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CMOS Lens Provides Images In Low Light At High Speed

High Resolution Lenses for machine vision, instrumentation, inspection and vibration-sensitive applications. Standard and custom hi-res lens assemblies.

CMOS Lens

CMOS Lenses

Researchers in Germany have developed and patented a CMOS sensor that can be used to capture large pixel images in low light applications without the reduction of speed.

Typically, CMOS sensors are not used in low light situations such as fluorescence imaging because of their natural large pixel applications and the need for speed. Particularly in areas where only low light is available such as during an x-ray, or in astronomy application, having a larger pixel area helps to compensate for the lack of sufficient light.

The Fraunhofer research team has created a component called the lateral-drift field photodetector (LDPD). “In this component, the charge carriers generated by the incident light move at high speed to the readout node,” says a researcher. In order to produce the new chips, the researchers had to improve upon the current CMOS chips and the manufacturing process.

In conjunction with astronomy, spectroscopy and x-ray applications, the new sensors can be used to create 3D images, which are useful for providing environment scans of current layouts.