12mp cameraphones and HD video mobiles on the way from Sony

When Ericsson was setting out its vision of the future the other day, we didn't know that its mobile bedfellow, Sony, was just signing off the copy on the announcement of its ground breaking new image sensors for mobile phones.

Busting past the current 10mp barrier set by Samsung, it's prepping the IMX060PQ, a 12.25mp CMOS sensor ready to slip into camera phones from next year.

Not that megapixel counts are everything and normally we'd be ringing alarm bells about cramming in that many pixels onto a tiny mobile phone chip. Sony says its managed to achieve the "smallest unit cell size" of 1.4µm per pixel sensor. In theory, that should spell a recipe for noise but Sony reckons it's got it pegged thanks some clever processing, combined with its "unique pixel structure".  We wait to see how it plays out with noise in the real world but the solitary sample image (below), which annoyingly only includes a 60% crop, suggests Sony might have done a good job of keeping it under control.

For video fans, the chip should also manage HD of sorts - shooting 720p at 30 frames per second (fps) and 1080p at 27fps. Those frame rates don't quite reach the 50 or 60fps of true HD but they're still mightily impressive. For those prepared to sacrifice stills resolution, there will also be the IMX045PQ, a 5.15mp sensor capable of true 720p HD at 60fps - ticking off one of Ericsson's predictions early.

From the stats, the chips will also be fast. The IMX060PQ is specced as being able to snap a mighty 10 shots per second, while the the IMX045PQ can grab an incredible 15. At those speeds, we're guessing the buffer will be filled pretty quickly, so don't expect to be getting more than a second or two out of burst mode but we're yet to see any other cameraphone come close to those speeds at full resolution.

The two sensors will launch to phone makers in March next year but if that's too long to wait, the IMX046PQ, an 8.11mp sensor able to shoot 720p and 1080p at 30fps with a 15fps burst mode, will be on the market to makers this month so should be in phones a few months sooner. Looks like 2009 could spell the end for the compact camera.

Press release:

Sony Commercializes World's First(*1), Industry Leading Resolution(*1) 12.25 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor "Exmor(TM)" for Mobile Phones

Also announces 8.11/5.15 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor and lens modules realizing image quality equivalent to compact-type digital still cameras
   
Tokyo, Japan –Sony Corporation today announced the commercialization of "IMX060PQ", a new type 1/2.5 CMOS image sensor "Exmor™" for use in camera enabled mobile phones that leverages Sony's proprietary formation technology to realize the industry's smallest unit cell size (1.4µm), and the industry's highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). "IMX060PQ" is designed to meet the increasing need for advanced image quality within mobile phone enabled cameras. Sony also announced the launch of "IMX046PQ", a type 1/3.2 CMOS image sensor "Exmor™" with 8.11 effective megapixel resolution, and "IMX045PQ", a type 1/4 "Exmor™" CMOS image sensor featuring 5.15 effective megapixel resolution.

Furthermore, Sony will also commercialize "IU060F", a type 1/3.2 lens module with 12.25 effective megapixel resolution, and "IU046F", a type 1/3.2 lens module with 8.11 effective megapixels. Equipped with lens and auto focus functions, the two modules are the industry's smallest*1 and thinnest in their class, and with the launch of these products Sony will seek to enhance the enjoyment of taking high quality images using camera enabled mobile phones.

In recent years, the convenience offered by cameras in mobile phones has driven an increase in their use, while demand for higher image quality has also continued to grow. In addition, as mobile phone designs have become more refined, and models become smaller and thinner, the need for further miniaturization in mobile phone camera technology has also increased. To meet these requirements, improvements in both image quality and sensor miniaturization must be achieved, but the more the shrinking process is continued, the more difficult it becomes to gather light into the sensor pixels, leading to the risk of image degradation resulting from reduced sensitivity and S/N levels.

The newly developed CMOS image sensor "IMX060PQ" leverages Sony's proprietary formation technology to deliver the industry's smallest unit cell size*1 (1.4µm), and the industry's highest pixel count*1 (12.25 effective megapixel resolution). The implementation of a Cu process that achieves extremely fine interconnections, together with the sensor's unique pixel structure and improvements in condensing efficiency have realized high sensitivity levels and a high S/N ratio, despite the industry's smallest*11.4µm size unit cell. Furthermore, Sony's proprietary "Column-Parallel A/D Conversion technique" minimizes image quality degradation cased by noise that arises during analog processing, while also enabling higher pixel count and frame rates (10 frames/s for "IMX060PQ" and 15frames/s for "IMX046PQ").

By enhancing its "Exmor™" range of CMOS image sensors, used in product lineups such as digital SLR cameras and high definition digital video cameras as well as mobile phones, Sony will aim to meet customer needs for advanced imaging performance comparable to dedicated compact digital still cameras in slimline, camera enabled mobile phones.
   
Major features

● CMOS Image Sensor
1) CMOS image sensor with industry-leading 12.25 effective megapixel resolution for use in mobile phones
       *Proprietary formation technology used to create industry's smallest*11.4µm unit cell
2) Realizes high-definition image quality equivalent to compact digital still cameras
3) Realizes high sensitivity and high S/N through its unique pixel structure and lens
       - Sensitivity equivalent to 90mV in 1.75µm unit cell
4) "Column-Parallel A/D Conversion method" achieves high frame rates:
       - "IMX060PQ" : 10fps
       - "IMX046PQ"/"IMX045PQ" : 15fps

● Lens module
1) Industry's smallest and thinnest lens module*1, also equipped with lens, auto-focus and Interface functions
2) Unique lens design to achieve high resolution
3) "Piezo" type lens motor that reduces power consumption when shooting video images*3
4) Equipped with 28mm wide-angle lens (35mm conversion) popular in digital cameras ("IU060F" only)

*1 As of November 13, 2008. (based on Sony research)
*2 Picture of sample of Lens module "IU060"
*3 Electric element that contracts when charged
*4 Excluding flexible printed circuits
*5 Mass production of model featuring MIPI Interface scheduled for July, 2009