Samsung releases industry's first 0.64-micrometer pixel image sensor

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday introduced a new mobile image sensor, the industry's smallest pixel size, as the South Korean tech giant eyes to beef up its presence in the non-memory sector.

The 50-million megapixel ISOCELL JN1 is the industry's first 0.64-micrometer pixel image sensor that can deliver ultra-high resolution images and allow manufacturers to make slim mobile devices, according to Samsung.

Its pixel size is 16 percent smaller than that of a 0.7-micrometer pixel image sensor, which will reduce the height of a camera module by 10 percent, the company said.

The ISOCELL JN1, which comes at the size of 1/2.76-inches, is equipped with Samsung's latest ISOCELL 2.0 solution that improves light sensitivity by 16 percent compared to the previous ISOCELL Plus technology. It also used Inter-scene HDR technology to deliver better contrast ratio.

Samsung, the world's largest memory chip supplier, said it applied the Double Super PD solution for the first time for its image sensor with the ISOCELL JN1. It doubles the number of pixels used for autofocus compared to its previous technology for faster phase detection even in low light.

The chipmaker has been gradually reducing the size of pixels since introducing the industry's first 1-micrometer pixel image sensor in 2015. It released a 0.9-micrometer pixel image sensor in 2017 and a 0.7-micrometer pixel image sensor in 2019.

Samsung hopes its latest image sensor solutions can boost its market share and help it catch up with the industry's leader, Sony Corp.

The company held a market share of 29 percent in the global image sensor market last year, far behind Sony's 46 percent share, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. (Yonhap)