Tessera Licenses Wafer Level Optics to QTech

Yahoo: Tessera announced that China-based Qtech has licensed Tessera’s OptiML wafer-level optics (WLO). The combination of Tessera’s OptiML WLO and the previously licensed SHELLCASE wafer-level packaging will enable Qtech to manufacture low-cost, reflowable VGA cameras for mobile and notebook applications.

In-Stat on Image Sensor Market

In-Stat announced a new report on image sensor market. Its main conclusions are:

• Camera phones comprised nearly 81% of area-array image sensor shipments in 2008, a share that is expected to shrink only slightly through 2013.
• embedded PC cameras will surpass digital still cameras to become the second-largest application for image sensors by 2011
• CMOS sensors dominated image sensor shipments in 2008, with more than an 87% share.
• By 2013, CCD is expected to comprise less than 4% of the total area image sensor market.
• CMOS will make up 62% of security camera image sensors by 2013.
• While CMOS is gaining in digital still cameras, it will not surpass CCDs until 2013.

Worldwide unit shipments of image sensors in camera phones continue to rise, mostly as a result of the continuing penetration of dual-camera phones in Asian markets. These phones utilize both a traditional point-and-shoot camera, as well as a second, inward-facing camera for two-way video communication or videoconferencing.

In-Stat also gives the market growth projection till 2013:

Omnivision Regains Market Share in China

Digitimes: Omnivision has adopted more aggressive pricing for its 1.3MP sensors, regaining part of its lost market share in the China market from SETi. OmniVision has also started ramping up output at TSMC, according to Digitimes' sources.

OmniVision is expected to also adjust the price of its VGA products soon, the sources noted.

Pixelplus Management Cleared in Court

Yahoo: Pixelplus announced that, on March 19, 2009, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York granted final approval of the settlement of the previously-disclosed consolidated shareholder class action lawsuit commenced against the Company and certain of its current and former officers and directors in April 2006. All claims against the Company and its current and former officers and directors have been dismissed with prejudice and without any admission of liability or wrongdoing.

Aptina's Sales, Margins Down

Barron's: Aptina's image sensor sales were down 54% for the quarter ended on March, 5, 2009, due to a sharp drop in units relating to weakening consumer demand. Gross margins of imaging products fell to 2%, from 29% in the previous quarter.

Seeking Alpha's Earnings Call transcript adds little information on that:

Ronald C. Foster, CFO:

Imaging revenues were down 53% from quarter-to-quarter, primarily due to weakness in the mobile phone market.
...
Imaging gross margins were down as we experienced a slow down in unit sales and production, driving up per unit costs. Imaging gross margins did, however, remain positive at 2.8%.

Omnivision to Supply 3MP and 5MP Sensors to Apple

Digitimes quotes a rumor that the next generation iPhone will feature 3.2MP sensor from Omnivision. Same rumor also says that Omnivision was also selected as a supplier for 5MP Apple product to appear later in 2009, which might be iPhone or the much-rumored Apple MID.

Update, April 15: Wired quotes another Digitimes article and analyst response on it, seems to confirm that Omnivision supplies 3MP sensor the next generation iPhone.

Smalcamera Technology Acquired by Melexis

Yahoo: Sensata was the latest owner of Smallcamera technology, acquired from Cypress. It had announced the intention to sell its Vision business in December 2008. Today Sensata and Melexis announced the signing of an agreement to sell Sensata's Vision business to Melexis. The transaction is expected to close by the end of April.

The Vision business provides CMOS imagers and imaging modules to automotive advanced driver assistance systems for customers such as Bosch and Delphi.

Melexis Chief Executive Officer Rudi DeWinter states, "The wide dynamic range camera technology from Sensata's Vision business is complementary to our current imaging sensors and fits very well with the trend of increasing use of vision products to enhance safety in cars."

Omnivision Announces Security Sensor

Yahoo: Omnivision unveiled its latest OV7960 SoC solution for CCTV applications. The OV7960 features the light sensitivity of 12V/lux-sec. Featuring 6 x 6um OmniPixel3-HS pixel, the OV7960 provides the full functionality of a single-chip digital/analog NTSC/PAL sensor. The OV7960 operates at 30fps in VGA mode, 50fps in PAL mode and 60 fps in NTSC mode and has an active array size of 768 x 576 to support both PAL and NTSC outputs.

The OV7960 incorporates image processing functions, including exposure control, gain control, white balance, lens correction and defective pixel correction to provide full-frame images. For storage purposes, the OV7960 includes 16 bytes of OTP memory. The OV7960 features automatic exposure/gain with 16 zone control, horizontal and vertical windowing capability, aperture/gamma correction, external frame sync capability.

The OV7960 is immediately available for customer sampling with volume production slated for the second half of calendar 2009.

Toshiba Simplifies Image Tuning

PRNewswire: Toshiba announced the availability of the new ImaTuning image sensor calibration tool, currently available free to Toshiba image sensor customers. ImaTuning is a hardware and software platform that runs on a PC and lets customers tune their Toshiba image sensor to match the performance needs of their target application, primarily digital cameras in mobile phones.

Toshiba Adds More 1.75um-based Products

Yahoo: Toshiba announced two new 1.75um pixel based products. The 8MP 1/2.5" format sensor (part number ET8ER4-AS) is intended for use in high-end camera phones that offer auto-focus or optical zoom capabilities.

The 2MP 1/5" format chip scale camera module (CSCM) uses TSV technology to allow mounting and assembly of camera components in the chip wafer during manufacturing to reduce the module's size by as much as 64 percent in comparison to other camera modules. It features an integrated image signal processing function to give the CSCMs more digital still capture-type functionality.

Engineering samples of the 8MP image sensor are available now, with mass production scheduled to begin in Q2 2009. It is sample priced at $20 each. The 1/5-inch format 2MP CSCM will be in mass production in Q2 2009 and is sample priced at $10 each.

Update: There is a nice picture showing the new camera module design: