Samsung Develops World's Smallest CMOS Image Sensor

Samsung Electronics, one of the leaders in advanced semiconductor technology, announced recently an 8.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor (CIS) with a 1.4 pixel design at Samsung's fourth annual Mobile Solution Forum.

The new CIS chip provides a high signal to noise ratio (SNR), a key measure of overall image quality. Samsung achieved the high-resolution level by implementing advanced light sensing features and minimized noise levels. Notably, an extended photo diode technology was implemented to achieve higher light sensitivity and saturation levels, resulting in an enhanced fill factor.

Furthermore, it provides the same image quality as the charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors currently used in most digital cameras and camcorders. Since the new CIS only uses one-tenth the power of a CCD image sensor, it should quickly replace CCDs in all three key applications-mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders.

The CIS product line of System LSI Division is one of the five major product areas that Samsung has been focusing on to enhance and balance the company's overall competitiveness. Samsung's present portfolio of CIS technology spans across the range of 1.3 through 5MP resolutions with the 8MP CIS expected to be available in the second half of this year.

The CIS market is expected to show high demand for high-resolution devices. The current outlook toward 2009 shows a compound annual growth rate of over 90 percent for 3MP and higher resolution devices over a four-year term from 2006 through 2009.