Robust demand for smartphone camera image sensors has constrained the supply of 8-in. wafers. Sensor supplier OmniVision Technologies, Inc. is trying to meet camera sensor demand by using 12 in. wafers to produce the latest member of its 2 megapixel (MP) image sensor family—the OV02B.
The OV02B is designed for the main and front-facing bokeh cameras in entry level and mainstream smartphones where 2MP has become the industry standard. It also provides a cost-effective solution for the main tablet and notebook cameras. Output formats include 1600x1200 at 30 frames per second (fps) and 800x600 at 60fps.
“The strong growth trend in smartphone multicameras that we saw in 2019, for both main and front-facing cameras, is continuing to accelerate in 2020. In the entry level and mainstream markets, smartphone camera designers favor 2MP image sensors to produce bokeh effects, as they provide a significant cost advantage over higher resolution sensors,” said Parson Li, OmniVision’s senior mobile product marketing manager, in a statement. “While the demand for 2MP image sensors is growing, there is a shortage of the 8-in. wafers used to produce them. Our new OV02B is built on 12” wafers while maintaining a die size that is comparable to our existing 2MP sensors, offering an effective alternative for cost sensitive entry level and mainstream smartphones.”
The OmniPixel 3-HS pixel technology provides the OV02B with a 1.75 micron pixel pitch in a 1/5-in. optical format. Building on the success of its predecessor, the OV02A, while maintaining the same cost, the OV02B has an added SCCB ID (SID) pin, which provides two available hardware I2C addresses to meet the requirements of multicamera applications. It also adds a hardware strobe pin to sync LED flash photography, along with 32 bytes of on-chip OTP memory for storing automatic white balance (AWB) and manufacturer production information. Using a Bayer pattern, it supports both color and monochrome, while also providing a chief ray angle (CRA) of up to 30.69˚.