No sooner do camera phones get 1.3 megapixel resolution then the
image sensor suppliers talk of a even higher resolutions to turn
your mobile into a fully featured camera.
At the start of the year Sharp Microelectronics set the two
megapixel ball-rolling with a two million pixel charge-coupled
device (CCD) for mobile phones. Many other CCD image sensor device
suppliers are doing likewise.
The cost efficiencies of using CMOS process technology to
manufacture image sensors have transformed the use and
cost/performance ratio of traditional CCD camera-on-a-chip
technology.
Camera phones using modules based on integrated CMOS image
sensors are moving from the 307,000 pixels of VGA (480x640 pixels)
standard sensors towards the megapixel range signified by image
resolutions of 1,280x1,024 pixels and larger.
At Renesas Technology Europe, David Wollen, general manager of
the mobile business group, expects to see two and three million
pixel cameras integrated in mobile handsets within the next two
years. "The aim is to put true a digital stills camera into a
mobile phone," says Wollen.
Agilent Technologies is another supplier rapidly moving from
today's top performing 1.3 megapixel (1,280x1,024 pixels)
resolution CMOS camera modules to 2.0 megapixel (1,600x1,200
pixels) resolution devices which are in development.
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| A Nokia camera phone |
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Typically, these high performance camera modules combine the CMOS
image sensor with an integrated image processor, an embedded power
supply and integral lens system.
Micron Technology has been offering its 1.3 megapixel MT9M111
camera phone CMOS sensor since May. Micron takes pains to emphasise
the importance of low light level performance in mobile
applications.
The MT9M111 uses Micron's low leakage DRAM-based process and
this year a move to 0.15µm process technology has supported
the development of the firm's first two and even three megapixel
CMOS sensors.
Although initially specified and priced for higher cost digital
still cameras, it is inevitable that as manufacturing economies of
scale kick in, these parts will be priced for the mobile market,
and this may be as soon as the start of next year.
Cypress Semiconductor recently spent $100m acquiring Belgian
imaging sensor specialist FillFactory to enter the market for
mobile CMOS imaging devices. "The sweet spot for cameras in phones
is at 1.3 million pixels now. It will be about three million in the
second half of next year," says Fabrice Moizan, v-p of European
sales at Cypress Semiconductor.
www.sharp-sme.com
www.renesas.com
www.agilent.com
www.micron.com