Getting more from every pixel
Barbara Gengler
MAY 06, 2003
PHOTOGRAPHIC equipment maker Foveon has licensed the manufacturing and distribution of its X3 image sensor to National Semiconductor.
The X3 uses a new type of sensor that allows each pixel to capture three colours, instead of one at the moment.
The news follows an earlier announcement that Sigma Corp's Sigma SD9, high-definition digital single lens reflex camera is powered by Foveon's X3 image sensor. The SD9 is on sale in Australia.
Reviews have generally been favourable and it is clear X3 is in its early stages in the SD9.
Unlike image sensors used in current digital cameras that use a single layer of photodetectors and only capture one colour per pixel, Foveon X3 image sensors use three layers of photodetectors and capture three primary colours: red, green and blue, in every pixel.
Much of the technology in current digital cameras is based on newer CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) chips or, more commonly, CCD (charge coupled devices).
Foveon chief executive Jim Lau says the company has a large portfolio of image sensor products and image capture technologies it is bringing to market through partners such as National Semiconductor.
Foveon partnered with National, one of the company's initial investors, to develop the fabrication process for the X3, which was designed using standard .18-micron CMOS process technology.
Lau says Foveon expects to speed up the adoption of X3-based products through National's worldwide sales and marketing.
National Semi chief executive Brian Halla says Foveon has accelerated the development of a replacement technology for CCD by almost two years.
"Without question, the Foveon X3 technology is going to bring a sea-change of quality and performance to digital cameras," Halla says.
Image captors will also drive the market for faster, more powerful microprocessors in PCs, he says.
Foveon says its approach will lay the foundation for a new generation of digital cameras.
At first, the X3 image sensors will be aimed at professional and advanced amateur users.
Variants will be made for digital still/video cameras, PDAs, mobile phones and security cameras.
Meanwhile, the Foveon X3 image sensor in the Sigma SD9 has more than 10.2 million colour photo detectors, organised in three layers within the sensor to form 3.54 million full-colour pixels.
By the end of the year, point-and-shoot cameras should be available from other manufacturers with X3 technology, Foveon says.
They will have chips with slightly less than half as many pixels as the one in the Sigma.
Foveon was founded by Dr Carver Mead in 1997. He is a pioneer in solid-state electronics and VLSI (very large-scale integration) design, and professor emeritus at California Institute of Technology.
Related Links
www.foveon.comwww.national.com
www.sigmaphoto.com |
