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Posts Tagged ‘CMOS’

Nikon develops 1″-type square CMOS sensor that can capture HDR video at 1,000 fps

17 Feb

Nikon Japan has announced (machine-translated) it’s developed a 17.84-megapixel 1”-type multi-layer CMOS image sensor that can capture high dynamic range video at up to 1,000 frames per second.

Nikon is known to use Sony sensors in a number of its imaging products, but it also develops its own sensor technology. Case in point is this new 1”-type backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor, which offers high-speed capture with impressive dynamic range in a square capture format.

The stacked sensor uses 17.84 million 2.7?m pixels (4224×4224 pixels) to capture video at up to 1,000 frames per second with 110dB dynamic range. If dropped to 60fps, the dynamic range jumps to 134dB.

Nikon doesn’t specify what kind of products this sensor is destined for, but based on its square format and hint at its use in ‘industrial fields such as automobiles,’ it’s unlikely we’ll see this in a consumer camera anytime soon.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CMOS inventor, Dr. Eric Fossum, named 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal Recipient

21 Mar
Portrait of Dr. Eric Fossum, provided by The Optical Society.

The Optical Society (OSA), has announced that Eric Fossum, PhD, inventor of CMOS sensors as we know them, has been selected as the 2020 recipient of its Edwin Land Medal.

The award, which was created in 1992 by The Optical Society (OSA) and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) in honor of Edwin H. Land, ‘recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products,’ according to OSA’s press release.

To help us celebrate his achievement, Dr. Fossum, who is ‘being honored specifically for the invention and commercialization of advanced CMOS optical sensor imaging technology and the Quanta Image Sensor, and for university entrepreneurial and national young inventor training activities,’ was kind enough to share a few thoughts on being selected for the prestigious accolade.

On being selected for the award, Fossum says:

‘I feel honored and grateful to the OSA for this wonderful recognition. I am especially pleased that the medal citation includes my recent research work at Dartmouth on the Quanta Image Sensor, as well as my work with students of all ages in invention and entrepreneurial thinking.’

Dr. Fossum also wanted to thank those who have helped push his creation above and beyond what it started as:

‘I want to thank the thousands of engineers around the globe that further developed CMOS image sensor technology and made it so much better than the first devices we made at JPL more than 25 years ago!’

As with so many universities around the world, Dartmouth, where Dr. Fossum serves as the Director of PhD Innovation Programs and Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, is partaking in remote education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Today, in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the need to flatten the curve by working from home, I am proud that the ubiquitous CMOS image sensor is at the heart of every remote visual interaction that helps connect our communities,’ he said.

Dr. Fossum also wanted to share his excitement and gratitude for interacting with the DPReview community. Not only is he a regular in the forums, he’s also contributed to many articles over the years. To that end, he says:

‘It has been fun over the years, and informative to me, to interact with some of the techies and users on the DPR forums. They have helped shape my thoughts on what photographers need in the future, as well as inform me in digital photography science and technology that are adjacent to my expertise.’

We here at DPReview would like to both congratulate Dr. Fossum on his latest accolade and thank him for continuing to be a part of our community.

OSA and IS&T Name Eric R. Fossum the 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal Recipient

The Optical Society and Society for Imaging Science and Technology honor solid-state image sensor device physicist

WASHINGTON — The Optical Society (OSA) and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) are pleased to name Eric R. Fossum, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, USA, the 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal winner. Fossum is recognized for the invention and commercialization of advanced CMOS optical sensor imaging technology and the Quanta Image Sensor, and for university entrepreneurial and national young inventor training activities.

“As the inventor of the CMOS image sensor as well as an entrepreneur and educator, Eric Fossum truly deserves recognition as this year’s Edwin Land Medalist,” said 2020 OSA President Stephen D. Fantone, founder and president of Optikos Corporation. “CMOS image sensors are now found in nearly all camera phones and other electronic imaging devices—making it an enabling ground-breaking contribution to digital imaging technology.”

Eric R. Fossum is a solid-state image sensor device physicist and engineer. After working at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Caltech, USA, he co-founded several startups and served as CEO. He is currently the Krehbiel Professor for Emerging Technologies at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. He has published over 300 technical papers and holds over 170 US patents. He is an OSA and IEEE Fellow, NAE member, NIHF inductee and Queen Elizabeth Prize Laureate.

Fossum invented the CMOS active pixel image sensor with intra-pixel charge transfer while at JPL, the basis for all modern CMOS image sensors. He further developed and commercialized the technology with colleagues at their startup, Photobit. He later invented the photon-counting Quanta Image Sensor. At Dartmouth, he developed the QIS technology with his students and co-founded Gigajot. He works with students and faculty to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking at Dartmouth and with the NIHF Camp Invention program.

Established in 1992, the Edwin H. Land Medal recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products. It honors Edwin H. Land for his unique career as scientist, technologist, industrialist, humanist and public servant. The medal is jointly presented by OSA and IS&T, and funded through the support of the Polaroid Foundation, the Polaroid Retirees Association and individual contributors, including Manfred Heiting, Theodore Voss and John J. McCann.

About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.

About The Society for Imaging Science and Technology
IS&T is an international professional non-profit dedicated to keeping members and other imaging professionals apprised of the latest developments in the field through conferences, educational programs, publications, and its website. IS&T programs encompass all aspects of the imaging workflow, which moves from capture (sensors, cameras) through image processing (image quality, color, and materialization) to hard and soft copy output (printing, displays, image permanence), and includes aspects related to human vision, such as image quality and color. The Society also focuses on a wide range of image-related applications, including security, virtual reality, machine vision, and data analysis. For more information, visit imaging.org.

About The Optical Society

Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon teases CMOS sensor nearly 40 times larger than a 35mm full-frame sensor

19 Jun

In 2010, Canon revealed that it was developing the world’s largest CMOS sensor, one measuring about 40 times larger than a full-frame CMOS sensor. The company has now added more details about the project to its website, including a discussion of a real-world application.

Whereas a 35mm full-frame sensor measures 36 x 24mm, Canon’s massive chip measures about 200 x 200mm. Canon gives a little detail about some of the challenges presented by such a large sensor and how it overcame them, saying in part:

Increasing the size of CMOS sensors entails overcoming such problems as distortion and transmission delays for the electrical signals converted from light. To resolve these issues, Canon not only made use of a parallel processing circuit, but also exercised ingenuity with the transfer method itself.

Overcoming this problem allowed comparatively fast readout of the sensor’s huge pixels, allowing it to capture video at 60fps in conditions as dark as 0.3 lux, which is about as bright as a night scene illuminated by the moon.

The company says the sensor has already been used by Japan’s Kiso Observatory to capture the first ever video of meteors that otherwise would have been too faint to record. This allowed analysis of the meteor frequency, providing supporting evidence for a theoretical model of meteor behavior.

Canon also suggests the ultrahigh-sensitivity sensor could be used for various other applications requiring video in extreme low-light conditions, such as studying the behavior of nocturnal animals or shooting video of aurora.

Via: Canon

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon is now selling CMOS image sensors, including a 120MP APS-H beast

23 May

It looks like Canon is getting into sensor sales. The three specialized CMOS sensors the company has been recently showing off—including a 120MP APS-H model and an ultra-low light sensor—have been listed for sale by special order through Canon, and through Phase 1 Technology Corp in the US. As far as we know, this is the first time Canon has publicly gotten into the semiconductor business.

That in and of itself is big news, despite the fact that these sensors are likely meant for security, machine vision and, say, astrophotography camera makers. There’s the 120MP APS-H sensor, which outputs images measuring 13280×9184 pixels; there’s a 2/3″ 5MP global shutter sensor that boasts “remarkably wide dynamic range”; and, finally, a 2.2MP full-frame unit with 19µm high-sensitivity pixels designed for extreme low-light shooting. All three are available in RGB and monochrome variations.

B2B sensor sales like this usually require you purchase more than one sensor, so at-home camera makers may not be able to get into the action, but we’ve contacted the company for a quote so we can share the price with you all the same. We’ll update this article if and when we hear back. In the meantime, you can find more information about all three sensors on the Phase 1 Technology Corp website.

Specifications

Canon 120 Megapixel CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:

  • 120MXSC: RGB
  • 120MXSM: Monochrome

Ultra-High Resolution CMOS Sensor

The 120MXS is an ultra-high resolution CMOS sensor with 13280 x 9184 effective pixels (approx. 60x the resolution of Full HD). It has a size equivalent to APS-H (29.22mm x 20.20mm), and a square pixel arrangement of 2.2µm x 2.2µm with 122 million effective pixels. Ultra-high-resolution is made possible by parallel signal processing, which reads signals at high speed from multiple pixels. All pixel progressive reading of 9.4 fps is made possible by 28 digital signal output channels. It is available in RGB or with twice the sensitivity, in monochrome.

Technical Information:

  • Sensor size: APS-H (29.22mm x 20.20mm)
  • Filter types:
    • 120MXSC: RGB
    • 120MXSM: Monochrome
  • Number of effective pixels: 13280h x 9184v, approx. 122MP
  • Pixel size: 2.2µm x 2.2µm
  • Progressive Scan
  • Rolling Shutter
  • 188pin ceramic PGA
  • Sensitivity:
    • 120MXSC (Green): 10,000e/lux/sec
    • 120MXSM: 20,000e/lux/sec
  • Saturation: 10,000e @ gain0.5x
  • Output Channels: Data 28 lanes, Clock 14 lanes
  • Dark Random Noise: 2.3e rms @ gain x8, Room Temp.
  • Dark Current: 8.1e/sec @ gain x8, 60°C
  • Number of output channels: Data 28 lanes, Clock 14 lanes
  • Main clock frequency: 45MHz (Recommended)
  • Output format: 720Mbps in LVDS output 9.4fps @ 10 bit
  • Built in column amplifier (Pre-amplifier gain mode: x0.5, x1, x2, x4, x8)
  • Serial communication
  • All pixel progressive scan reading function, Region of Interest (ROI) reading function (Vertically)
  • Vertically intermittent reading function (1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/5, 1/7, 1/15)
  • Power consumption: 2.5W (under recommended operating conditions)
  • Power supply voltage: 1.7 V, 3.5 V
  • Package size: 55.0mm x 47.8mm x 4.49mm

Canon 5 Megapixel Global Shutter CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:

  • 3U5MGXSC: RGB on-chip color filter
  • 3U5MGXSM: Monochrome

Global Shutter CMOS Image Sensor

The 3U5MGXS global shutter image sensor employs a new pixel design introducing new drive readout and light guiding technologies significantly expanding the full well capacity, reducing noise, and contributing to remarkably wide dynamic range with a power consumption of 500mW. Equipped with a global shutter and all pixel progressive reading at 120fps, the 2/3″ sensor size, and pixel size of 3.4µm with 5.33 million effective pixels (2592 x 2056) easily allow for applications in machine vision and other industrial environments where smaller size and high performance are required. It is available in RGB and Monochrome.

Technical Information:

  • Sensor size: Approx. 2/3 inch (8.8mm x 7.0mm)
  • Number of effective pixels: 2592h x 2056v, approx. 5.3M
  • Filter types:
    • 3U5MGXSC: RGB on-chip color filter
    • 3U5MGXSM: Monochrome
  • Pixel size: 3.4µm x 3.4µm
  • Maximum Frame Rate: 120fps
  • Global electronic shutter function
  • Progressive scan
  • Main clock frequency: 36MHz (Recommended)
  • Sensitivity:
    • 3U5MGXSC (Green): 30,000 e/lx/sec @Analog gain x1(TBD)
    • 3U5MGXSM: TBD
  • Saturation: 14,000e gain x1 (10 bit 60 fps) (TBD)
  • Output Channels Data: 12 lanes, Clock 2 Lanes
  • Output from LVDS: Maximum output of 864Mbps
  • Analog gain: 0 to 36dB
  • Digital Gain: 0 to 24dB
  • Dark Random Noise: 2.6e rms @ Analog gain x4(TBD)
  • Dark Current: 1.3 e/sec @Analog gain x4, Room Temp
  • Maximum Dynamic Range: 74dB (TBD)
  • Function: ROI function (8 region) Inverted output function (horizontal and vertical)
  • 180pin ceramic LGA
  • Power consumption (Typ): 500mW (full pixel scan at 60 fps)
  • Power supply voltage: 3.3V, 1.2V
  • Package size: 19.0mm x 18.1mm x 2.5mm
  • Exposure control by external trigger

Canon 19µm Full HD CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:

  • 35MMFHDXSC: RGB
  • 35MMFHDXSM: Monochrome

Full HD, High-Sensitivity, Low-Noise Imaging

The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor delivers highsensitivity, low-noise imaging performance, even in exceptionally low-light environments. The sensor’s pixels and readout circuitry employ new technologies that reduce noise, which tends to increase as pixel size increases. High sensitivity and increased well depth have been achieved through a larger pixel size of 19µm x 19µm (square) with proprietary device design technologies. The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor is available in RGB or Monochrome.

Technical Information:

  • Sensor size: 35mm film size (36.48mm x 20.52mm)
  • Number of effective pixels: 2000h x 1128v, Approx. 2.2MP
  • Filter types:
    • 35MMFHDXSC: RGB
    • 35MMFHDXSM: Monochrome
  • Pixel size: 19µm x 19µm
  • Progressive scan
  • Rolling shutter
  • Serial communication
  • 180pin ceramic PGA
  • Sensitivity:
    • 35MMFHDXSC (Green): 1,100,000e/lx/sec @gain x1
    • 35MMFHDXSM: 2,100,000e/lx/sec @gain x1
  • Saturation: 61,000e @gain x1
  • Dark RN: 2.2e rms @gain x16, around 35°C
  • Dark Current: 250e/sec @gain x16, 60°C
  • Simultaneous reading of vertical 4 lines
  • Drive frequency: 16ch x 18MHz (Recommended)
  • Output format: Source follower output (Analog)
  • Built in column amplifiers: (Basic pre-amplifier gain: x1, x4, x16)
  • Power consumption: 2.2W (At 60 fps under recommended operating conditions)
  • Power supply voltage: 5V, 3.3V, others
  • Package size: 60.9mm x 44.6mm x 3.57mm

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CMOS image sensor sales at all-time high

11 May

Industry analysts IC Insights report that CMOS image sensor sales will be at an eighth straight record-high level this year, with worldwide revenues growing 10% to $ 13.7 billion. This comes after a 19% increase in 2017.

The growth is due to a spread of digital camera applications to vehicles, machine vision, human recognition and security systems, but demand is also driven by more advanced smartphone cameras using multiple sensors.

Smartphone cameras accounted for 62% of CMOS image sensor sales in 2017, but this number is forecast to decrease to 45% in 2022 as demand in other sectors, such as automotive, is expected to grow faster.

Overall, CMOS image sensors accounted for 89% of total image sensor sales in 2017 by value. This is a noticeable increase from 74% in 2012 and 54% in 2007. In terms of units shipped, CMOS imagers represented 81% of all image sensors sold in 2017, making CMOS by far the most utilized image sensor technology and also suggesting CMOS sells at a premium, compared to its rival technologies.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon shows off its latest CMOS sensor tech in new promo video

18 Apr

Canon isn’t only in the business of making DSLR, mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras. It’s also in the business of making the CMOS sensors inside those cameras—arguably the most important component. And in order to showcase what its achieved with its latest lineup of CMOS sensors, Canon USA has created a little promotional video.

The video showcases a variety of sensors seen across Canon’s product line, from the extreme low-light full-frame sensor it showed off earlier this year, to more industrialized CMOS sensors made for surveillance and security purposes.

The video description from Canon USA:

This video showcases Canon variety of sensors. For several decades Canon has been developing and manufacturing advanced CMOS sensors with state-of-the-art technologies for exclusive use in Canon products. These sensors are a critical driving force behind many of our successful product lines, ranging from consumer products all the way up to high-end business and industrial solutions.

The video does seem a touch overly dramatic for what it is, and may even come across as a bit cheesy at times (why are they showing new sensor tech inside a Canon EOS 1D that came out in 2001?). Nonetheless, it’s an interesting watch that gives a good overview of the work Canon has been putting into its CMOS sensors in recent years—technology that will hopefully impact the Canon DSLRs and mirrorless cameras of the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Canon shows off its new 120MP APS-H CMOS sensor

30 Mar

Full HD resolution video comes out to about 2-megapixels per frame. 4K UHD-1 closer to 8.3MP. Even 8K UHD, which hasn’t really hit the mainstream in any way yet, still only scratches the surface at about 33.2MP. Given all that, can you image capturing video at 120MP? Because Canon can, and has… sort of.

Canon’s 120MXS sensor—first introduced at CES in January—is a 120MP APS-H CMOS sensor that can capture “video” at 9.4fps. Of course, 9.4fps isn’t strictly video, but that hasn’t stopped Canon from showing off what this sensor can do in a side-by-side “video” test up top.

The video was published to YouTube earlier today, and it demonstrates this camera’s capability as a security or industrial cam. The ability to capture 120MP at 9.4fps might not make for smooth footage for filmmakers, but it gives you insane digital zoom capabilities if you’re trying to spot imperfections in a small gear mechanism, or identify suspicious subjects in a crowd:

Screenshots from video. Click to enlarge.

According to the video’s description, the sensor features a square pixel arrangement of 2.2µm x 2.2µm, with 122 million effective pixels, and the high-res readout is made possible by multiple signal output channels:

Ultra-high-resolution is made possible by parallel signal processing, which reads signals at high speed from multiple pixels. All pixel progressive reading of 9.4fps is made possible by 28 digital signal output channels. It is available in RGB or with twice the sensitivity, in monochrome

We don’t expect this sensor to pop up in any of Canon’s consumer cameras anytime soon, but it’s an interesting proof of concept… a technological feat that proves the megapixel war is far from over.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sensor breakthrough: Sony has developed a backlit CMOS sensor with global shutter

17 Feb

Sony has made something of a breakthrough in sensor development, announcing a new backside-illuminated stacked sensor that can read out every pixel simultaneously to enable global shutter. While the company has only made it work with a 1.46-million-pixel sensor so far, the nascent technology has significant potential.

The sensor is able to read out from every pixel instantly because each pixel has its own analog-to-digital converter (ADC) buried in a ‘bottom chip,’ which is stacked beneath a ‘top chip’ containing the active, photosensitive pixels. This allows all exposed pixels to be read simultaneously, rather than sequentially row-by-row as is done with traditional CMOS sensors containing far fewer ‘column parallel’ ADCs.

This instant read-out avoids the rolling shutter distortion caused by the time delay as each row of pixels is recorded one after the other. In most existing chips, fast-moving objects become warped as they progress across the frame, because the pixels at the top of the sensor were read earlier than those at the bottom. This can also lead to banding under certain types of artificial lighting.

Global shutter—reading out all of the pixels at once—solves both these problems.

Shot with an exposure time of 0.56ms

Sony claims its sensor is the first back-illuminated high-sensitivity CMOS sensor with pixel-parallel ADCs and a pixel-count greater than 1 million.

While one million pixels may not be much good to photographers, this is a big step towards the production of a photographic quality sensor. Chips with ‘global shutter’ need only an electronic shutter to record undistorted action pictures, boast the ability to use short electronic shutter speeds with flash, and are able to work under fluorescent and solid state (LED) lighting without banding.

In the end, a global shutter sensor like this be useful for both still and movie photographers.

It’s also a major improvement over current global shutter CMOS sensors, which have a photosensitive pixel, and then a ‘storage’ pixel that the charge is transferred to after the exposure is made. This storage pixel holds the charge until the column ADCs read out, row by row. The problem with this approach is that your active pixel area now has a bunch of dead space per pixel taken up by the ‘storage pixel’.

By going BSI and stacked, we believe this technology eliminates the need for the storage pixel entirely, because you can read all the pixels at once at the end of your exposure.

The company says it has had to include 1000x more ADCs than it would normally in a 1MP sensor. The extra ADCs would require far more current, so Sony developed low current, compact ADCs for this chip. Additionally, new high speed data transfer construction allows for the fast read and write speeds required to operate all the ADCs in parallel and transfer the digital data.

While it might be some time before one is ready for use in a standard camera, this is a big step forward for global shutter sensor technology, which has traditionally been plagued by higher noise levels and lower dynamic range.

When will we see it scaled up to larger, smaller pixel pitch higher-resolution sensors? Hard to tell, but we’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed.

Press Release

Sony Develops a Back-Illuminated CMOS Image Sensor with Pixel-Parallel A/D Converter That Enables Global Shutter Function

Sony CorporationSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation Tokyo, Japan – Sony Corporation today announced that it has developed a 1.46 effective megapixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensor equipped with a Global Shutter function*1. The newly developed pixel-parallel analog-to-digital converters provide the function to instantly convert the analog signal from all pixels, simultaneously exposed, to a digital signal in parallel. This new technology was announced at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) on February 11, 2018 in San Francisco in the United States.

CMOS image sensors using the conventional column A/D conversion method*2 read out the photoelectrically converted analog signals from pixels row by row, which results in image distortion (focal plane distortion) caused by the time shift due to the row-by-row readout.

The new Sony sensor comes with newly developed low-current, compact A/D converters positioned beneath each pixel. These A/D converters instantly convert the analog signal from all the simultaneously exposed pixels in parallel to a digital signal to temporarily store it in digital memory. This architecture eliminates focal plane distortion due to readout time shift, making it possible to provide a Global Shutter function*1, an industry-first for a high-sensitivity back-illuminated CMOS sensor with pixel-parallel A/D Converter with more than one megapixel*3.

The inclusion of nearly 1,000 times as many A/D converters compared to the traditional column A/D conversion method*2 means an increased demand for current. Sony addressed this issue by developing a compact 14-bit A/D converter which boasts the industry’s best performance*4 in low-current operation.

Both the A/D converter and digital memory spaces are secured in a stacked configuration with these elements integrated into the bottom chip. The connection between each pixel on the top chip uses Cu-Cu (copper-copper) connection*5, a technology that Sony put into mass production as a world-first in January 2016.

In addition, a newly developed data transfer mechanism is implemented into the sensor to enable the high-speed massively parallel readout data required for the A/D conversion process.

*1:A function that alleviates the image distortion (focal plane distortion) specific to CMOS image sensors that read pixel signals row by row.*2:Method where the A/D converter is provided for each vertical row of pixels in a parallel configuration.*3:As of announcement on February 13, 2018.*4:As of announcement on February 13, 2018. FoM (Figure of Merit): 0.24e-?nJ/step. (power consumption x noise) / {no. of pixels x frame speed x 2^(ADC resolution)}.*5:Technology that provides electrical continuity via connected Cu (copper) pads when stacking the back-illuminated CMOS image sensor section (top chip) and logic circuits (bottom chip). Compared with through-silicon via (TSV) wiring, where the connection is achieved by penetrating electrodes around the circumference of the pixel area, this method gives more freedom in design, improves productivity, allows for a more compact size, and increases performance. Sony announced this technology in December 2016 at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco.

Main FeaturesGlobal Shutter function*1 achieved in a high-sensitivity back-illuminated CMOS image sensor by using the following key technologies:

Low-current, compact pixel-parallel A/D converter In order to curtail power consumption, the new converter uses comparators that operate with subthreshold currents, resulting in the industry’s best-performing*4, low current, compact 14-bit A/D converter. This overcomes the issue of the increased demand for current due to the inclusion of nearly 1,000 times as many A/D converters in comparison with the traditional column A/D conversion method*2.

Cu-Cu (copper-copper) connection*5 To achieve the parallel A/D conversion for all pixels, Sony has developed a technology which makes it possible to include approximately three million Cu-Cu (copper-copper) connections*5 in one sensor. The Cu-Cu connection provides electrical continuity between the pixel and logic substrate, while securing space for implementing as many as 1.46 million A/D converters, the same number as the effective megapixels, as well as the digital memory.

High-speed data transfer construction Sony has developed a new readout circuit to support the massively parallel digital signal transfer required in the A/D conversion process using 1.46 million A/D converters, making it possible to read and write all the pixel signals at high speed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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This CMOS sensor with 3D-printed microlenses is designed to mimic predator vision

23 Feb

A research team at the University of Stuttgart, Germany has proposed utlizing a 3D printer with ultra-short pulse laser-technology to print multi-component microlenses directly onto the surface of a CMOS image sensor. Doing so would create a ‘foveated’ imaging system: one with greater resolving power in the center, similar to the vision of predators in the animal kingdom.

In the research project, lens groups consisting of one of four types of tiny doublet lenses were printed directly onto the chip, after some functional layers like the existing microlenses and the color filters had been scratched off. The individual lenses come with 35mm equivalent focal lengths of 31, 38, 60 and 123mm which together give the system a field of view of approximately 70 degrees but with extra resolution at the center.

The footprint of the optics on the sensor is less than 300 x 300µm and the height of the lenses is 200µm, allowing for the design of highly miniaturized cameras that could be used in areas such as endoscopy, optical scientific instruments, optical sensing, camera drones or security.

Improvements to the current version could include anti-reflective coatings on the lenses, the use of triplets or more lens elements for aberration correction and the inclusion of absorbing aperture stops.

The paper by Simon Thiele, Kathrin Arzenbacher, Timo Gissibl, Harald Giessen, and Alois M. Herkommeris is titled ‘3D-printed eagle eye: Compound microlens system for foveated imaging’ and can be read in its entirety on Science Advances. 

Abstract:

We present a highly miniaturized camera, mimicking the natural vision of predators, by 3D-printing different multilens objectives directly onto a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. Our system combines four printed doublet lenses with different focal lengths (equivalent to f = 31 to 123 mm for a 35-mm film) in a 2 × 2 arrangement to achieve a full field of view of 70° with an increasing angular resolution of up to 2 cycles/deg field of view in the center of the image. The footprint of the optics on the chip is below 300  × 300 um, whereas their height is less than 200 um. Because the four lenses are printed in one single step without the necessity for any further assembling or alignment, this approach allows for fast design iterations and can lead to a plethora of different miniaturized multiaperture imaging systems with applications in fields such as endoscopy, optical metrology, optical sensing, surveillance drones, or security.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Extremely dramatic video touts Canon’s CMOS technology

16 Feb

No doubt, Canon’s CMOS sensors are capable of capturing some amazing low light video footage. And it’s true that Canon cameras can create usable footage in literal darkness. But this new video from Canon… maybe takes it all a bit too seriously. Here’s a glance at what the script (probably) looks like:

[Title: Moonbow / a rainbow born of moonlight]

[Scene opens with a dramatic time-lapse sunset over a mountain. Cue the strings.]

[Narrator, in very Movie Trailer Guy voice]: Have you ever seen a rainbow… in the light of the moon?

That’s just the first ten seconds. Do yourself a favor and watch the full 4+ minutes to enjoy the full effect of the soaring music, dramatic CGI models and lines like ‘By uncovering an unseen world, Canon CMOS sensors contribute to the creation of a prosperous society.’

In all seriousness, the CMOS technology Canon references does push the envelop for extreme low light shooters. Take a look at how one filmmaker uses the ME20F-SH to record video of a meteor shower.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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