Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sony Applies for Tilted Pixel Patent

Sony Alpha Rumors noticed Japanese language Egami post on the new Sony patent application talking about tilted pixel to increase the pixel density. Here is the Google translation:
  • If the incident light is incident perpendicularly, and the photoelectric conversion film thickness of the optical path length is equal
  • If the incident light is incident at an angle, the optical path length is longer than the film thickness of the photoelectric conversion film
  • That because of the long optical path length to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency, high sensitivity can be obtained.

The patent application also talks about Foveon-like sensor structure.

Thanks to AA for the link!

2 comments:

  1. 6% longer path length at 20 degrees!

    ReplyDelete
  2. One reader proposed translation as:
    “Layered sensors have a greater OPL (optical path lengths – length of light path times refraction index) which is advantageous for high ISO. But bias voltage is also higher, causing (dark current) noise to increase, canceling the merits. With Sony’s patent, the tilted pixel effectively increases the length of short OPLs, thus enjoying the merits of both long at short OPLs at the same time.”

    Another:

    ...
    I believe the engraved pixel wells collect more photons than flat pixels, as their surface area is larger, it’s rather a simple and clever way to increase sensitivity and DR, another way is to use micro lenses


    reply to above...
    It looks like the engraved surface should be better than microlens: once reflected from the pixel surface light will come to another surface of the same pixel

    ReplyDelete

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