...Chuck out your old DSLRs and Compacts

[ameerat42]

Perhaps this will become the hue and cry in the near future. "Quantum Film", the likely replacement for CCD and CMOS is announced. Read about it and what do you think?
http://www.eetimes.com/news/design/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224000253

I'm wondering how they'll hook up the suspended sensors, since they don't sound to be in an array.

Meanwhile, I'll gladly accept good cast-offs.
Am...

[farmer_rob]

It seems that there is a metal/metal/silicon substrate below the quantum film, and the film just replaces the image sensor itself - so I'd guess it is layered and etched onto the wafer. There is certainly talk about integrating directly into existing fab lines. (Check out dpreview's article (http://www.dpreview.com/news/1003/10032201quantumfilm.asp).)

Hoever, i'm clearly missing the point somewhere:


The first QuantumFilm-enabled product, due out later this year, solves the crucial challenge of capturing stunning images using mobile handset cameras.

The crucial challenge?:confused013

[ameerat42]

Rob. That's where they're going to start, with mobile phone cams. Am...

[ameerat42]

Rob. Yep. It says how: onto a CMOS layer.

[Kym]

Interesting physics!

It solves the inter pixel gap problem effectively making each pixel bigger (in fact 100% coverage).
This should mean better noise handling and better dynamic range.

But we still have limit of diffraction, it only helps a big by having effectively bigger pixels.

CMOS is still there but only to collect the electrons, not convert photons to a released electrons.
I'm guessing that will help the noise situation immensely allowing clearer high ISO images.

Overall it looks like a cleaner way of capturing an image.

It will be a few years before this makes it into consumer products. It does sound promising!

[farmer_rob]

Rob. That's where they're going to start, with mobile phone cams. Am...

Am, I followed that :) it's just the "crucial" I have difficulty with. I would have thought the challenges with image quality on a mobile phone were sensor size (physically too small for low noise), lens distortion (engineering a decent lens small enough to fit a mobile phone), image processing speed, DOF, compression - this quantum film really only increases light gathering ability. It also seems to me that "producing stunning images on a mobile phone" is not one of the "crucial" challenges facing the mobile phone world today.

Just call me old and crusty - I react badly to marketing speak :crzy: :)

[ameerat42]

My mistake this time. -And I'm usually so skeptical(???)

[Kym]

It also seems to me that "producing stunning images on a mobile phone" is not one of the "crucial" challenges facing the mobile phone world today.

If they would just make em so they don't drop out would be a start :p :lol:

[dsaini]

What about the black silicon that was supposed to be the future ???

[arthurking83]

black silicon is a deviation of current silicon technology(as I understand it) whereas this technology of quantum film is in addition to current technology imaging chips.

I'll remain skeptical until the real world results start filtering in via hardware that does what they claim it to do. Claims are good for increasing share price, results are good for image quality!

it's been a long and challenge in photographic circles for an entire generation(which is probably only a concern to Gen Y's!! :D) in capturing stunning images with mobile phones!
And I thought the iPhone solved that issue :p ... seems I was wrong(again).

[davros]

It seems that there is a metal/metal/silicon substrate below the quantum film, and the film just replaces the image sensor itself - so I'd guess it is layered and etched onto the wafer. There is certainly talk about integrating directly into existing fab lines. (Check out dpreview's article (http://www.dpreview.com/news/1003/10032201quantumfilm.asp).)

Hoever, i'm clearly missing the point somewhere:



The crucial challenge?:confused013

It's a crucial challenge because the main stream media in the US want to use more and more footage from am's using their mobiles -- allowing them to layoff more staff photographers. Bastards!

[ameerat42]

It's a crucial challenge because the main stream media in the US want to use more and more footage from am's using their mobiles -- allowing them to layoff more staff photographers. Bastards!

Cripes! Sounds more like a Dalek plot to me.

I woudda thought that it would be a cheap way to introduce the technology, and mobiles sure could use a heap of imaging improvement. Then as the uptake increased it would go into such as cameras, at a price point that would garner some demand.

(I know what you're thinking, davros: it's a typical Cybermen subterfuge.) Am.

[Kym]

Basically, it boils down to this: QuantumFilm increases the cost of producing a sensor by some factor and it increases the efficiency of the post-filtration light detection by some factor. If cost is too high, the efficiency increase too modest compared to other technologies that are in development, or they have to trade off any other sensor metric (e.g. readout noise), the idea will get passed by like most tech innovations. Simple as that. Silicon Valley graveyards are filled with such ventures.
http://www.bythom.com/