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The Always-Groundbreaking “Mobile Image Sensors”

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Whenever there is a new smartphone release, one of the most-awaited features for the press and consumers is the camera. Smartphone cameras now have some of the finest specifications, as they have tirelessly evolved in response to the increasing user interest. Did you know, behind this advancement, there is an incredible advancement of image sensors?
이미지센서의 구조. 수광 소자로 구성된 픽셀에서 빛을 받아들인 후 로직층을 통해 디지털 신호로 변환하고, 이를 모바일프로세서에 전송한다.
이미지센서의 구조. 수광 소자로 구성된 픽셀에서 빛을 받아들인 후 로직층을 통해 디지털 신호로 변환하고, 이를 모바일프로세서에 전송한다.

▲The Structure of an Image Sensor Pixels made of photodetectors receive the light, which is translated into signals by the logic layers and sent to the mobile processor.

An image sensor is a semiconductor that translates the light through the camera lens into a digital signal to display that as an image. It takes on the most important role of determining the camera’s resolution on the digital device. As per consumers’ preference of larger displays on smaller and lighter mobile devices, there is a very limited area for camera lenses on a smartphone. To install high-performance cameras in tiny smartphones, it requires some very fine mobile image sensor technologies. To provide consumers with brighter and clearer photos with a small image sensor, the image sensor technology for finer pixels and resolution with faster film speeds is improving continually.

Applying the industry’s first-ever groundbreaking Nonapixel technology, the new generation of mobile image sensors, the ISOCELL BRIGHT HM1

Last August, Samsung Electronics became the first in the industry to introduce the ISOCELL BRIGHT HMX with 108 million pixels. Six months from that, today, they have released the ISOCELL BRIGHT HM1 with an improved color filter technology. It proves that smartphone cameras will, indeed, one day be as smooth as a human’s vision.
테트라셀(2×2)과 노나셀(3×3) 기술 비교. 삼성전자의 최첨단 노나셀 기술은 밝을 때는 1억 8백만(108M)의 고화소로, 어두운 환경에서는 9개의 인접 픽셀을 하나의 큰 픽셀로 동작시켜 더욱 밝은 사진을 촬영할 수 있다.
테트라셀(2×2)과 노나셀(3×3) 기술 비교. 삼성전자의 최첨단 노나셀 기술은 밝을 때는 1억 8백만(108M)의 고화소로, 어두운 환경에서는 9개의 인접 픽셀을 하나의 큰 픽셀로 동작시켜 더욱 밝은 사진을 촬영할 수 있다.

▲ A Comparison of Tetrapixel (2×2) and Nona-cell(3×3) Technologies. Samsung Electronics’ latest technology, the nonapixel, is a high-resolution technology that moves 108 million pixels in brightness and 9 adjacent pixels in darkness as one big pixel. Such allows users to take brighter photos.

ISOCELL BRIGHT HM1 is the next-generation mobile image sensor product that has 108 million pixels and uses the Nonapixel technology. By doing this, the film speed can double at most compared to the existing Tetrapixel technology. With enough light around, 108 million pixels of 0.8㎛ (micrometer, one millionth of a meter) in size will provide clear and high-resolution images, while in darkness, pixels 2.4㎛ in size are adjoined into one for high-speed shooting. The Nonapixel technology that made this come true uses 9 adjacent pixels as one big pixel (3×3). Users can implement a brighter image when it is dark and more detailed images when it is bright depending on the shooting environment. Compared to Tetrapixel (2×2), which uses 4 pixels, this technology can receive more than double the light.
‘노나셀’ 기술을 적용한 ‘아이소셀 브라이트 HM1’ 빛이 충분한 환경에서서는 108M(1억 8백만) 화소의 세밀한 이미지를, 어두운 환경에서는 12M(1천2백만) 화소의 큰 픽셀로 활용해 고감도의 촬영이 가능하다
‘노나셀’ 기술을 적용한 ‘아이소셀 브라이트 HM1’ 빛이 충분한 환경에서서는 108M(1억 8백만) 화소의 세밀한 이미지를, 어두운 환경에서는 12M(1천2백만) 화소의 큰 픽셀로 활용해 고감도의 촬영이 가능하다

▲ ISOCELL BRIGHT HM1 with Nonapixel technology Users can shoot in high speed with the 108 million pixels for detailed images in brightness and 12 million pixels in darkness as a big pixel.

Samsung Electronics’ ISOCELL BRIGHT HM1 is a high-definition, ultra-compact, and high-performance image sensor that is perfect for the trend in which camera lenses that come with the smartphones and the image resolutions increase. With this, users can photograph images in up to 8K (7680×4320) and up to 24 frames per second for videos. Aside from this, they also have the latest image sensor technologies like Smart ISO (Smart-ISO), Real-time HDR (High Dynamic Range), Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), and more. Samsung Electronics is working tirelessly to advance image sensor technologies to not only make their smartphones’ images as good as those taken with DSLR cameras, but also to allow users to document their precious moments in life that are seen with our eyes! See Related Content Samsung Electronics Releases Mobile Image Sensors with 108 Million Pixels and Doubled Film Speed using the Nonapixel technology [Infographic] Created with integrated innovative technology, Samsung Electronics’ image sensor solutions The Evolution of Image Sensors in Numbers * Technological terms of 'Nonapixel' and 'Tetrapixel' were updated in July 2022
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