With demand for digital cameras, camera phones, and machine-vision systems recovering, sales of image sensors are forecast to grow 31% in 2010 to reach $8.5bn, according to IC Insights.
Worldwide image sensor growth continues to be driven by applications for CMOS-based devices, which will account for 61% of sales in the market this year compared to 39% coming from CCDs.
CMOS image sensor sales will grow 34% in 2010 to a $5.2bn. CCD image sensor sales are forecast to rise 27% in 2010 to $3.3bn
Between 2009 and 2014, CMOS image sensor sales are projected to increase at a 17% CAGR, reaching $8.3bn in 2014.
CCDs, which continue to dominate digital still cameras, video camcorders, scanners,
and other machine imaging applications, are expected have sales of $3.7bn in 2011. The CAGR for CCD devices between 2009-14 is expected to be 8%.
CMOS image sensors dominate high-growth portable systems applications, such as camera phones, optical mice, toys, video games, Webcams in notebook computers, and other embedded cameras in handheld products, but new specialised and higher-speed CMOS imagers are also being aimed at automotive systems, medical equipment, and wireless video security networks.
With 65nm processes being applied to some new devices, CMOS image sensor pixel densities are rivalling those of CCDs, which still are generally better at capturing higher quality digital images, especially in low-light conditions.
Integration of imaging processing circuits and higher-speed pixel rates are enabling CMOS devices to replace CCDs in more applications.
Total image sensor sales continue to be the largest segment in the optoelectronics market. In 2009, image sensor revenues (at $6.4bn) accounted for 35% of the $18.3bn optoelectronics market, followed by solid-state lamp devices (primarily LEDs), which represented 31% of the sales total of $5.7bn.
LED sales are increasing at a much higher rate than image sensors due to strong growth in high-brightness LEDs, which are used to illuminate flat-displays in digital TVs and LCDs in cellular smartphones and other portable systems as well as in emerging solid-state room lighting products.
By 2014, total LED sales will be roughly equal to image sensors at $12.1bn, says IC Insights.