![]() Usually it is a straightforward process in which we reflect the evaluation results into our image design knowledge and design concept, and that is pretty much it. Nakamizo: Whenever endeavoring to make a pixel smaller, we first make a prototype and evaluate it. Can you share any examples of how overall optimization helped you overcome the challenges that you encountered during the development of the IMX586? While collaborating with other teams, we are looking for new ways to improve performance by looking for the optimal ways to improve characteristics even more than before. ![]() These include, for example, incorporating sensing functions and leveraging not just high resolution but also the pixels and circuits to produce the most beautiful images overall. So, we are discussing various approaches for creating new value. Of course, we try to develop it so that the sensitivity doesn’t decline, but we can see that it is time to try to create value in a direction other than that of pixel miniaturization. One of the drawbacks to miniaturization is that sensitivity declines. So, are there pros and cons to miniaturization? The key to further performance improvement is overall optimization That is, we will eventually reach the limit for simply making pixels smaller and face tradeoffs due to miniaturization. However, the trend of miniaturization is about to enter a turning point. Then, once the decision was made to bring it to market, we accelerated our development. We anticipated that we would need to go smaller based on current trends, so we were able to start internal development prior to getting any specific requests from our customers. Downsizing even 0.1 μm is, in fact, incredibly difficult. Nakamizo: It was 0.9 μm, and before that it was 1.0 μm. What was the smallest pixel size prior to your achievement of 0.8 μm? With the IMX586, we were able to achieve a pixel size of 0.8 μm, which in turn made it possible to deliver a high resolution of 48 effective megapixels even on a compact sensor of 1/2 inch (8.0 mm diagonal). So, in order to stay ahead of the competition, we needed to develop even smaller pixels. ![]() With smartphone cameras getting more and more sophisticated in recent years, every company has been striving to make pixels smaller to meet the demand for more advanced cameras that are still small enough to fit in a phone. The more pixels, the higher the image resolution. Nakamizo: Supposing that the sensor has the same surface area, the smaller the pixel, the more pixels can fit on an image sensor. So, what was the background for the development of the IMX586? If the pixels miss something, then an accurate image cannot be made. Thus, the foundation for making quality images starts with the signal from the pixels. This means that it is fundamentally difficult to remove noise that got in at the doorway-at the pixel stage-or to restore signal information that was lost at this stage. Electrical signals converted by pixels go through analog and digital circuits and ultimately become images. Masahiko Nakamizo: Pixels are the doorway from the visible real world to the electrical world-they convert the light coming through the lens into an electrical signal. First off, what is the role of pixels in an image sensor? Pixel design Will the trend of miniaturization continue?
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