14 November 2008

Sony Commercializes World's First
12.25 Megapixel Sensor for Mobile Phones

Sony today announced the commercialization of "IMX060PQ", a new type 1/2.5 CMOS image sensor "Exmor" for use in camera enabled mobile phones that features an effective resolution of 12.25 megapixel.

"IMX060PQ" is designed to meet the 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.

Furthermore, Sony will also commercialize "IU060F", a type 1/3.2 lens module with 12.25 effective megapixel resolution, and "IU046F", a type 1/3.2 lens module with 8.11 effective megapixels. Equipped with lens and auto focus functions, the two modules are the industry's smallest and thinnest in their class.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I'm repeating myself again but I’m just not impressed with all these millions of megapixel. Don’t get me wrong, 12 MPX sounds freaking amazing but only if it doesn’t means that we’ll get 4 millions megapixels of noise more! What’s the point of the millions pixels if the quality sucks!?

Camera phones and other small-pixel consumer imaging devices often suffer from poor performance, especially under low light conditions and therefore we really don’t need a smaller, better, larger and more sensitive sensors for cellphones supported with a better optic and that is the only way to get the image quality that can be equal or even surpass what is available from current classic point and shoot cameras!

In a matter of fact there is only one thing that I am impressed with! This Sony’s sensor is fast enough to process HD video at 1080p/27 fps and 720p at the 30 frames per second!! Simply amazing and I just hope that phones will be fast enough to process and store video at this resolution and frame rate!

*click to enlarge

Rest of the press: In recent years, the convenience offered by cameras in mobile phones has driven an increase in their use, while demand for higher image quality has also continued to grow. In addition, as mobile phone designs have become more refined, and models become smaller and thinner, the need for further miniaturization in mobile phone camera technology has also increased.

To meet these requirements, improvements in both image quality and sensor miniaturization must be achieved, but the more the shrinking process is continued, the more difficult it becomes to gather light into the sensor pixels, leading to the risk of image degradation resulting from reduced sensitivity and S/N levels.

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.