Smartphone CIS technology ‘ISOCELL HP2’, the eyes of the Galaxy S23

 

Last month, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S23 was released. The biggest feature of the S23 series is the enhanced camera function with the image sensor ‘ISOCELL HP2’. In this issue, we will look at the ISOCELL technology installed in the S23 and the rapidly evolving smartphone CIS technology.

Galaxy S23 unpacked event
(source: Samsung Newsroom, https://news.samsung.com) 

CIS (CMOS Image Sensor) Market

Now, the camera function of a smartphone has become an important factor in determining the quality and likability of the smartphone. As such, smartphone manufacturers are scrambling to launch new models every year, accelerating the development and introduction of CMOS image sensors, which are the core component of smartphone cameras, in other words, ‘CIS’ that can overwhelm competitors.

Smartphone image sensor market share by Vendor, 2022
(source: https://www.counterpointresearch.com)

Currently, the global CIS market is led by Sony (Japan) and Samsung (Korea). Looking at the CIS market share statistics announced by the global market research firm 'Counterpoint' last month, Sony is dominating with 54% and Samsung and SK are chasing.

What is CMOS,

A CMOS image sensor simply refers to a semiconductor that acts as a film for a camera. Since the image sensor converts subject information received through the camera lens into electrical digital signals, we can check or delete the picture on the screen immediately after taking a picture with a smartphone.

 The advantage of CMOS is that it consumes less power and is manufactured in a semiconductor process, so it is easy for mass production. Therefore, it is widely used not only in smartphones, but also in high-resolution digital cameras, medical imaging devices, and automotive surveillance cameras. The CMOS image sensor developed by Sony shows the manufacturing method and semiconductor circuit configuration of the sensor module mounted on the camera.

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SK Hynix is latecomer comparing to Sony and Samsung but rapidly expanding its market share by mass-producing CIS equipped with excellent image processing functions such as PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus), Quad pixel processing, and HDR (High Dynamic Range).

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KR10-2488110B, "Analog-digital conversion circuit and CMOS image sensor including the same

PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) Structure
(Source: SK Hynix Newsroom, https://news.skhynix.co.kr )
 

For some pixels of CIS, a phase difference is generated by covering the left and right sides as shown on the left of the above figure, or phase difference is generated by arranging left and right pixels under one large micro lens as shown on the right. The ISP algorithm calculates the phase difference from the left and right images and converts it into the distance to the subject, enabling fast and accurate focusing

‘ISOCELL’, Galaxy’s eyes

The Galaxy is equipped with ISOCELL, an image sensor. ISOCELL, developed by Samsung for the first time in the world in 2013, is a technology that realizes high-quality images with small pixels by minimizing interference between sensor pixels that are getting smaller, and has been applied to various image sensor products.

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Since then, ‘ISOCELL’ was officially launched in 2017, and the image sensor has been established as a brand no longer a type of product.

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ISOCELL brand

Since then, through continuous development and expansion, a line-up from ‘mobile image sensor’ to ‘automotive image sensor’ and ‘ToF sensor’ is currently being built. From autonomous driving cars to XR and AR, it is seen as an example showing that CMOS sensors are the core of various future technologies.

Samsung ISOCELL lineup
(Source: Samsung Electronics, https://semiconductor.samsung.com)

 ‘ISOCELL HP2’ to take pictures of celestial bodies with 200 million pixels

The newly released S23 Ultra model is equipped with a 200-million-pixel image sensor ISOCELL HP2, and it is said that it can take clear pictures of nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies in the night sky in astro mode. The larger the pixel size of the image sensor, the better, but the ISOCELL HP2 overcomes this problem by applying many of the latest technologies in exchange for smaller pixel sizes.

ISOCELL HP2 sensor equipped with Galaxy S23 Ultra
(Source: Samsung Newsroom, https://news.samsung.com )

In particular, the ‘Tetra Squared Pixel’ technology, which increases the light absorption rate by merging up to 16 pixels into one, enables bright and clear shooting even in dark nights or in situations where light is insufficient. The base has a Tetracell sensor. The tetracell sensor is that increases the light-accepting area by making 4 pixels into 1. Although the number of pixels decreases, the pixel area is quadrupled, so it can suppress noise in dark and take brighter pictures. Last year, by applying an improved neural network processor, they introduced a technology that improves the image processing ability and bad pixel correction ability of these tetracells and nonacells.

 

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How far will it evolve?

Now, as the era of taking pictures of celestial bodies with a smartphone camera has come, the global CIS technology is getting more and morecompetitive. As mentioned earlier, CIS technology and parts are expected to evolve and develop in various future markets as well as the smartphone market.