SmartSens Unveils Its First 0.7-Micron Pixel, 52MP CMOS Image Sensor for High-End Smartphone Cameras

2022-11-17

Shanghai, China, November 17, 2022 SmartSens Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (SSE STAR MARKET: 688213), a technologically-advanced CMOS image sensor supplier, recently announced SC520XS, a 0.7-micron pixel, 52-MegaPixel (MP) CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) for high-end smartphone cameras. Employing SmartSens’ proprietary technologies including SFCPixel-SL™, ultra-low noise readout circuit, and color processing, the stacked BSI image sensor, SC520XS, brings cinematic full-color night vision outputs to high-end smartphone front and rear cameras including telephoto and ultra-wide angle cameras. As SmartSens’ first 0.7μm-pixel 50MP-level image sensor with AllPix ADAF® technology, SC520XS achieves all-pixel all-directional autofocus, enabling faster and more precise autofocus for image capture in fast-moving and low-light scenes. The ultra-low power consumption of SC520XS allows for the reduced power need of always-on smartphone cameras in image recognition functions. In addition to its 52MP output, SC520XS can provide 13MP output via QCell, a four-pixel binning technology.

Main features

Cinematic full-color night vision outputs

Among all SmartSens CIS solutions, SC520XS is the first CIS to be equipped with SFCPixel-SL™, a technology that is developed upon SmartSens’ proprietary SFCPixel® technology. Compared with other 0.7μm-pixel CISs in the industry, SC520XS has a 13% increase in Quantum Efficiency (QE), a twofold rise in sensitivity, a 20% growth in Full Well Capacity (FWC) with a maximum Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 42dB, and a 64% drop in Read Noise (RN), which deliver its balanced performance in full well capacity and noise, yielding its excellent full-color night vision outputs as well as day vision outputs with richer details and layers. SFCPixel-SL™ technology also enables the conversion gains of both high gain and low gain, which leads to a 10.5dB jump in the dynamic range of the SC520XS image sensor.

SmartSens’ proprietary technologies used on SC520XS, including ultra-low noise readout circuit and color processing technologies, enable night vision outputs with stunning color and precise details, bringing cinematic night vision outputs for smartphone camera systems.

All-pixel all-directional autofocus capability

As SmartSens’ first 0.7μm-pixel 50MP-level image sensor with all-pixel All-Directional AutoFocus (ADAF) capability, SC520XS employs AllPix ADAF® technology, achieving autofocus in horizontal and vertical directions with 100% coverage of pixels, thereby allowing itself for fast and accurate autofocus in fast-moving and low-light scenes. Furthermore, the Sparse Phase Detection (PD) mode of SC520XS will be enabled for selective scenes, which results in clear video outputs at a higher frame rate, thus reducing the power consumption of the image sensor. SC520XS’s three types of data output, from TYPE 1 to TYPE 3, provide opportunities for customers to access the data they need for their system design.

Ultra-low power consumption

The image recognition functions on smartphones often require smartphone cameras to be always on. To support optimizing the overall power consumption of the smartphone cameras, SC520XS features ultra-low power consumption, by utilizing SmartSens’ upgraded chip structure and readout circuit. When a recognition request comes in, the Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) of the image sensor detects the variation of ambient light, then the Ultra-Low Power (ULP) mode of the image sensor is activated, and hence the power consumption of the image sensor is reduced significantly. According to the data from testing, SC520XS achieves minimum power consumption of 1.4mW under ALS mode and 3.5mW under ULP mode, respectively. Integrated with algorithms of smartphone cameras, SC520XS can assist smartphone camera systems in image recognition functions, e.g., facial, gesture, and environment recognition.

“SmartSens’ latest mobile CIS solution, the 0.7μm-pixel 52MP SC520XS for high-end smartphone cameras such as main, front, telephoto, and ultra-wide angle cameras, marks our technology breakthrough in CIS with high resolution and small pixel size,” said Mr. Rafa Jin, Vice President of Smartphone Division at SmartSens Technology. “As SmartSens’ first CIS that employs SFCPixel-SL™ technology, SC520XS brings cinematic image outputs to smartphone cameras, with optimized performance in full well capacity and low-light imaging, color reproduction, noise control, etc. SC520XS is also the first 0.7μm-pixel 50MP-level CIS that achieves all-pixel all-directional autofocus capability with SmartSens’ AllPix ADAF® technology. The ultra-low power consumption of SC520XS can further support extending the battery life of smartphones, thereby empowering image recognition applications on smartphones. SmartSens mobile CIS solutions feature resolution from 2MP to 52MP for smartphone front and rear cameras, and will be expanded with more high-performance mobile CIS solutions that deliver premium image outputs for smartphone camera systems.”

SC520XS is sampling now and will be mass-produced in Q1 2023. For more information or to request a sample, please contact SmartSens Sales Representatives: cs@smartsenstech.com

About SmartSens Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

SmartSens Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (SSE STAR MARKET: 688213) is a high-performance CMOS image sensor (CIS) chip design company. It is headquartered in Shanghai and has research centers in many cities around the world. SmartSens has been dedicated to pushing forward the frontier of imaging technology and growing in popularity among customers since it was established. SmartSens’ CMOS image sensors provide advanced imaging solutions for a broad range of areas such as surveillance, machine vision, automotive and cellphone cameras. SmartSens is committed to continuous innovation of products and fueling growth in numerous industries by delivering a more comprehensive portfolio of image sensors. Learn more at SmartSensTech.com.