Cypress and MIS Develop 3D WLP for Image Sensors

I-Micronews: Cypress and Micro-Imaging Solutions (MIS) presented a low cost, high resolution CMOS image sensors encapsulated in a 3D WLP package. The target market is endoscopic equipment, where small size is critical. Sony and Panasonic CCDs currently dominate here, with each CCD sold for hundreds of dollars. MIS plans to penetrate the market with cheap and very small CMOS sensors.

To reduce the sensor size MIS has remoted all of the video processing and most of the timing/control circuitry away from the sensor plane. The video processing circuitry can be stacked directly behind the imager or it can be placed several meters "downstream" and be connected to the imager via RF or a disconnectable cable as well. The sensor chip has only the pixel array and some timing and control circuitry in order to make the imager package as small as possible.

To me this looks like another application crying for the smallest possible pixel. Then the resolution would become bigger at smaller sensor size.

Thanks to J.B. for the info.