Toshiba Electronics Europe has used back-side illumination (BSI) to realise image pixels with a pitch of 1.12 µm and to pack 8.08 million of them into a 0.25-in. (6.35 mm) sensor that can handle up to 60 frames per second and supports 1080p and 720p.
Düsseldorf, Germany: The latest addition to Toshiba Electronics Europe’s CMOS image sensor lineup combines the industry’s smallest level pixel size with the enhanced sensitivity and improved imaging performance of back-side illumination (BSI) technology (see the figure).
Reducing pixel size in image sensors can result in reduced performance. BSI sensors deploy lenses on the rear of the sensor, on the silicon substrate, rather than on the front, where wiring limits light absorption. This boosts light sensitivity and absorption, allows the formation of finer-quality image pixels in smaller CMOS image sensors, and makes BSI CMOS sensors more suitable for motion picture applications.
Toshiba expects BSI CMOS image sensors to become the mainstream technology in portable digital designs, with applications expanding from mobile phones and digital cameras to smart phones and tablets.
The company has used BSI to realise image pixels with a pitch of 1.12 µm and to pack 8.08 million of them into a 0.25-in. (6.35 mm) sensor that can handle up to 60 frames per second and support 1080p and 720p.
Toshiba Electronics Europe
www.toshiba-components.com