Samsung Launches Industry’s First 28-Megapixel APS-C CMOS Image Sensor for Digital Cameras

Samsung introduces its new 28 megapixel (MP) APS-C* CMOS image sensor for digital cameras, which offers superior light absorption thanks to the back-side illuminated (BSI) pixel technology and 65-nanometer (nm) low-power copper process.

Samsung Launches Industry’s First 28-Megapixel APS-C CMOS Image Sensor for Digital Cameras

Utilizes advanced back-side illuminated (BSI) pixel technology and 65-nanometer (nm) copper process technology to offer outstanding image quality and energy efficiency

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, announced its new 28 megapixel (MP) APS-C* CMOS image sensor for digital cameras. Currently in mass production, the new S5KVB2 is designed into Samsung’s new compact system camera, the NX1, and will be showcased along with the camera at Photokina 2014 held in Cologne, Germany, September 16 to 21. 

Utilizing Samsung’s advanced BSI pixel technology, the new S5KVB2 sensor offers superior light absorption. By using 65-nanometer (nm) low-power copper process as well as fine design technology, this new imager satisfies the requirements for power efficiency and noiseless high quality imaging in high-end compact system camera formats.

“To satisfy the increasing market need for high-end image sensors in digital cameras, Samsung has introduced this new imager, which features excellent higher resolution, superior image quality, and faster shooting speed with low power consumption,” said Kyushik Hong, vice president of System LSI marketing, Samsung Electronics. “Based on its leadership in CMOS imaging technologies, Samsung will continue to address new trends in camera sensor markets.”

The new S5KVB2 is the industry’s first APS-C sensor to adopt back-side illuminated (BSI) pixel technology. The BSI structure moves the metal layers to the rear side of the photodiode to reduce the loss of light. Applying BSI pixels, Samsung’s newest imager improves the light sensitivity of each pixel and increases light absorption in peripheral areas by approximately 30 percent, resulting in crisper, sharper images compared to a conventional front-side illumination (FSI) pixel-based imager.

By moving the position of the photo diode, the sensor’s metal wiring layout is better optimized for faster continuous speed. As a result, the S5KVB2 offers 30fps** video recording at Ultra HD resolution, being capable of delivering ultimate video quality on a camera.

In addition, the imager adopted Samsung’s advanced 65nm low-power copper process, which is well ahead of 180nm aluminium process, generally used in the camera sensor industry. Based on the finer ICs and the use of copper, the 65nm copper process enables power consumption to be reduced dramatically compared to an imager based on a previous process technology. As a result, the new S5KVB2 imager has less thermal emissions.

Through the advanced fabrication process and IC design, the S5KVB2 also decreases random noise significantly.

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