Yahoo: Today even Barbie cameras have VGA resolution. Nevertheless, CIF sensors might still find some use somewhere, so Pixelplus decides to fill the niche. The company begins sampling of its 1/11" PO4010 CIF SOC sensor, The 0.13um-based sensor sips just 10.8mW at 30fps speed.
The sensor was developed for "tier-one mobile phone manufacturer in Korea", probably Samsung, given good old relationships between the companies.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Micron Lost Nokia Business?
EETimes: Micron reportedly had a falling out with a big customer: Nokia.
Speculating about possible image sensors spin-off, EETimes gives some statistics:
In fiscal year 2006, Micron's image sensor business represented 14 percent of its total sales ($749 million), compared to just 6 percent in fiscal 2005 ($303 milllion) and 2 percent in fiscal 2004 ($99 million).
Micron is the world's largest CMOS image sensor player with $845 million in sales in 2006, followed by ST ($540 millioin), OmniVision ($520 million), Toshiba ($455 million) and Sharp ($345 million), according to IC Insights Inc.
Speculating about possible image sensors spin-off, EETimes gives some statistics:
In fiscal year 2006, Micron's image sensor business represented 14 percent of its total sales ($749 million), compared to just 6 percent in fiscal 2005 ($303 milllion) and 2 percent in fiscal 2004 ($99 million).
Micron is the world's largest CMOS image sensor player with $845 million in sales in 2006, followed by ST ($540 millioin), OmniVision ($520 million), Toshiba ($455 million) and Sharp ($345 million), according to IC Insights Inc.
Pixelplus Announces its First 2.2um Pixel
Yahoo: Pixelplus has completed development of its first 2.2um pixel-based product - PO5030 VGA SOC. The 1/10" sensor was jointly developed with a "leading Japanese module maker".
The company expects to deliver the PO5030 product to module makers and mobile phone manufacturers in Q1'08.
The company expects to deliver the PO5030 product to module makers and mobile phone manufacturers in Q1'08.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Micron Considers Image Sensors Spin-Off
Barron's: Micron is considering spinning off its image sensor business into a separate company as part of a corporate restructuring plan, according a brief research note this morning by RBC analyst Mahesh Sanganeria.
Sanganeria wrote that one option under consideration is selling a stake to a private equity firm, “creating an immediate cash infusion.”
So, first was ST, now Micron is possibly abandoning IDM model. Who's next?
Sanganeria wrote that one option under consideration is selling a stake to a private equity firm, “creating an immediate cash infusion.”
So, first was ST, now Micron is possibly abandoning IDM model. Who's next?
Friday, July 06, 2007
Holographic Storage Standards Adopted
Holographic storage systems seems to be the next image sensor frontier. ECMA just adopted two new standards in this area.
ECMA-377 Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) Recordable Cartridges standard describes 200GB cartriges. ECMA-378 Information Interchange on Read-Only Memory Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD-ROM) standartizes 100GB disks. Both standards are available for free download.
Effectively the standards enable a mass market for the next generation removable storage. The data readout is achieved by a fast image sensor there. Now speed instead of sensitivity or pixel size is the name of the game. One can forsee HVD readers sporting 1.5x, 2x, 3x, etc. speeds - imaging what should be the sensor speed there!
ECMA-377 Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) Recordable Cartridges standard describes 200GB cartriges. ECMA-378 Information Interchange on Read-Only Memory Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD-ROM) standartizes 100GB disks. Both standards are available for free download.
Effectively the standards enable a mass market for the next generation removable storage. The data readout is achieved by a fast image sensor there. Now speed instead of sensitivity or pixel size is the name of the game. One can forsee HVD readers sporting 1.5x, 2x, 3x, etc. speeds - imaging what should be the sensor speed there!
Kingpak CIS Packaging Surge
Digitimes: Kingpak Technology expects sales from packaging and testing of CMOS image sensors to rise sharply in 2007. Its chairman Joe Liu expects revenues from the CMOS image sensor segment to double for 2007, and it will also be the chief source of the company's overall profits for the year.
Pixelplus Doing Better in Q1'07?
Yahoo: In its delayed Q1 report Pixelplus says it narowed its loss on ever-declining revenues. It looks like the company has quitely made layoffs, otherwise it's not clear how the loss has been reduced.
In an intriguing statement Pixelplus says it sold 1.2 million image sensors and separately "provided approximately 8.2 million image sensors arising from its supply of services to a leading Japanese module maker" in Q1'07. All this resulted in US$4.4M revenue for the quarter.
The gross margin for Q1'07 was roughly 26%, compared to approximately 6% in Q4'2006.
In an intriguing statement Pixelplus says it sold 1.2 million image sensors and separately "provided approximately 8.2 million image sensors arising from its supply of services to a leading Japanese module maker" in Q1'07. All this resulted in US$4.4M revenue for the quarter.
The gross margin for Q1'07 was roughly 26%, compared to approximately 6% in Q4'2006.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Notes from IISW 2007
Don Scansen from Semiconductor Insights puts out his notes from the 2007 International Image Sensor Workshop:
Scaling of the CIS pixel is feasible for the next two generations - 1.4 and 1µm. Beyond that, a new approach is probably needed. Some possible alternative technologies are:
Scaling of the CIS pixel is feasible for the next two generations - 1.4 and 1µm. Beyond that, a new approach is probably needed. Some possible alternative technologies are:
- Back-side illumination (BID)
- Active layer over IC (AIC), and
- Single Photon Avalanche Detectors (SPAD)
Walton to Make CIS Packaging in China
Digitimes: Walton Advanced Engineering (WAE) received Taiwanese government approval to invest US$18 million to perform CMOS image sensor packaging at its plant in China.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
ST Weights CIS Outsourcing
Digitimes: ST is looking to outsource manufacturing of its CMOS image sensors to TSMC and ProMOS, according to industry sources.
ProMOS chairman ML Chen has confirmed that his company has been in talks with ST about the outsourcing of CMOS imaging chips, but that nothing has been set.
ST has been producing the chips and modules at its in-house facilities so far. But the company is heading towards outsourcing in order to expand its market share and lower its production costs, the sources said. It is also considering selling CMOS sensor chips alone, in line with clients' wishes that they can purchase the chips and package them into modules themselves, the sources added.
The sources noted that STMicroelectronics currently produces its CMOS imaging chips mostly at its 8-inch fabs. As depreciation and amortization for the 8-inch fabs is almost completed, its production costs are competitive. But as demand for higher resolution sensors is growing, it is necessary to increase production of the sensors at 12-inch fabs, and Taiwan is a place to look for such foundry partners, the sources said.
Chen said ProMOS is confident it can produce CMOS image sensors, and its 12-inch FAB II is one of few 12-inch fabs that can provide such outsourcing services in Taiwan. ProMOS's 12-inch fab is also cost competitive because its depreciation and amortization is almost complete, Chen said.
----
Now tell me about IDMs overtaking fabless in image sensors!
ProMOS chairman ML Chen has confirmed that his company has been in talks with ST about the outsourcing of CMOS imaging chips, but that nothing has been set.
ST has been producing the chips and modules at its in-house facilities so far. But the company is heading towards outsourcing in order to expand its market share and lower its production costs, the sources said. It is also considering selling CMOS sensor chips alone, in line with clients' wishes that they can purchase the chips and package them into modules themselves, the sources added.
The sources noted that STMicroelectronics currently produces its CMOS imaging chips mostly at its 8-inch fabs. As depreciation and amortization for the 8-inch fabs is almost completed, its production costs are competitive. But as demand for higher resolution sensors is growing, it is necessary to increase production of the sensors at 12-inch fabs, and Taiwan is a place to look for such foundry partners, the sources said.
Chen said ProMOS is confident it can produce CMOS image sensors, and its 12-inch FAB II is one of few 12-inch fabs that can provide such outsourcing services in Taiwan. ProMOS's 12-inch fab is also cost competitive because its depreciation and amortization is almost complete, Chen said.
----
Now tell me about IDMs overtaking fabless in image sensors!
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