Product category:
Optoelectronic Sensors, Switches and Receivers
News Release from: Avago Technologies | Subject: ADCC-3960
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 18 October 2005
CMOS sensor improves handset image
capture
A new single-chip 1.3Mpixel CMOS image sensor features an enhanced-performance pixel architecture that allows mobile phones to take sharper, truer colour photos in all lighting conditions.
Agilent Technologies has introduced a single-chip 1.3Mpixel CMOS image sensor featuring an enhanced-performance (EP) pixel architecture that allows mobile phones and computing devices to take sharper, truer colour photos in all lighting conditions The new image sensor, with its 10x reduction in noise, eliminates the CMOS-CCD image-quality gap and targets high-image-quality megapixel mobile phone, computing, security and industrial applications
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The sensor's on-chip image processing and JPEG compression eliminates the need for a space-consuming, power-hungry companion chip and reduces design complexity and time to market.
Agilent's proprietary EP pixel architecture leverages several design innovations, such as 3D pixel e-field shaping, to better address the three major challenges faced by all CMOS image sensors: keeping noise down in very low-light conditions, maintaining true colour uniformity for sharpness and colour accuracy, and improving pixel consistency through reduced manufacturing variability.
The EP pixel architecture maximises photodiode area in a highly symmetric 3.3um active-pixel design that provides a 10x reduction in dark current and surface-state noise for richer, more brilliant colour-image reproduction.
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In addition to lower noise and dark current, it delivers lower crosstalk, higher blue sensitivity and true correlated double sampling.
It also includes patent-pending innovations that significantly reduce image lag for superior results in low-light and video applications.
"The sensor is the critical link in capturing high-quality light data and feeding the image processor with the most signal, least noise and sharpest-definition raw data", said Feisal Mosleh, Director of Mobile Imaging Marketing in Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group.
"Our new EP pixel architecture offers best-in-class data capture, resulting in remarkable low-light performance and deep contrast for incredibly sharp and brilliant colour images at all light levels".
"At 1.3Mpixel, the colour reproduction, low-light performance and image sharpness is industry-best".
"We intend to implement our enhanced-performance pixel architecture at higher resolutions to produce digital still-camera-like results".
"Our close co-operation with Agilent on 0.18um CMOS image sensor process improvements has resulted in a more consistent process with greater uniformity and better yield", said Ken Chen, Director of Mainstream Platform Marketing at TSMC.
"We look forward to applying this improved EP process to all of Agilent's future multimegapixel imaging system chips".
The Agilent ADCC-3960 EP is the industry's most advanced one-third optical format, 1.3Mpixel system-on-chip.
It incorporates a CMOS image sensor with an enhanced image processor and seventh-generation JPEG compression engine.
The sensor is capable of 15 frames per second at full SXGA resolution, and 30 frames per second in VGA mode.
It has a pixel size of 3.3um square and contains 1280 x 1024 active pixels.
The ADCC-3960 EP also incorporates a 10bit A/D convertor.
The Agilent ADCC-3960 CMOS image sensor is sampling now and available in production volumes through Agilent's direct sales channel.
Agilent expects to sample an EP-based 2Mpixel CMOS image sensor in early 2006. Request a free brochure from Avago Technologies ...
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