DALSA Falcon2 Cameras Feature Fast CMOS Sensors

Market Wire: Teledyne-DALSA announced Falcon2 high resolution and high speed camera series. The new Falcon2 series includes the 4, 8, and 12M models, all based on global shutter 6um pixel:

• Falcon2 4M delivers 4 MP at 168 fps,
• Falcon2 8M delivers 8 MP at 90 fps
• Falcon2 12M, delivering 12 MP at 58 fps

A Youtube video shows the sensor's features in a marketing manner:

More about Caeleste 4T Pixel with 0.5e Noise

Caeleste monthly newsletter that I was kindly offered to subscribe to has a more detailed description of its 4T pixel with 0.5e- noise:

"After reduction of kTC, EMI and thermal noise, the fundamental limit in noise in CMOS 4T pixel is the 1/f noise contribution of the source follower. It is generally accepted that the 1/f noise and RTS noise in MOSFETs is adequately explained and modeled by the McWorther theory. Charge carriers in the MOSFET’s inversion layer are captured and released, by interface states or oxide traps, acting as spurious energy levels inside the band gap. Traps that have energies close to the Fermi level of the MOSFET channel have an equilibrium occupancy probability that obeys the Fermi-Dirac statistics. For a given trap energy level, one may have a huge spread of emission and capture time constants.

In literature it is observed that this time correlation between samples can be broken by periodically pulsing the MOSFET to accumulation between samples. When returning to inversion, the long term “memory” of the trap has disappeared. The MOSFET’s noise spectrum becomes white, the signature of “uncorrelation”. Caeleste patented pixel includes a simple, compact charge trans-impedance amplifier (CTIA). The feedback capacitance is the gate-drain overlap of the driver MOSFET, and in the order of 0.1fF, resulting in an effective CVF between 1000 and 1100 μV/electron. The uncorrelation between samples allows the column electronics to reduce the (1/f) noise by Oversampling."

BBC on e2v Gaia Project

BBC runs an article on e2v supplying 106-CCD focal plane for the European Space Observatory Gaia, due for launch in June 2013. Gaia will be sent to an observing location 1.5 million km from Earth, from where it will slowly spin and scan the sky, transferring the data back at 5Mbps speed.

Although 106 CCDs were needed for the final mission, the associated development and test program meant far more CCDs were actually delivered to satellite manufacturer Astrium, which is assembling Gaia in its facilities in Toulouse, France. e2v has worked solidly for more than five years to produce all Gaia's CCDs.

"The total number of flight models and flight spares was actually 130, which is really a significant number when you think that for most of our space programmes we're talking five or six flight devices, maybe 10," explained e2v principal project manager, Roy Steward. "And then of course there were engineering and other models along the way - 44 of those. So, 174 CCDs in total."

The light-sensitive area on each CCD detector measures 45.0mm by 59.0mm, encompassing 1,966 pixels by 4,500 pixels. The slim devices are arranged in rows across a support structure made of silicon carbide, a very light and very stiff material that will not bend or warp when it experiences the temperature extremes of space. Overall, the array covers just under half a square meter and has about 1 billion pixels.

e2v's Gaia project, valued all up at about 20 million euros, has been more than just an interesting challenge. The investments allowed the Chelmsford site produce all the CCDs - buy a new cleanroom space and test equipment - meaning that it is now in a good position to compete for more space business. "Gaia forced the pace and pushed us ahead of the curve," says e2v marketing and applications manager, Jon Kemp.

Axcelis Optima HDx Selected for CMOS Image Sensor Manufacturing

PR Newswire: Axcelis announced that it has received an order for its Optima HDx high current implanter from one of the world's largest device manufacturers. The first system shipped in September and will be used to enable production of leading edge CMOS image sensors.

The implanters of this sort are used for very low-energy implants like source-drain ones, PD pinning layer or backside passivation implant. According to Axcelis white paper the energy can go down to 7KeV.

Omnivision, Broadcom and Freescale Collaborate on Automotive 360deg Camera

PR Newswire: Broadcom, Freescale Semiconductor, and OmniVision announced a jointly developed 360-degree surround view parking assistance system – the world's first Ethernet-based parking assistance solution.

• Omnivision supplied the OV10630's 720p color HDR SoC with fully processed YUV output format.
• Freescale brought to the plate its Qorivva MPC5604E 32-bit microcontroller with MJPEG encoding engine
• Broadcom contributed the newly announced BCM89810 100Mbps Ethernet PHY.

"Despite the recession and delayed model cycles, reports are projecting up to 90 million parking and driver assist systems will be deployed by 2018," said Kevin Mak, automotive industry analyst for Strategy Analytics.

Imec Designed EUV Sensor for ASML

Imec announces that it has successfully qualified a chipset consisting of custom high-quality EUV sensor dies. These are now being integrated in ASML’s NXE:3100 EUV lithography tools in the field, improving the tools’ overlay and critical dimension (CD) tool performance.

The sensors were processed according to ASML’s custom designs and specifications, with focus on superior lifetime and sensitivity to direct and high EUV irradiation doses. Two of the sensors are designed to calibrate, align, and focus tool’s lens systems. They have been integrated in functional sensor modules, and are being integrated in the NXE:3100 machines in the field. A third sensor is designed to monitor the NXE:3300’s EUV dose. The next milestone in progress is to build and qualify the different sensors for the NXE:3300 by the end of 2011.

Wafer with EUV sensor dies, produced on imec's 200mm CMORE line.
Click to enlarge.

PMD CIF ToF Prototype, CamCube 3.0 demo

As mentioned in Samsung ToF sensor comments, PMD Youtube video demos its CIF-rosolution ToF camera prototype:



Another recent PMD video shows CamCube 3.0 product in action:

Kodak Bankruptcy Rumors

A week ago Bloomberg published that Kodak is weighing its options including a bankruptcy filing because of concerns raised by possible buyers of its patent portfolio, according to the three Bloomberg sources with direct knowledge of the process. Some potential bidders for the patents are wary of proceeding because a purchase may amount to a so-called fraudulent transfer if Kodak is insolvent.

A number of suitors, such as Google, have signed confidentiality agreements to examine the assets, said Bloomberg sources. If a sale was judged fraudulent, creditors may sue for more money, said one of the sources. A bankruptcy filing may help clear the way for a patent sale, said the people. The sale could fetch about $3 billion, MDB Capital Group estimates.

Kodak confirmed that it hired Jones Day to advise it on considering options and said it doesn’t plan to seek bankruptcy protection. Kodak also has discussed its options with law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Bloomberg sources said.

What Does it Take to Build an Image Sensor Company: CMOSIS Story

Imaging and Machine Vision Europe published article on CMOSIS history "Superb in CMOS". Here are the milestones:

• Cmosis was created in November 2007 by five former employees of FillFactory, which had been sold to Cypress. The funding came from the founders, with assistance from a VC fund, totaling €1m of seed money, which is said to cover the first 18 months of development.
• In the first year, Cmosis set itself two goals: firstly, to check that the market still had need of the specific branch of CMOS technology in which they were all experts. Secondly, the team needed to develop its new IP, which had to be tested in hardware operation, and subsequently patented, while not infringing any third party’s (including FillFactory’s) IP.
• At the end of that first year, Cmosis had filed two patents: 8T fully pipelined global shutter pixel and fast column-level ADC
• During that first year, Cmosis also worked on its first custom design contract. This had the benefit of generating revenue at an earlier stage than perhaps Cmosis was expecting.
• An intermediate round in 2008, with the same investors, brought another €1m.
• With IP developed and a custom design contract in hand, the team was able to pursue another round of financing in August 2009, this time for a further €3m, with the help of a bank and some government supported investment funds. The money were used to move to larger offices, install a cleanroom, buy a wafer probing station. The company also invested in its infrastructure and expanded its team.
• First standard image sensor products for the machine vision market – the 2.2MP/340fps CMV 2000 and 4.2MP/180fps 4000, launched at the Stuttgart Vision show in Nov 2009.
• Leading names in the machine vision industry have adopted the sensors for their camera ranges, including Basler, Point Grey Research, IO Industries and Adimec.
• Sept. 2011, Cmosis has 35 employees based at its headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium.
• Future plans include the launch of a new product at the Vision show later this year, aimed at the lower end of the market.

Funding in 2009 allowed the company to invest in
cleanroom facilities and a wafer prober for wafer testing

poLight AF Speed

EETimes-Europe published poLight article comparing its TLens with VCM-driven AF lens in terms of speed and accuracy:

poLight shows that its AF speed is pretty much limited by the sensor's framerate: