Omnivision to Announce 0.61um Pixel Sensor

SparrowNews quotes Chinese sources that Omnivision is about to announce OV60A sensor with 0.61um pixels.

The 1/2.8-inch 60MP OV60A is the world’s first 0.61um image sensor for mobile phone front and rear cameras. The four-in-one CFA allows near-pixel merging to deliver 15MP images with 4x the sensitivity, providing the equivalent performance of 1.22 microns for preview and native 4K video, with the additional pixels needed for EIS.

The sensor also supports a low-power mode for “always-on” sensing, which saves battery life when used in conjunction with the phone’s artificial intelligence features. The “always-on” low power modes include ambient light sensing for wake-up and low power streaming mode. The sensor also supports dual I/O voltage rails (1.8V and 1.2V) and a CPHY interface.

Here is a timeline for the renewed pixel size race:

• 1.1um in 2010 (Omivision BSI-2, presented at MWC in Barcelona)
• 1.0μm in 2015 (Samsung S5K3P3, samples started in 2014)
• 0.9μm in 2017 (Samsung Slim 2X7)
• 0.8μm in 2018 (Sony IMX586)
• 0.7μm in 2019 (Samsung Slim GH1)
• 0.64um in 2021 (Samsung presentation at ISSCC, if conference presentations count)
• 0.61μm in 2021 (Omnivision OV60A)