Intertech-Pira Conference Report

Don Scansen posted his impressions from Intertech-Pira Image Sensor Conference in his SemiSerious blog. Talking about the hot topics, Don mentions HDR and backside illumination:

"The other technology worth watching is backside illuminated imagers. <...> Now it seems like it is picking up some momentum inside image sensor companies and starting to be considered for a potential production technology."

Another interesting technology is the shape memory wires used for AF:

"The shape memory alloys are being used by a company called 1Limited to move the lens in an autofocus system. The alloy wire takes up almost no space (diameter is only 25 microns) inside the module providing space for larger lenses inside smaller modules. The next application of their wire is for adding zoom to future cameraphones."