Sony working on CMOS sensor for phones
There’s no denying that the built-in cameras in cell phones are getting better and better. Now Sony is working to take cell phone cameras top the next level by developing a CMOS sensor specifically for phones. The IMX060PQ Exmor sensor is similar to that commonly used in DSLR cameras.
From their press release:
“The newly developed CMOS image sensor “IMX060PQ” leverages Sony’s proprietary formation technology to deliver the industry’s smallest unit cell size*1 (1.4µm), and the industry’s highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). The implementation of a Cu process that achieves extremely fine interconnections, together with the sensor’s unique pixel structure and improvements in condensing efficiency have realized high sensitivity levels and a high S/N ratio, despite the industry’s smallest*11.4µm size unit cell. Furthermore, Sony’s proprietary “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion technique” minimizes image quality degradation cased by noise that arises during analog processing, while also enabling higher pixel count and frame rates (10 frames/s for “IMX060PQ” and 15frames/s for “IMX046PQ”).
By enhancing its “Exmor™” range of CMOS image sensors, used in product lineups such as digital SLR cameras and high definition digital video cameras as well as mobile phones, Sony will aim to meet customer needs for advanced imaging performance comparable to dedicated compact digital still cameras in slimline, camera enabled mobile phones.”
The move comes as cell phone have become smaller and smaller, and the quality of cameras in the phones has gotten higher and higher. In order to compensate for the smaller phone size and higher quality there was a new need to create a CMOS sensor specifically for camera phones.
The Exmor sensor “leverages Sony’s proprietary formation technology to realize the industry’s smallest unit cell size (1.4µm), and the industry’s highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). “IMX060PQ” is designed to meet the increasing need for advanced image quality within mobile phone enabled cameras. Sony also announced the launch of “IMX046PQ”, a type 1/3.2 CMOS image sensor “Exmor™” with 8.11 effective megapixel resolution, and “IMX045PQ”, a type 1/4 “Exmor™” CMOS image sensor featuring 5.15 effective megapixel resolution.”
How many of you have a high-megapixel camera in your cell phone. Do you find yourself using your cell to take pictures rather than carrying around a point-and-shoot? As the technology gets better do you think cell phones will eventually replace our typical low-end consumer cameras?
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