Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. has announced the commercialization of the IMX487, a 2/3-type CMOS image sensor for industrial equipment. The global shutter CMOS image sensor is compatible with the ultraviolet light(UV) wavelength and claims the industry’s highest pixel count of approximately 8.13 megapixels, compared to UV wavelength-compatible CMOS images sensors in the market.
Click for a larger image. (Source: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp.)
The UV wavelength-compatible CMOS image sensor delivers a high level of UV sensitivity and high-quality imaging with minimal noise thanks to components specialized for the UV wavelength and a unique light receiving unit structure, said Sony.
The IMX487 uses Sony’s Pregius S global shutter technology, which uses a unique back-illuminated pixel structure on a stacked CMOS image sensor that delivers distortion-free imaging and high-speed performance. The sensor offers high-speed performance at 193 frames per second (in 10-bit mode) and is compatible with the 200 to 400 nm wavelength, which is the most suitable UV wavelength for industrial inspections.
Click for a larger image. (Source: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp.)
The pixels capture UV light with high efficiency and features a tiny 2.74-µm square pixel size, which helps achieve the industry’s highest effective pixel count even on a compact 2/3-type format, said Sony.
The sensor targets a variety of applications, including semiconductor pattern defect inspection in the UV camera market. These UV cameras enable sorting of materials that would be difficult in visible light, as well as checking for minute scratches and defects on the surface of objects, said Sony.
Transparent protection resin applied on the substrate (solid line) is not visible under visible light, but appears black under UV light. The uncoated area (dotted line) does not appear black even under UV light. Left: Visible light; Right: UV light. (Source: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp.)
However, demand is growing for an image sensor that provides sensitivity in the UV wavelength, along with high resolution, low noise, and high-speed performance, said Sony. The new sensor delivers high UV sensitivity, thanks to a design that uses a material with a high level of UV transmittance for the optical path components where light enters the product as well as the unique light receiving unit structure, which enables high-quality imaging with reduced noise.
These features makes the sensor suited for a variety of industrial applications such as sorting plastics and other materials using UV light at recycling plants, inspecting for the application of transparent resin, inspecting for minute scratches on the surface of components, and detecting UV light emitted due to discharges in deteriorating overhead power lines.
Sample shipments of the IMX486 CMOS image sensor start in September.
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