New image sensor sports backside illuminated pixels and improved quantum efficiency
October 30, 2017
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ON Semiconductor has introduced a new 1/2.7-inch 2.3-megapixel CMOS digital image sensor with an active array of 1936 x 1188 pixels. According to the manufacturer, the new sensor — lovingly named AR0239 — is capable of producing clear and sharp digital images in challenging bright and low light conditions due to its improved near-infrared (NIR) quantum efficiency (QE).
Together with so-called Backside Illuminated (BSI) pixels, where pixels are constructed in such a way that the photosensitive layer is not obstructed by interpixel- and other connections as is the case in traditional sensors, the new sensor offers a 21% improvement in responsivity (i.e., electrical output per optical input, usually expressed as amperes or volts per watt of incident radiant power) and a 10% improvement in QE compared to its predecessor.
Housed in an iBGA package the sensor features a variety of sophisticated camera functions such as in-pixel binning and windowing, and it has an on-chip analog-to-digital converter (ADC). When operating in linear mode with a serial interface, the device offers fully HiSPi/MiPi compatible HD support up to 1080p at 90 fps. Two- or three-exposure 1080p HDR output is available at up to 30 fps.
Quantum efficiency of an image sensor
The QE of an image sensor is the fraction of photon flux that contributes to the current in a pixel, and is defined as the number of signal electrons created per incident photon.Together with so-called Backside Illuminated (BSI) pixels, where pixels are constructed in such a way that the photosensitive layer is not obstructed by interpixel- and other connections as is the case in traditional sensors, the new sensor offers a 21% improvement in responsivity (i.e., electrical output per optical input, usually expressed as amperes or volts per watt of incident radiant power) and a 10% improvement in QE compared to its predecessor.
Housed in an iBGA package the sensor features a variety of sophisticated camera functions such as in-pixel binning and windowing, and it has an on-chip analog-to-digital converter (ADC). When operating in linear mode with a serial interface, the device offers fully HiSPi/MiPi compatible HD support up to 1080p at 90 fps. Two- or three-exposure 1080p HDR output is available at up to 30 fps.
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