co-founder and technical advisor of Tunoptix, a startup commercializing software defined meta-optics.

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The annual Image Sensors Europe 2024 will be held in London on March 20-21, 2024.

Link: https://www.image-sensors.com/image-sensors-europe/2020-speakers?EventId=4047&page=2

Lindsay Grant - OmniVision Technology
Federico Canini - Datalogic
Nasim Sahraei - Edgehog Advanced Technologies Inc.
Pawel Latawiec - Metalenz
Emilie Huss - STMicroelectronics
Nicolas Roux - STMicroelectronics
Abhinav Agarwal - Forza Silicon (Ametek Inc.)
Dr Claudio Jakobson - SCD
Jan Bogaerts - Gpixel
Christian Mourad - VoxelSensors
Carl Philipp Koppen - pmdtechnologies AG
Dr Artem Shulga - QDI systems
Albert Theuwissen - Harvest Imaging
Anthony Huggett - onsemi
Matthias Schaffland - Sensor to Image GmbH
Dr. Kazuhiro Morimoto - Canon Inc.
Svorad Štolc - Photoneo
Florian Domengie - Yole Intelligence
Adi Xhakoni - ams-osram

CIS Masterclass

Dr. Albert Theuwissen will give a Masterclass on "Recent Developments in the CIS World over the last 12 months" which will cover the following topics: Numbers and Market Trends, High Dynamic Range, Global Shutter, Low Noise, Colour Filter News, Phase Detective Auto-Focus Pixels, New materials, Beyond Silicon in the Near-IR, Event-Based Imagers

About Image Sensors Europe

Image Sensors Europe established and held its first conference in 2007, and has since grown to be the go-to annual image sensors technical and business conference. Each year this ever evolving market continuously prompts new and exciting opportunities for the entire supply chain.

This esteemed event provides a platform for over 250 representatives from across the digital imaging supply chain to engage in high calibre discussions and face-to-face networking opportunities with key industry experts and colleagues.

2024 Key Themes:

• Image sensor market challenges and opportunities: CMOS image sensor industry analysis and 2018-2028 forecastsTechnology focus: SPAD, SWIR, triple-stack sensors, metaoptics, event-based imaging and 3D perception
• Image sensor application updates: industrial, automotive, biomedical, surveillance & security, consumer
• Global foundry updates: Manufacturing capacity, chip stacking timelines, realistic improvements and opportunities
• Data processing & compression - high speed data handling and transfer

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Eliminating Stray Light Image Artifacts via Invisible Image Sensor Coverglass

High-quality images are critical for machine vision applications like autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, and industrial automation. However, lens flare caused by internal light reflections can significantly degrade image quality. This “ghosting” effect manifests as spots, starbursts, and other artifacts that obscure objects and details.

Traditional anti-reflective coatings help reduce flare by creating destructive interference to cancel out light reflections. But they fall short at wider angles where reflections still occur. Stray light hitting image sensors causes flares. These artifacts interfere with image clarity and create glare, which decreases the signal-to-noise ratio, especially in environments with high dynamic range.

Omnidirectional Anti-Reflection CMOS Coverglass
Edgehog’s Omnidirectional Anti-Reflection (OAR) nanotexturing technology takes a fundamentally different approach to eliminating reflections. Instead of coatings, OAR uses nano-scale surface textures that create a gradual transition in refractive index from air to glass. Edgehog’s texturing allows light to transmit through the surface without internal reflections, regardless of angle.

• OAR nanotexturing provides exceptional advantages:Omnidirectional performance - Anti-reflection at angles up to 70 degrees
• Broad spectrum - Works across all wavelengths from UV to IRThermal stability - No risk of delamination like traditional coatings
• Anti-fogging technology spreads water droplets on the surface, reducing fogging

By treating the image sensor cover glass with OAR nanotexturing, Edgehog enables flare-free imaging under any lighting condition. Edgehog delivers crisper images and videos with enhanced contrast, sharpness, and color accuracy.

Case Study
Edgehog recently showcased the impact of its technology by retrofitting a camera’s stock CMOS cover glass with an OAR-treated replacement. Simulations showed OAR’s superiority in mitigating flare irradiance compared to the original glass. Real-world testing also exhibited significant flare reduction in challenging high-glare environments.  

Images taken from two identical camera models showing a significant reduction in lens flare in
the bottom left of the images. The image on the left (A) is taken using an off-the-shelf FLIR Blackfly
S camera where the sensor coverglass utilizes conventional anti-reflection coatings. The right
image (B) is taken using an identical camera with the sensor coverglass replaced with Edgehog
coverglass, as shown in the schematic above.

Photos were captured simultaneously in an indoor garage. (A) off-the-shelf FLIR Blackfly S
camera and (B) identical camera setup with Edgehog-enhanced sensor coverglass.

Photos captured simultaneously outdoors on a sunny day. (A) off-the-shelf FLIR Blackfly S
camera and (B) identical camera setup with Edgehog-enhanced sensor coverglass.

Edgehog’s Seeking Manufacturing Partners
Overall, Edgehog’s nanotextured anti-reflection technology represents a revolutionary leap forward for imaging components. OAR enables reliable, high-performance vision capabilities for autonomous systems by stopping flare at the source. We are looking for manufacturing partners to scale up our manufacturing.

To learn more about eliminating lens flare with omnidirectional anti-reflection, download Edgehog’s full white paper today or email us to discover how nanotexturing can enhance image quality and enable the next generation of machine vision.

Download Edgehog’s whitepaper - https://www.edgehogtech.com/machine-vision-whitepaper

Visit Edgehog’s Website - www.edgehogtech.com

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