The chip division of Japanese giant Toshiba said it has started making fast 20 megapixel CMOS image sensors aimed at the high end smartphone market. Samples went out last month and full production will start in February next year.
That type of censor will give a smartphone the kind of capabilities more associated with high end and expensive digital cameras.
The sensor, bilt on a 1.12 micron CMOS process has an optical size of ½.4 inch and lets camera modules on smartphones be built to a-height of 6mm or less. The chip has a pixel count of 5384×3752 with digital zoom capabilities, and includes 16Kbit memory.
The sensor – dubbed the T4KA7 – ddelivers a frame rate of 22 frames per second at full resolution image capture. That’s an improvement of 83 percent compared to Toshiba’s previous 20MP sensor.
A Toshiba representative said that the sensor will let manufacturers to design next generation ultrathin, power aware high end mobile products.
The sensor will cost around $20 when bought in volumes.
Toshiba said that the CMOS image sensor market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 percent between 2013 and 2018, with revenues reaching $13 billion.
