CMOS sensors move into high-quality imaging: News from Eastman Kodak Image Sensor Solutions

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Eastman Kodak Company has taken major strides as a leading supplier of image sensors for mass-market consumer applications with the announcement of 3 and 5Mpixel CMOS image sensors targeting the fast-growing camera phone and digital still camera markets. The new products demonstrate Kodak's commitment to develop next generation CMOS image sensor (CIS) devices that offer the image quality currently available from CCD image sensors, while taking advantage of the power, integration, and cost benefits traditionally associated with CMOS technology. The new image sensors incorporate Kodak Pixelux technology, a proprietary architecture that provides higher performance, improved image quality, and more innovative features than are available from current CIS devices.

Both sensors are manufactured at IBM's Burlington, Vermont, wafer fab as part of the manufacturing collaboration announced last year between Kodak and IBM.

The sensors leverage three decades of Kodak experience in the design and manufacture of image sensors and IBM's innovative 0.18um CMOS copper manufacturing process.

'Kodak is committed to provide innovative image sensors for mass-market consumer applications, and today's announcements are another demonstration of our ability to execute to this plan', said Chris McNiffe, General Manager of Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions group.

'With our 3 and 5Mpixel image sensors, digital still camera and camera phone manufacturers now have access to a new class of CMOS image sensors that provide the image quality and functionality needed for these fast-growing markets'.

'In less than a year since announcing our collaboration, IBM has successfully qualified and manufactured CMOS image sensor designs for Kodak', said Tom Reeves, Vice President of Semiconductor Products, IBM Systems and Technology Group.

'This announcement speaks to the combined strengths of our two companies'.

'The coupling of IBM's semiconductor technology and manufacturing capability with Kodak's digital imaging design expertise has now produced industry-leading CMOS image sensors for cellphones, digital cameras and other consumer applications'.

'We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Kodak to meet the rapid growth of this market'.

The Kodak KAC-3100 and KAC-5000 image sensors are fully integrated, high performance, 2.7um pixel devices designed for mass-market consumer imaging applications.

With a 1/2.7in optical format, the 3.1Mpixel KAC-3100 is ideal for mobile phone applications requiring high resolution and outstanding imaging performance, whereas the 5Mpixel, 1/1.8in optical format KAC-5000 is targeted to digital still camera and digital video applications.

Both sensors incorporate Kodak Pixelux technology, including the use of low dark current pinned photodiodes, four-transistor (4T) and shared pixel architectures, which permits the manufacture of CIS pixels that approach the size of the smallest CCD pixels offered today while providing improved photosensitivity and lower noise relative to standard CIS devices.

Further, the shared pixel architecture used in these devices allows charge-domain binning of multiple pixels on the imaging array, providing operating modes with increased sensitivity for low light image and video capture.

In addition to these new 2.7um pixel products, Kodak is developing a next generation of CIS devices based on new 2.2um pixel technology.

Image sensors based on this new technology platform, which will help to meet the continued market need for increased resolutions and reduced optical formats, are expected to begin sampling in early 2006.

The KAC-3100 and KAC-5000 image sensors, both currently sampling, are the latest addition to Kodak's extensive and growing line of image sensors, delivering the core technology that drives the most advanced developments in digital imaging applications.

A pioneer in image sensing, Kodak develops, manufactures, and markets both CCD and CMOS image sensors for applications ranging from satellite and medical imaging applications to digital cameras and machine vision products.

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CMOS sensors move into high-quality imaging

New 3 and 5Mpixel CMOS image sensors target the fast-growing camera phone and digital still camera markets.