TowerJazz and TPSCo Announce a New State of the Art CMOS Image Sensor Technology based on Stacked Deep Photodiode

Targets rising demand for 3D gesture recognition and gesture control solutions in the consumer, security, automotive and industrial sensors growing markets

MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel, and UOZU CITY, Japan, August 23, 2016 — TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry leader, and TowerJazz Panasonic Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (TPSCo), the leading analog foundry in Japan, today announced a new state of the art CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) technology flow based on stacked deep photodiode, allowing customers to achieve very high Near Infrared (NIR) sensitivity and realize extremely low cross-talk while keeping low dark current characteristics, using small pixels and high resolution. Sensors with this pixel structure can perform even in very low light conditions. This new CIS technology will be available in TowerJazz and TPSCo’s worldwide fabs, including the companies’ advanced 12″ fab in Uozu, Japan.

This solution targets 3D gesture recognition and gesture control for the consumer, security, automotive and industrial sensors markets. According to marketsandmarkets.com, the gesture recognition and touchless sensing market is expected to grow from $5.15 Billion in 2014 to $23.55 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 28.2% between 2015 and 2020.

Near Infrared (NIR) is becoming more and more popular in 3D gesture recognition applications and in automotive active vision applications for better visibility in harsh weather conditions. These applications are using a Near IR laser as a non-visible, coherent light source. Each pixel can accurately measure the time it took for the light to exit the laser, reach the object and reflect back to the sensor, thus allowing calculation of the distance of any object in the scene, creating a 3D image. In general, it is extremely difficult to achieve both high sensitivity (high quantum efficiency) and high resolution (low “cross-talk” between pixels) using Near IR, both of which are the most important requirements for imaging.

Current solutions generally use a thick epi on p-type substrate to achieve high sensitivity, but this creates high cross talk (low resolution) and high dark current values. The novel pixel structure developed by TowerJazz and TPSCo has a stacked deep photodiode, providing both high sensitivity and low cross talk at NIR. This allows very low dark current values, especially at elevated temperatures, required in the automotive market.

“The tremendously fast growth of 3D gesture application in the consumer market such as PC and mobile as well as in the automotive area will allow us to attract many customers with this technology that is the best the market has to offer,” said Dr. Avi Strum, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CMOS Image Sensor Business Unit, TowerJazz.

The process was developed on TPSCo’s 65nm CIS technology on 300mm wafers in its Uozu, Japan fab and is already in production for leading edge automotive and security sensors. It will also be available for new designs in TPSCo’s 110nm fab in Arai, Japan and in TowerJazz’s 180nm fab in Migdal Haemek, Israel.