Back-illuminated sensor

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For the lighting design practice, see Backlighting (lighting design). For backlights in liquid crystal displays, see backlight.

Comparison of simplified back-illuminated and front-illuminated pixel cross-sections

A back-illuminated sensor, also known as backside illumination (BI) sensor, is a type of digital image sensor that uses a novel arrangement of the imaging elements to increase the amount of light captured and thereby improve low-light performance.

The technique was used for some time in specialized roles like low-light security cameras and astronomy sensors, but was complex to build and required further refinement to become widely used.

HTC EVO 4G[3][4] Android smartphone, and as a major selling point for the camera in Apple's iPhone 4.[5][6]

Description

A traditional, front-illuminated

lens at the front and photodetectors at the back. This traditional orientation of the sensor places the active matrix of the digital camera image sensor—a matrix of individual picture elements—on its front surface and simplifies manufacturing. The matrix and its wiring, however, block some of the light, and thus the photocathode layer can only receive the remainder of the incoming light; the blockages reduces the signal that is available to be captured.[1]

A back-illuminated sensor contains the same elements, but arranges the wiring behind the photocathode layer by flipping the silicon wafer during manufacturing and then

thinning its reverse side so that light can strike the photocathode layer without passing through the wiring layer.[7] This change can improve the chance of an input photon being captured from about 60% to over 90%,[8] (i.e. a 1/2 stop faster) with the greatest difference realised when pixel size is small,[citation needed] as the light capture area gained in moving the wiring from the top (light incident) to bottom surface (paraphrasing the BSI design) is proportionately larger for a smaller pixel.[citation needed] BSI-CMOS sensors are most advantageous in partial sun and other low light conditions.[9] Placing the wiring behind the light sensors is similar to the difference between a cephalopod eye and a vertebrate eye. Orienting the active matrix transistors behind the photocathode layer can lead to a host of problems, such as crosstalk, which causes image noise, dark current, and color mixing between adjacent pixels. Thinning also makes the silicon wafer more fragile. These problems could be solved through improved manufacturing processes, but only at the cost of lower yields, and consequently higher prices. Despite these issues, early BI sensors found uses in niche roles where their better low-light performance was important. Early uses included industrial sensors, security cameras, microscope cameras and astronomy systems.[8]

Other advantages of a BSI sensor include wider angular response (giving more flexibility for lens design) and possibly faster readout rates. Disadvantages include worse response uniformity.

Industry observers[who?] noted that a back-illuminated sensor could theoretically cost less than a similar front-illuminated version. The ability to collect more light meant that a similarly sized sensor array could offer higher resolution without the drop in low-light performance otherwise associated with the megapixel (MP) race. Alternatively, the same resolution and low-light capability could be offered on a smaller chip, lowering costs. Key to attaining these advantages would be an improved process that addressed the yield problems, largely through improving the uniformity of an active layer on the front of the detectors.[8]

A major step in the adoption of BI sensors was made when

HTC EVO 4G,[4][3] which were released in April and June 2009, respectively. In June 2009, OmniVision announced the 5MP OV5650,[13] which had the best low-light sensitivity at 1300 mV/lux-sec and the lowest stack height at 6 mm in the industry.[14] Apple selected the OV5650 to use in the back camera of the iPhone 4, which garnered good reviews for its low-light photos.[15]

Sony's work on new photodiode materials and processes allowed them to introduce their first consumer back-illuminated sensor as their

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.[16]

In January 2012, Sony developed the back-side illuminated sensor further with Stacked CMOS,[3] where the supporting circuitry is moved below the active pixel section, giving another 30% improvement to light capturing capability.[17] This was commercialized by Sony in August 2012 as Exmor RS with resolutions of 13 and 8 effective megapixels.[18]

In October 2012, GoPro used a Sony IMX117 sensor as the first BSI sensor in their action cameras, in the Hero3 Black.[19]

In September 2014 Samsung announced the world's first

Photokina 2014
.

In June 2015 Sony announced the first camera employing a back-side illuminated full frame sensor, the α7R II.[3]

In August 2017

full-frame digital SLR
camera, would have a back-illuminated sensor on its new 45.7 MP sensor.

In September 2018

mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, with a 26.1MP APS-C Fujifilm X-Trans sensor back-illuminated sensor.[21]

In April 2021, Canon announced their new R3 model would feature a 35mm full-frame, back illuminated, stacked CMOS sensor and a DIGIC X image processor.[22]

In April 2021, Ricoh released the Pentax K-3 III featuring a BSI 26 megapixel APS-C sensor from Sony and a PRIME V image processor.

In May 2021, Sony announced a new back-illuminated, stacked sensor for the Micro Four Thirds format.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Sony, 2009
  2. Sony Corporation
     
  3. ^ a b c d e Zimmerman, Steven (12 October 2016). "Sony IMX378: Comprehensive Breakdown of the Google Pixel's Sensor and its Features". XDA Developers. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Inside the HTC EVO 4G Smart Phone with a Teardown to the Silicon". chipworks. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  5. ^ Tufegdzic, Pamela (3 September 2010). "iPhone 4 Drives Adoption of BSI Image Sensors in Smart Phones". iSuppli. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  6. ^ Apple, 2010
  7. RCA Corporation
     
  8. ^ a b c Swain and Cheskis, 2008
  9. ^ Yoshua Goldman. "Why the iPhone 4 takes good low-light photos: BSI CMOS sensors explained!". Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  10. ^ Yoshida 2007
  11. ^ "OmniVision premieres world's first 1/3-inch, 8 megapixel CameraChip sensor with 1.4 micron OmniBSI technology". EDN. 23 September 2008.
  12. ^ Brian Klug (20 July 2010). "Motorola Droid X: Thoroughly Reviewed". Anandtech.
  13. ^ "OmniVision delivers DSC-quality imaging to high performance mobile phone market" (PDF). OmniVision. 22 June 2009.
  14. ^ "DSC-Quality Imaging for High-Performance Mobile Phones: OV5650 5 megapixel product brief" (PDF). OmniVision. January 2010.
  15. ^ Philip Berne (24 June 2010). "Review: iPhone 4". PhoneScoop.
  16. ^ Vlad Savov. "Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Sony's Stacked CMOS Image Sensor Solves All Existing Problems in One Stroke" (PDF). Sony. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2012.
  18. ^ "Sony Global – News Releases – Sony Develops "Exmor RS," the World's First*1 Stacked CMOS Image Sensor". Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  19. ^ "GoPro HERO3 Black Edition: Super Hero..." DXOMARK. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Samsung Semiconductors Global Site". Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Fujifilm announces the new X-T3, a mirrorless digital camera evolving X Series into fourth generation". Fujifilm. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  22. ^ "Canon announces development of the EOS R3 full-frame mirrorless camera that delivers high speed, high sensitivity and high reliability to expand users' range of photographic possibilities". Canon. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Sony announced a new 20MP stacked BS1 Micro Four Thirds sensor. Is this for the future Olympus OMD camera?". Retrieved 30 May 2021.

Bibliography

External links

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