Camera module shrinks to 3mm high

CMOS image sensor is cost-efficient, ultrathin camera module solution for entry level camera phones, secondary cameras for 3G handsets and integrated notebook cameras.

At the 3GSM World Congress OmniVision Technologies unveiled a tenth-inch VGA CameraChip sensor, the OV7680.

The new CMOS image sensor brings to the market a cost efficient, ultrathin camera module solution designed for entry level camera phones, secondary cameras for 3G handsets and integrated notebook cameras.

The unique nonlinear microlens shift technology featured in the OV7680 permits a reduction in the distance between the sensor and the lens, reducing the height of the camera module to just 3.0mm without compromising image quality or camera performance.

Minimising the module height is a critical characteristic for slim camera phones and for notebook computers where the module can be no thicker than the LCD housing.

"With the introduction of our OV7680, we are bringing the concept of thin to the entry level handset market", said Jess Lee, Vice President of Mainstream Products at OmniVision.

"The OV7680 allows for the addition of a camera in virtually every cellular phone".

The OV7680 can operate at 30 frames per second in VGA resolution with full user control over image quality, formatting and output data transfer.

This makes the OV7680 equally well suited for use as a secondary camera in 3G phones as well as notebook cameras, as both are predominantly used for video conference applications.

The OV7680 is a 0.1in single-chip, high performance VGA CameraChip sensor using a 2.2um pixel size built on OmniPixel2 technology for maximum sensitivity and excellent low light performance.

The new VGA image sensor delivers low noise, low cost, low power consumption, and a wide dynamic range and enables a module size of just 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.0mm, dimensions that allow for a single element plastic lens design.

The OV7680 comes in a CSP2 package and is currently available for sampling.

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