Toshiba launches highly sensitive 20MP BSI CMOS image sensor

JAPAN: Toshiba Corp. will launch a new 20-megapixel (MP) CMOS image sensor, the TCM5115CL, as the latest addition to its sensor line-up for digital still cameras. TCM5115CL offers the industry's highest resolution in the 1/2.3 inch optical format, using backside illumination technology (BSI) to improve sensitivity and imaging performance.

Sampling of the new sensor will begin at the end of January 2013 and mass production will follow in August 2013.

Continued advances in the resolution offered by compact digital cameras—now in the range of 10- to 16MP—have brought with them the challenge of improving performance and picture quality with smaller pixels. The TCM5115CL does just this by achieving a 15 percent improvement in full well capacity—the amount of charge an individual pixel can hold before saturating—against Toshiba's previous generation 16MP sensor (pixel size = 1.34μm).

TCM5115CL is designed to meet the demands of high quality, fast frame rate image capture and HD video recording supporting smooth, slow motion playback, and delivers the high frame rates 60fps at 1080p and 100fps at 720p.

CMOS image sensors are the main product of Toshiba's Analog and Imaging System business. The addition of the TCM5115CL to its CMOS sensor line-up for digital cameras will reinforce the business and support the company in securing its target of a 30 percent market share in 2015.