Opto-WLP for CMOS Imaging Sensors

Abstract

At the heart of the still-expanding digital camera market is the image sensor — a silicon semiconductor designed to capture photons and convert them into electrons. Charge-coupled device (CCD) technology, discovered at Bell Labs (Murray Hill, N.J.) in the late 1960s, controlled the imaging market for many years. Today, the latest CMOS sensors are continuing to displace the older CCD technology, as their output now rivals that of the quality of the CCD while offering a lower cost and requiring less energy to operate.