Image Sensor ISOCELL introduced by Samsung with Pixel size 0.56μm
July 10, 2022Samsung has announced the existence of its 100MP ISOCELL HP3, the world’s smallest image sensor at 0.56 micrometer (μm)-pixels.Speaking of its latest acheivement:
“Samsung Electronics has continuously led the image sensor market trend since it invented the world’s smallest pixel sensors. Samsung will push forward beyond professional levels with our new and improved 0.56μm 200MP ISOCELL HP3,” said JoonSeo Yim, executive vice president of the sensor business team at Samsung Electronics.
Epic Resolution
Samsung has been leading the development of ultra-high-resolution cameras since it introduced its first 108MP image sensor in 2019. The ISOCELL HP3 0.56μm 200MP image sensor is the latest in the company’s continuous launch of new image sensors and enhancements in performance.
With 12 percent smaller pixel size than its predecessor, the ISOCELL HP3 captures 200 million pixels in a 1/1.4” optical format, which represents the diameter of the area captured by the lens. The ISOCELL HP3 can therefore reduce the surface area of camera modules by approximately 20 percent, allowing smartphone manufacturers to keep their premium devices slim.
A Super QPD auto-focusing solution is built into the ISOCELL HP3, so all pixels are capable of auto-focusing. As well as detecting phase differences horizontally and vertically, Super QPD uses a single lens over four adjacent pixels. This will give better accuracy and quicker auto focusing for smartphone camera users.
The sensor allows users to take video in 8K at 30 frames-per-second (fps) or 4K at 120fps, with minimal loss in the field of view when taking 8K videos.
Low-Light Experiences
The ISOCELL HP3 will provide an ultimate low-light experience, with the Tetra pixel technology that combines four pixels into one to transform the 0.56μm 200MP sensor into a 1.12μm 50MP sensor, or a 12.5MP sensor with 2.24μm-pixels by combining 16 pixels into one. The ISOCELL HP3 adopts an improved Smart-ISO feature which merges image information made from the two conversion gains of Low and High ISO mode to create HDR images.
With the upgraded version of the technology, it offers a triple ISO mode – Low, Mid, and High – that further widens the sensor’s dynamic range. In addition, the improved Smart-ISO Pro enables the sensor to express images in over 4- trillion colors (14-bit color depth), 64 times more colors than the predecessor’s 68 billion (12-bit). Furthermore, by supporting staggered HDR along with Smart-ISO Pro, the ISOCELL HP3 can switch between the two solutions depending on the filming environment to produce high-quality HDR images.