Toshiba Corporation’s Semiconductor and Storage Products Company has started mass production shipments of a eight-megapixel back side illumination (BSI) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

The T4KA3 sensor has a new low power circuit design that will cut power consumption to 46 per cent that of Toshiba’s current 8MP sensors, and a chip size that puts it in the smallest class for 8MP sensors, said a statement.

The small chip size will realise smaller camera modules, like 6.5mm square, which is suitable for front-facing camera.

The high speed video recording generally requires a high frame rate with short exposure time, resulting in underexposed images, it said.

However, ‘T4KA3 incorporates ‘bright mode’ technology that boosts image brightness up to four times, realising HD video capture at 240 fps equivalent.

It will allow smartphones and tablets to record high quality, high speed video, and to offer extended imaging functions, including smooth slow motion playback and high speed continuous shooting.

The new sensor incorporates 8Kbit OTP, which can store lens shading correction data for two conditions, correction data for indoors and for outdoors. These conditions can be separately applied to image correction, and users can switch from one to the other with a simple command.

The product will allow smartphones and tablets to record high quality video at high speed, contributing to extended imaging functions such as slow motion replay, while achieving reductions in module size, power consumption and parts in the camera module, opening the way to the design of smaller and thinner mobile devices. - TradeArabia News Service