Samsung’s New CMOS Image Sensor Reduces Camera Phone Size

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Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has introduced the first 3Mpixel CMOS image sensor (CIS) with a 1/4-inch lens aperture. The sensor is suitable for ultraslim camera phones and delivers digital still camera picture quality to mobile handsets.

The 1.75µm pixel, 1/4-inch lens aperture CMOS image sensor incorporates high-resolution sensor technology from Samsung with a high-speed interface. It allows camera module size to be reduced by 30% compared with a conventional 2.25µm pixel, 1/3-inch 3Mpixel CIS. The new CMOS image sensor can also replace a 1/4-inch, 2Mpixel CIS module because they share the same footprint size.

The 1.75µm pixel, 1/4-inch lens aperture 3Mpixel CIS shows no deterioration in picture quality compared to a 2.25µm pixel, 1/3-inch lens aperture 3Mpixel CIS.

Mass production of the 1.75µm pixel, 1/4-inch lens aperture 3Mpixel CIS will commence in early 2007. Samsung’s proprietary 90nm copper process technology will be used to produce the sensor. This technology reduces the distance between the micro-lens to the photo, overcoming the potential problem of a decline in image quality as the pixel size scales down.