London, Mar 23 (ANI): Using tiny semiconductor particles known as "quantum dots", a new sensor has been created that could pave way for mobile phone cameras that outperform larger cousins.
Its makers, Invisage, said that a film made from these dots is more light-sensitive than existing approaches to camera sensors, which means that cameras made using the film need not be as large as some to achieve the same performance.
InVisage suggests the films will make it into camera production by mid-2011.
Digital camera sensors use silicon to turn incoming light into an electric charge, which the camera can measure and translate into an image.
But due to the production method of silicon-based sensors, in many cases the light is partially blocked by the electronic connections that make the sensor work.
In addition, silicon can turn only half of the incident light into electric charge, and thus capturing light using silicon throws away about 75 percent of the light.
"It is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to develop next-generation image sensors using silicon; essentially, silicon has hit a wall," the BBC quoted Jess Lee, the company's chief executive, as saying.
"The fundamental problem is that silicon cannot capture light efficiently, but until now it has been the only option," added Lee.
And that is where quantum dots come in.
Named because they are single, tiny dots of semiconductor material whose light-absorbing properties - their predilection to absorb specific "quanta" of light energy - can be tightly controlled during manufacture.
Invisage makes a soup of these quantum dots and spins it into what it calls a QuantumFilm.
According to the company, the approach could be easily integrated to existing semiconductor manufacturing methods.
As each quantum dot is so small, it is possible to squeeze in up to three times as many "pixels" in a given space, and the higher sensitivity gives better performance in low-light conditions.
The company will formally unveil the technology at the Demo conference in California, which runs from 21 to 23 March. (ANI)
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