STRL is developing a small color camera with a single-chip color image sensor that uses stacked organic films. STRL fabricated a high-definition sensor by increasing the number of pixels and reducing the pixel size.
The organic image sensor is a single-chip color image sensor with three layers of organic film, each sensitive to only one of the three primary color components of light. The layers are stacked with three transparent TFT※1 circuits that read out signals from each film.
Each organic film absorbs light of only one of the three primary color components and converts it into an electric signal. The light of the other colors passes through to the layers below. The resulting single chip color image sensor has the same characteristics as a three-chip color image sensor that uses a prism.
We made progress in miniaturizing transparent TFT circuits and reduced the pixel pitch to 100μm, or one-sixth of the size the predecessor. In addition, we increased the number of pixels by more than eight times, to 12,200 pixels (128 horizontal x 96 vertical).
We will increase the concentration of transparent TFT circuits to make an organic image sensor with even higher resolution.
Developing transparent TFT circuits is jointly carried out with Kochi University of Technology.
Part of developing organic films is jointly carried out with Saitama University.
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