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Friday, February 13, 2009

Chipworks Reveals Canon Compact Camera Sensor Internals

Chipworks blog shows its recent finding about the first Canon CMOS sensor used in compact cameras. The 1.7um pixel 11.8MP sensor was extracted from PowerShot SX1 IS camera.

The LC1090 sensor is the first time Chipworks have seen Canon use a copper back end process in an imager. Canon used no light pipes, just added process steps to clear the line sealants from the optical path. Comparing to previously analyzed Canon image sensors, Chipworks calls LC1090 revolutionary for Canon. The signal routing metal has been fully optimized for optical symmetry, and borderless contacts are used as part of a space saving layout.

Another news is using SiLK dielectric in the BEOL. It's the first implementation of a true low-k dielectric in the BEOL of an image sensor, based on Chipworks' analyses. The low-k resin is likely first generation SiLK D or SiLK J, as opposed to Dow's next generation porous SiLK. First generation SiLK has a reported k-value of 2.6.

A hybrid fabrication process is used for the Canon LC1090. The front end is typical of Canon 0.25 µm generation processing, while BEOL is 0.13 µm process.

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