Quantum film start-up promises global shutter

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combatentropy

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Remember InVisage, the company that announced quantum film in March?

Besides better sensitivity, they claim a second benefit: global shutter:

The company makes sensor chips that include a layer of material known as quantum dots to detect light, rather than relying on the pixels on the chip for that task. As a result, Lee says its sensors can create better images in much lower light conditions–without the need for a flash–than sensors used in other cameras.

Since the pixels on InVisage’s chips aren’t needed for light detection, they can store data for other purposes, Lee says. InVisage uses them to capture the electrical charge from an image all at once, eliminating the gradual recording process that creates the distortion. The company calls the technology QuantumShutter, and says it can help both still and video cameras.

InVisage, which has been working on its technology since 2006, is targeting high-volume smartphones with camera resolutions in the range of five to eight megapixels, Lee says. It expects to have samples of its chips later this year, with commercial production at the end of 2011.
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Also reported here: http://www.azosensors.com/details.asp?newsID=1224

Somebody needs to tell them to also target video cameras. Or to tell Sony and Panasonic and Canon and Kodak and ... everybody to license their technology to make two-megapixel Super 35 image sensors!!!!
 
InVisage's has made a few blog posts this year, making it sound to me like we may be close to seeing a product with their sensor in it. But who knows. In February 2013, InVisage got more venture funding, which it said it will use to start manufacturing QuantumFilm, and it said that cell phone makers have been evaluating it.

A recap of advantages:

  1. Global shutter
  2. Higher sensitivity and wider dynamic range than even current rolling-shutter CMOS sensors.
  3. No pixel crosstalk (which causes color noise), no need for telecentric lenses (not the same thing as telephoto lenses)
  4. Easy manufacture: painted on top of CMOS sensors
  5. Affordable: they're first aiming at cell phones, so the price should be well within reach of pro cameras, if they ever decide to make a chip for them.

http://www.invisage.com/technology/
http://www.invisage.com/blog/
http://www.invisage.com/2013/02/invisage-secures-series-d-venture-funding/
 
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Thanks for posting this. I ran across this technology a couple of years ago but had lost track of it. Looks very promising.
 
lots of hype, but little actual results. Remember the sComos hype?
I'd like to see some actual numbers, like quantum efficiency %, read noise e-, snr db, color volume.
 
Cellphones might turn out to be a pretty good proving ground, since they have a lot of advantages for fast development. They're obsolete in a year, thus smaller investment stake if people don't buy it, but people buy phones anyway, so the sensor will "sell" regardless. It wasn't that long ago that BSI sensors were also only used lab and machine vision applications before moving on to phone cameras, and now camcorders and compact cameras, as cost became less prohibitive.

What I think will happen is that quantum dots might make an appearance soon, but not in any way that will be of any consequence to most people, it'll at least result in some phones with better dynamic range and sensitivity for a couple of years.
 
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combatentropy said:
Why's that?
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I take "The company expects to deliver its final product samples to manufacturing partners within the next few quarters, and it will take another six to nine months before the technology can be implemented in future products" to mean, optimistically, nine months to a year and a half. This is a new technology, and things rarely go according to plan.
 
Yesterday Invisage published a video, which includes footage from their quantum-film image sensor.

"And in Spring 2015, we opened a new factory for mass production in Taiwan."
 
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The factory is near Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, who will make the basic sensors in the old CMOS way. Then they'll go to Invisage's factory, to spread on the layer of quantum film. --- http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150617005468/en/InVisage-Expands-Taiwan-Factory

They are "working to snatch orders from Sony's customers" --- http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20150615PD209.html

There will be an announcement August 7, maybe about a particular product, although they're focusing right now on cell-phone cameras --- http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2015/07/invisage-qfab3-inauguration-coverage.html
 
Hmm, what does Apple intend to do with the intellectual rights? Since, presumably, this will go into a smartphone, it will need a major sensor fab to manufacture hundreds of millions of these type designs. But Apple mostly buys from Sony and Samsung and those are likely to stick with own technology. Had they wanted Invisage themselves, they had plenty of chances to make the move. It's unlikely Apple will go into the declining and soon to be nearly invisible photo-video business. Or they going to just squat on the patents, as is their wont?
 
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