Stacked Sensor from Switzerland

Empa in Switzerland have been working on a stacked sensor for modern Cine Video Cameras. Not to be confused with Sony’s stacked sensor, Empa in Switzerland have been working on a stacked sensor to replace the standard Bayer Pattern Sensor we use in modern Cine Video Cameras. This type of stacked sensor has three layers, red, green and blue, and each layer lets through the light it doesn’t absorb. This technology isn’t new. In the 1990s this type of sensor was produced using three Silicon layers, but the absorption spectra of each layer was not specific enough causing colour bleed and a decrease in sensitivity. Today the prototypes use Perovskites instead of Silicone. Without getting super technical Perovskite refers to the structure of the material rather than the actual compound. It is a crystal structure the same as Calcium Titanium Oxide. It was developed to make solar panels more efficient and saw an increase from around 4% in 2009 to over 22% today. Back to camera sensors! The theory is three sensors stacked but each allowing through the light it doesn’t absorb. The benefit of this is that compared with a Bayer Pattern sensor of the same resolution and size, the stacked sensor would have 4 times as many red and blue sensors and twice as many green. This makes the sensor much more sensitive, and the colour fidelity much higher. Perovskites are somewhat cheaper than Silicon and easier to use for manufacture. Pixel pitch can be smaller enabling the resolution of these stacked sensors to go far beyond what is currently feasible. It will be a year or two before we see this technology mature, but watch this space.   By Mike Thomas – Sales Director