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High-Resolution Diagonal 7.18 mm (Type 1/2.5) 6.04M-Effective Pixel
Digital Still Camera CCD for Consumer Products
ICX624 Series [ICX624AQN/CQV/CQZ]
The trends towards further miniaturization and increased pixel counts in
the digital still camera market continue to progress without pause. Furthermore,
market needs for improved imaging characteristics continue to
increase as well.
To respond to these needs, Sony is now releasing the ICX624AQN/CQV/CQZ
diagonal 7.18 mm (Type 1/2.5) 6.04M-effective pixel interline CCDs. These devices
not only achieve further miniaturization and higher resolution with a 2.03µm unit pixel by taking full advantage of Sony’s unique fine fabrication technology,
but also improve smear and other imaging characteristics over earlier devices.
These new products also include a “horizontal and vertical pixel addition
function” that makes it possible for them to achieve 30 frame/s VGA resolution
moving picture imaging. A further plus is that these device hold the supply voltage
to an even lower level than earlier CCDs to achieve even lower power consumption,
making them truly optimal imaging devices for compact digital still
cameras. |
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ICX624 Series [ICX624AQN/CQV/CQZ] |
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* Diagonal 7.18 mm (Type 1/2.5),
6.04M effective pixels
(2840H × 2128V)
* Pixel size: 2.03 µm unit pixel
* 4-field readout
* Supports 30 frame/s VGA moving
picture imaging
* High sensitivity: 170 mV,
Low smear: -90 dB (for still
imaging)
* Low power
* New miniature package (QFN) |
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The trend in pixel counts in consumer digital
still cameras is about to shift from the
current mainstream, 5M-pixel devices to
the 6M-pixel level. To achieve 6M pixels
in the Type 1/2.5 size, which is the current
mainstream in compact digital still
cameras, Sony had to achieve a high-performance
CCD with a 2.03 µm unit pixel.
(See table 1.) |
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High Sensitivity |
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Sony succeeded in increasing the light
sensitive area in the ICX624AQN/CQV/
CQZ (the ICX624 Series) device pixels
by reducing the width of the interconnects
in the pixel block required for CCD drive
to one half the previous width. Furthermore,
to take maximum advantage of that
result, Sony developed technology that
enlarges the aperture area of the photo
shielding film and, despite reducing the
unit pixel area by 15% compared to the
earlier structure, increased the pixel aperture
area by 7%. (See figure 1.) The adoption
of this technology allowed Sony to
achieve a sensitivity of 170 mV despite
the extremely fine pixels with a unit pixel
size of 2.03 µm. (See table 2.) |
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Low Smear |
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To reduce smear, a type of noise that occurs
when imaging high brightness subjects,
Sony developed a new vertical register.
To reduce the probability of contamination
by the noise signal, Sony reduced
the cross sectional area by 35%
from the earlier structure. (See figure 2.)
These improvements made it possible to
achieve a smear of -90 dB (still imaging)
in the ICX624 Series devices. (See table
2.) |
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Low Power |
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In the ICX624 Series, Sony revised the
structure of the electronic circuits and devices
used in the CCD. These changes
made it possible to reduce the voltage from
the 15 V used in earlier products to 12 V
without harming the signal-to-noise ratio
or frequency response in the slightest. This
succeeded in cutting the operating CCD
power consumption in half. |
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New Miniature Package |
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In addition to the earlier SOP and SON
package types, Sony also provides these
devices in the new miniature QFN package.
The QFN package reduces the area
by 36% and the thickness by 31% compared
to the AQN package. (See figure 3.)
Customers can now select an ICX624 device
from an even wider range of packages
to match their needs.
* QFN: Quad Flat Non-Leaded Package |
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Timing Generator IC |
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Sony is also releasing the CXD3639GA
programmable timing generator IC with
built-in horizontal and vertical drivers.
This driver supports not only VGA moving
picture mode, but high frame rate readout
mode and AF mode as well. |
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•••• Mr. NAGATA ••••
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We adopted many of Sony’s
unique leading-edge technologies
to improve the sensitivity and
other imaging characteristics at
the same time as making the unit
pixels even smaller. While there
were many difficulties associated
with developing these new technologies,
the project members
came together as a group and
solved these one by one to make
progress towards the technological
leap of the 2.0 µm unit pixel. I
strongly recommend that you consider
adopting this device in your
digital still camera products with increasing
pixel counts. |
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See
all articles with figures and tables.  |
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Vol.42 |
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