IEEE Spectrum published a general article on quantum dot potential for IR sensing, written by Invisage CTO Ted Sargent. Somehow the article does not mention Invisage. In addition Spectrum also published a video report from DEMO event explaining Invisage concept and showing its 1.1um pixel demo, including the demo board:
Another Youtube video shows Jess Lee demonstrating a wafer with sensors and a sputtering machine to make the sensing layer:
Update: Optics.org published Invisage article titled "Timer set for silicon sensor switchover".
Even if it works, the advantage won't be large enough. Dark current is probably excessive. Number of defects is probably wild. These poor guys were probably pushed by the investors to get out there and start marketing. It might have been better to target a niche application to work out the kinks instead of digging their grave. As for the 1.1um pixel: They might be surprised to find out that what you draw is not what you get. Creating probes at 1.1um pitch does not mean that pixels are effectively 1.1um. Let's see how the color images turn out. Supposedly you can put CFA on this. How long does that take? Not long. So they must have serious color problems.
ReplyDeleteI think that they have promized the moon to the investors, now they have to go the space ...
ReplyDeleteMysterious 'quantum dots' are 'the new kids in the block.' Are they gonna open a new era? The Spectrum article promises amazing future and another start-up related with Intel claims that they can make a breakthrough non-volatile memory using the same term here: http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SG4G4SACBWO4PQE1GHOSKHWATMY32JVN?articleID=224200418
ReplyDeleteYH
Let’s see if anybody would be interested in buying them.
ReplyDeleteI guess the buyer needs to be a company with a long term interest in handset sensors but with no current BSI investments.
OmniVision, Sony, and Toshiba already have BSI.
Samsung is rumored to have BSI too. Don’t know about Aptina.
So that leaves what – Canon? Are they even interested in handset sensors.
The QDs technology seems solid but who knows how much time will be needed until it matures enough to demonstrate a distinctive cost/performance advantage over BSI.
Long term prospects seem good, though.
How much money has InVisage spent in this advenure ? Any one knows ??
ReplyDelete30M
ReplyDeleteso they need new money now ??
ReplyDeleteAnd yet more (of about the same) - they made it into Economist magazine,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15865270